Handmade Leather Pocket Notebook

by Tony Thomas

I decided to create a pocket notebook out of a piece of tooling leather that I had dyed previously.

 It is great for holding loose pages of Rhodia pad paper, other scraps of paper and receipts.

This notebook was super easy to make.  Just cut the tooling leather (4 to 8 oz.) to size, dye it and fold it.

I secure it by using an elastic hair band that are available at most drugstores.   Great project and very handy!

The Pocket Notebook Book Review

by Tony Thomas

Ray Blake is well known as champion of personal organizers, notebooks and journaling.  His You Tube video on making your own travelers notebook has received over a quarter of a million views.

When I saw that he wrote a new book on pocket notebooks, I was intrigued. I bought it in Kindle format and began to read.  While it is a short book, it covers a lot of ground.  

He begins by discussing how to buy and set up your notebook.  I would have liked to see some reviews of different notebooks rather than generic descriptions, but I still found his information helpful.  He continues by providing different applications for pocket notebooks. This is the real "meat" of the book and the reason you should buy it.

This is a great book for fountain pen users looking for more ways to use their pens.  Users of rollerballs, gel pens, pencils, etc. will also resonate with its contents.  If you have a pocket notebook or plan to get one, I think this book is essential.  It is fairly priced and it is a book you will turn to often.  Highly recommended!

Buy the book on Amazon

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Ray Blake's Web Site

My New Traveler's Notebook

by Tony Thomas

Over a month ago I ordered some tooling leather and dye to create another traveler's notebook using the Ray Blake method.   The last time I created one was a year and a half ago and you can find the article here.   

This time around, I went with thinner and lighter leather for a more floppy appearance.  Also, I used a brown dye rather than a reddish one.   It holds four notebooks (currently three handmade and one Field Notes).  I took some time to distress it before dyeing for a more weathered look.  I am very pleased with the results and this will be my EDC!

Making Leather Traveler's Notebooks

by Tony Thomas

After my success making a traveler's notebook out of heavy felt, I decided to make a few more out of leather using the popular Ray Blake method.

For the first one, I used some vegetable-tanned tooling leather (highly recommended) from my local Tandy Leather.  The piece was only a bit larger than the 6" x 9" I needed to make the notebook.  It was a fairly thin piece at around 4 oz. (approx 4/64").   I also bought a small punch to create the holes.  After cutting the leather, punching the holes, trimming the corners, threading the elastic cords, and applying a bit of oil, here is what I came up with in about 20 minutes:

After living with the notebook for a week or so, I decided to make a second notebook out of heavier tooling leather I found on eBay (DC Leather).  It was a about 8.5 oz. (almost 9/64").   I also bought some dye (Angelus) for both notebooks to give them a more finished look.  The heavier leather was a bit more challenging to cut and required several passes with my utility knife.  After dyeing both sides, the color was a bit darker than I anticipated (the leather really it soaked it up) but the end product was a lot more attractive and professional looking.

Here are both notebooks after dye, some paste wax and buffing.  The thin one is on the left and the fatter one on the right:

These were extremely easy for me to make and I am not an experienced leather worker.  Unlike the Midori passport size notebook that uses proprietary inserts, I designed these notebooks to accept 3.5" x 5.5" notebooks like the Moleskine Cahier, Clairefontaine, Field Notes and  others.  To save a bit of money, I decided to create my own hand-sewn notebook inserts using card stock and HP 32# laser paper.

If you are handy, you should try making one (or more) of your own!

A $3 Homemade Traveler's Notebook

by Tony Thomas

I was a bit bored today so I decided to try and put together an inexpensive traveler's notebook similar to the familiar Midori.  A "Po-Dori", you could call it.

So, I headed off to the local craft store to see what materials I could find.  I discovered a 9" x 12" piece of stiff felt for a buck and 3 yards of green bungee cord for about $1.60.  The materials used are far from optimal but they are cheap and durable.

Total cost: less than $3 with tax.  Plus, I have enough materials left over to make a smaller one if I so desire.

I used Ray Blake's video on You Tube to provide the instruction needed to make it.  You can watch that video here.  Total construction time: about 15-20 minutes.

In any case, it turned out OK and it works!

I also made a short video on the way it turned out here.



















My "Po-Dori" with Clairefontaine 9 x 14 cm and Rhodia 7.5 x 12 cm notebooks installed.