Some notebooks are meant to be finished. A traveler's notebook is meant to be kept.
The idea at its heart is simple, almost clever: a soft leather cover, an elastic band, and slim paper refills. The cover travels with you for years while the pages inside change with your life.
It is a diary, a sketchbook, a scrapbook and a planner, all in one. And unlike other notebooks, it does not fear age — it gets better with it.
If you are new to the system, this guide walks you through the four things that matter: which size to choose, how the refill system works, how to set up your first one, and how to care for the leather.
1. Understand the system first: the cover is only the beginning
A traveler's notebook — TN for short — is not really a notebook. It is a system. One cover holds one to three slim refills on an elastic band, and swapping them is the whole point.
What does that mean in practice? You never have to finish one book before starting the next. Fill a diary, slide it out to keep, drop a fresh blank insert into the same cover. A year of life becomes a stack of refills — and the cover stays the same, growing more beautiful the longer it stays with you.
Our four sizes — A5, Regular, Personal and Passport — each arrive as a complete setup: the leather cover plus three refills (blank, ruled and grid), ready to use the day it lands.
Start with the covers: A5 · Regular · Personal · Passport
2. Traveler's notebook sizes: where does your paper live?
This is the first and most important decision. The honest comparison:
A5 (220 × 155 mm) — the desk dweller. Opened flat, it is a full creative workspace: drawing, collage, long journal entries all fit. If your notebook spends 90% of its life on a table, choose this one.
A5 Leather Traveler's Notebook
Regular (220 × 125 mm) — the classic TN size. Tall and slim, comfortable to hold, generous to write in, and equally at home on a desk or in a commuter bag. If this is your first and you are unsure, choose this one — it is the hardest to regret.
Regular Leather Traveler's Notebook
Personal (175 × 110 mm) — the in-between size. Slips into the side pocket of a work bag, comes out for meeting notes and café sketches without any fuss.
Personal Leather Traveler's Notebook
Passport (135 × 105 mm) — the true carry-everywhere. Jacket pocket, jeans back pocket, the smallest handbag. It happens to hold a passport beautifully too — which is where the name comes from.
Passport Leather Traveler's Notebook
A practical test: think about the last week. Where did your paper actually open most often? On a desk → A5. In a bag → Regular or Personal. In a pocket → Passport.
3. Setting up your first TN
Here is the good news: half the decisions are already made for you.
Every size ships with three refills inside — blank, ruled and grid. One becomes your diary, one your lists, one your doodles. Nothing else to buy, nothing to assemble.
If you can only pick one, go with the Regular size: the most versatile dimensions, comfortable paper, and a price that sits in the middle of the range.
Think of the cover less like a notebook and more like a leather bag — something you will keep for years.
4. Caring for crazy horse leather: less is more
Crazy horse leather is born to look better with use. Scratches, dents, and water marks buff back into the surface with your fingertip or a soft cloth, slowly melting into a patina that is entirely yours.
Only one rule matters: do not soak it. No oils, no conditioners needed. Its wear is its medal.
FAQs
What is a traveler's notebook?
A refillable notebook system: a leather cover holds one to three slim paper refills on an elastic band, so the cover lasts for years while the pages change with your life.
What size is a traveler's notebook?
The classic sizes are Regular (about 110 × 220 mm) and Passport (about 89 × 124 mm). Ours come in four: A5 (220 × 155 mm), Regular (220 × 125 mm), Personal (175 × 110 mm) and Passport (135 × 105 mm).
Are the refills interchangeable?
Yes, within the same size. A Regular refill fits any Regular cover — but not an A5 or Passport one. Match the refill to the cover size.
How many refills can one cover hold?
Three comfortably. To carry more, loop two refills onto a single elastic band — a classic TN move — and you can fit four or five without straining the cover.
My crazy horse leather got scratched. What do I do?
Nothing. Rub the scratch gently along the grain with your fingertip or a soft cloth and it will fade back into the patina. That is the whole point of crazy horse leather: every mark becomes part of its history.
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