Traveler's Notebook, Regular Size, Brown 13715006

This was my very first travelers notebook and it’s my favorite to this day. I now have every single standard and passport size color and this is my favorite. The leather feels like leather should. Other colors have a sort of velvety feel to them which is nice but the brown is smooth and feels like you’d expect leather to feel like. It will get scratched up as you use it and eventually it’ll take on a character of its own. After a year with this notebook being carried back and forth with me to work and around the house I have to say that it looks very distinct. It looks like MY notebook and bears the scars of being thrown in bags, carried in larger coat pockets and generally being used heavily by me. It’s a very wabi-sabi thing. After a year you’ll notice that the leather gets a little darker and shinier from being handled and the scratches are still visible but are smoothed over. I want to be clear about the scratches: they look good and give this notebook character. They definitely don’t look like defects and they will likely help you bond with the notebook as you’ll be the only person with a Travelers Notebook that looks exactly the way yours does. The notebook is also infinitely customizable. Of course you can add all sorts of inserts as you please but the real self expression comes when you realize that you can do things like change the color of the elastic bands, add additional bookmarks, and even cut more holes to run more elastics through the cover if you don’t like the idea of multiple notebooks sharing the same elastic. At first I was in love with this notebook because of how beautiful it was and wanted to keep it looking pristine. After a year I find the beauty of this notebook comes more from the functionality and it’s ability to allow to me to customize it so I can use it the way That works best for me than from any beauty that you see when it’s brand new. Both new and used, the Travelers notebooks have a certain charm to them that isn’t for everyone but if you’re looking at this flap of leather with an elastic enclosure and see a beautiful object then don’t hesitate and buy one. You won’t regret it.

I can't recall ever being so anxious waiting for anything but i just couldn't wait to get my hands on my very own Midori. I've seen it price upward of $57! I could just buy another version or even be ambitious and make my own, but amazon had the lowest price I saw on the web, so I decided to save myself the time and heartache of having an imitation. The brown leather evokes a vintage past. Even though it's meant to be used and scratched, i can't help but be a little protective! The cover is smooth and mine is a rich coffee color! The inside is so soft and has the fibers fray which I like; add to the charm of its handmade quality. The edge is black; i'm not sure what covers it, but it's to keep the cover clean. Yes, there is a faint scent to the leather---doesn't all leather!? Have you been to a leather shop? expect it. like going into a bakery and not expect to smell the sugar and cream--not going to happen. I actually encounter the insert first, years ago when i was living in Taiwan and since then have even made my own booklets base on it. I LOVE the long slender size of it. It's not bulky. I also love the paper. it's very smooth (i find Japanese-made paper to always be better, so smooth and clean) and easy to write with. I bought an additional grid insert and wrote w/ .5 pen on both sides and it's fine. The paper is thin, BUT it shouldn't bleed through. I want to get the perforated sketch paper insert and weekly calendar w/memo insert for 2016 next. ^__^ I've always had a schedule diary planner but it's so complete once the year is over it's done. I love the idea that you can put in and take out whichever booklet (insert) you want, and mix and match line/grid/blank/calendar! It's non-committal to a complete bound (or spiral) notebook. I have 3 inserts in my cover, find that's plenty especially with accessories I plan on getting. I wish i ordered the pen clip but will soon. One of my goal is to do more scrapping/travel logging/recording... just keeping it creative. I have a romanticize version of what I want my notebook to be and that really is the purpose of the Midori, to inspire. I've already personalized mine with little charms and bead I had. Looking forward to more accessories.

I'll admit it, I was skeptical about this. It's awfully expensive for a piece of leather and some elastic. I looked into making my own, but time constraints pushed me to bite the bullet and purchase this on Amazon. I AM A MIDORI CONVERT! The quality of this notebook is spectacular. It's made of thick, pliable leather that smells like a new leather jacket. The edges are burnished. The packaging and presentation really reflects the care with which they are manufactured: the elastic is capped with a tin bead at the spine; if you don't care for the brown elastic surrounding the notebook they provide and orange one; it comes in a dust bag (that I use to store extra inserts to be used later) and a blank paper insert is included - the paper quality is wonderful. The first thing I did is customise mine because… that's what Midori lovers do! I'm looking forward to customising the layout with inserts, both purchased and homemade. Along with Midori's standard inserts, many Etsy shops have created unique inserts, meaning that this notebook can be as unique as you are. As a PhD student, I use mine as a planner and life organiser. I have a calendar that I created to fit my schedule in a grid insert, ruled insert for lists, blank insert for doodles and mind maps, and I made a folder to hold loose papers. I also highly recommend purchasing the 008 clear zipper pocket Midori Traveler's Notebook Refill #8 Clear Zipper Pocker because it expands the usefulness by providing a place to tuck office supplies like stickies, stamps and clips. And if you feel like splurging (I did after having mine for a week), purchase the 016 pen loop, which matches the leather and clips on to the cover to fit up to a 12mm diameter pen. Midori Traveler's notebook Pen holder, Brown 016

First off, whether you end up loving or regretting this purchase highly depends on how you're going to use it, and coming into this with realistic expectations. To have an amazing Midori traveler's notebook experience, you have to put work into it. You're not going to have a beautifully cultured notebook with your daily thoughts and aspirations if you completely give up after a week. And you can't expect to have a gorgeous Pinterest-worthy aesthetic MTN off the bat. The MTN is what you make it. It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. But when you make it yours, it is perfect. That said, this notebook is really gorgeous. The leather is even softer than I expected, and that was with absolutely everyone fawning over the leather. It is amazingly supple and soft, and smooth. The outside is soft, but the inside is even softer, as it is raw. The outside is smooth while the raw interior has a suede-like texture to it. Note that your notebook will most likely arrive with a white powder-like coating over the outside of the leather. This is normal and a result of the natural tanning process of the leather. It is easily removed with gentle wiping. I, being lazy, used the cloth pouch the notebook came with to wipe it off. It came off easily with the dry cloth. The smell is pretty strong. Some may find it to be a delectable leather scent, while others might find it chemical-y. I think it's somewhere in between, but it is not overly unpleasant or overwhelming. My sister couldn't get enough of the leather scent, so your personal experiences may vary. The scent will dissipate with age, however. If you have been listing over this notebook, I recommend you purchase it. You can't beat Amazon's prices. Remember that this notebook is what you make of it. Don't worry too much about making it "Pinterest-worthy" or whatever- just make it *yours!* That is the true beauty of the MTN. Embrace individuality and create your own version of perfection.

I got my Midori after watching a review video by Kristina from PrettyShinySparkly on YouTube, and I definitely fell in love. I was never into using a planner or journaling and would just use my iPad calendar to organize, but this Notebook has been so nice for organizing my thoughts. I bought it while it was on sale ($30) about a year ago, and it came so well packaged and so high end looking. The more you use it, the softer and more weathered the leather becomes and I feel like it makes it that much more beautiful a piece! I got 2 extra refills, but I wish I had gotten more bands (I probably will when I get more refills) because I kept having to interchange the notebooks rather than use them all at once. I used one as a planner and a place to write organized to-do lists or plan my work-school schedule, which I kept in my bag almost all the time. I used another for records for my student organization, which helped so much to keep everything in one place. I used the last for creativity- I really enjoy handwriting and practicing my penmanship, so it was a great place to practice my writing, create new fonts, or journal out quotes that I found inspiring. The paper is so high quality and I've gotten so many comments and compliments about how professional and well-made this journal looks! I will be purchasing some washi tape and scrapbooking decorations to get more into planning, but I just love how this journal can be used for so many things- productivity, organization, and creativity!

I've used this for two months and it's the most customizable planner I've used in my 37 years of using planners. When I first saw them, a few years ago, I liked the idea, but I wasn't about to pay $57 for a flap of leather and two elastic bands. This spring, I tried a knock-off from September Leather, but returned it because of the quality of the leather and the notebooks and bought this one. PROS: * Good quality leather. The September Leather journal was split grain. The Midori is full-grain, vegetable tanned cowhide and should last for a really long time, if properly cared for. However, I knocked one star off the rating because it's only partially finished (says so in the instructions). It also said the color will transfer to other stuff, and wouldn't do well if it gets wet. I decided to treat mine with a leather conditioner. I know the whole "it's supposed to look old" thing but, I did a lot of leather work in my younger years, so I know that good quality leather needs to be fed. Conditioning the leather gives it a head start on developing a patina and protects it somewhat from scratches and the elements. I used one application of Fiebings 4-Way Leather Care. I could have used Lexol or Fiebings Leather Balm. All are good. Because the leather was so dry, it darkened considerably from medium to dark brown. I expected that, but felt it was worth it over the long term. Plus, I like the look of well-oiled leather. I'll need to do it again, soon, because it's starting to get dry again. If you choose to condition yours, don't over do it. Use just enough so that the color is uniform. Then, do it again a few weeks or months later, if you think it needs it. * Very good quality paper. The paper is both thin and fountain pen friendly. The September Leather journal used a thick, heavy paper, probably to achieve "fountain pen friendliness." I didn't write in it, but it looked like the ink would feather. There is no feathering with the Midori paper. Because of the better quality paper, my journal is much thinner and lighter than the other one was. It was thick and chunky for the same number of pages. CONS: * Leather finish. See above. I used leather conditioner to alleviate it. Leather conditioner is not a finish, but it serves the purpose, here. * Notebook inserts. The covers are of very stiff stock which makes it hard to flip through the the journal. The notebooks do not lay flat, so I may have to resort to to bulldog clips. In a meeting, it tends to fan open on the table. About my planner solution- I needed a calendar, a space for To Do lists, space for work related notes, and a separate space for non-work related notes. I used a weekly "free" calendar with days on one page and graph paper on the facing page, which I use for a weekly To Do list. Then, I have two plain inserts. One work related, one personal. It works for me, so far.

I haven't had my Midori for very long but I love it already. I have only had it a few weeks but it has been a pleasure to use. I spent a good amount on all the name brand add-ons so I could have mine set up just how I want it. I am getting a little tired of the digital world and I find writing down lists, notes, and thoughts is much more pleasant and useful than all the Alexa and Siri functions in my life. It also gives me a chance to use my extensive fountain pen and ink collection. You just cannot substitute the experience of a nice pen on nice paper. Convenient as they are, no fancy digital assistant will ever give me this kind of satisfaction. Using my Midori is like getting out of the city and breathing the fresh mountain air of a pine forest. It is just a simple design that is hardly more than a square piece of high quality leather but the versatility and functionality is only limited by what you choose to do with it. I have mine filled with blank and graph notebooks, a weekly calendar with graph paper on one side for notes, card holders, Kraft file, pocket insert and a pen holder. I have places for receipts, cards, extra pens, paperclips and just about anything I would need on a given day. The pen holder slid around a bit so I put a little packing tape on the metal tab to hold it in place. Now it is rock solid and the tape doesn't look bad at all. It is clear so you can still see through to the wonderful leather. This Midori is great!

I’ve had this leather notebook for 10 years, and it’s still one of my most treasured items. It’s a tried and true classic, beautifully worn in, durable, and full of character. Mine is one of the original Midori covers (before the branding changed to Traveler’s Notebook), and I feel so lucky to have it. I rotate between a few covers now, but this one will always be special. It’s truly an investment piece that only gets better with age. If you’re committed to an analog system, this cover will take you a long way.