I have the two A5 Gfeller leather notebook covers in Skirting leather pictured below, bought from Nanami Paper, where you could choose the actual cover that you wanted. I wish more shops showed the exact notebook you will be receiving so you can look at the leather, colour, stitching etc.
The design of these is very nice. Plain, simple and minimal with wide sleeves so there are no writing bumps when you are at the beginning or end of your notebook. The leather is not very thick but it is firm and it is lifetime leather, if you know what I mean. It’s the kind of thing that lasts as long as you do.
I used these two covers for 18 months straight and they came through it like champs. Gfeller also use English Kip leather which is lighter, softer and – I think – shows more marks.
Here is an A6 Gfeller English Kip leather cover for a Hobonichi Techo and any other notebook that size. Also from Nanami Paper. Photos belong to Nanami.
Gfeller themselves make other notebooks and also do custom orders. Here are some of their items. At the bottom of the photos I will put links to where you can find them. Photos belong to Gfeller.
Gfeller Casemakers Inc. is a proven leader in the supply of profoundly functional goods for working professionals. Originally focusing on the needs of geologists, engineers and field scientists, we developed leather goods that carried tools, protected notes and maps, and generally made field work easier and more productive for these adventurous professionals.
About their Rhodia, Hobonichi, Moleskine, Field Notes etc covers:
We began this part of our adventure with a needed leather notebook cover. A second skin for your Large Moleskine® Notebook (5 x 8 ¼”) that itself will become an elegant heirloom. It is an excellent value and will provide exceptional service. We used our regular English kip, a thin very tight-grained leather that is exceedingly durable. This hand cut cover features extended inside cover flaps to completely eliminate the “Cover Bump” normally encountered with slip on covers. The rear inside flap has been slit to allow use of the elastic closure Moleskine® made famous. Both front and rear inside pockets are sewn far enough to be secure, but allow wide opening to provide additional storage for loose papers and easy access to the pocket at the rear hard cover. Our cover also features an inside trim strip along top and bottom edges< for stability and extra durability. The stitch line is tapped down to close the needle holes, “setting” the stitch for extra security. We apply a light coat of pure Neatsfoot oil to lubricate the leather fibers and hand-burnish the rounded edge to reduce fraying.Our wax based finish is applied last. This seals the surface to repel dirt and allows buffing out of light scratches.
Have known about Gfeller for several years, but for some reason, have not purchased one of their covers yet….strange, as every time I see pics of their leather and products, I really like what I see….go figure…..
Maybe it’s time to try one…
🙂