When you open up the Midori Traveler's Notebook, two things are immediately apparent: that a great deal of care and attention has gone into making this product and, that you'll be keeping this notebook for a lifetime.
The Midori Traveler's Notebook features a very high quality leather cover, every one of which is handmade by local workers in Chiangmai, Thailand.
The leather itself is 2mm thick, vegetable-tanned and being genuine and unprocessed, it still has its original scratches and marks all of which contribute to its very 'raw' natural feel. The notebook very quickly acquires a well-travelled look and feel.
Users of the black leather Traveler's Notebook may even find a fine layer of white powder on the notebook when first used. This is natural fat from the unprocessed leather and is evidence of the Midori's raw natural state; it is easily removed with a quick wipe using a soft cloth.
As you use your Midori Traveler's Notebook, it takes on character; a map of your travels and a mark of its use. Over the years, Midori will become your lifetime companion. Care for your Midori Traveler's Notebook by buffing and nurturing the leather and it will stay in optimum condition for many years to come.
The really special thing about the Midori Traveler's Notebook is the range of accessories and refills available. They add great functionality to what is already a beautiful notebook, turning into an indispensible travel companion. We stock the full range and will add new accessories and refills as they are created.
Unwrap your new Traveler's Notebook and inside its packaging you'll find:
- Midori Traveler's Notebook Leather Cover
- Blank Notebook refill (#003)
- Cotton Case for the Notebook
- Spare Rubber Bands: 1 x brown and 1 x orange
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The Midori Traveler’s Notebook was my first leather notebook and it’s still one of my favorites. With a simple design and ease of customization I was hooked as soon as I saw it. And Like all fine things, it only gets better with age.
I picked my first one local Arts & Craft Store , NBC Stationery & Gifts , located at Raffles City Shopping Mall. It literally a flap of leather with a notebook in it. I paid around $60 for mine and felt like I overpaid !
The Midori did not smell like leather at all, but of shoe polish. It was thin, floppy and the replacement notebooks are kind of expensive at around $7-$10 each. So I looked around a bit at one other people were using theirs for before I returned this thing and starting messing around. It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon a setup I really liked with it and picked up a few accessories.
The Traveler’s Notebook uses an elastic band to hold the notebook in. It makes it easy to swap out refills and they make all sorts of extra’s for it. Some of the refills include kraft, drawing paper, lined, plain, graph (my favorite) and a calendar. There are even 3rd party vendors who make refills that can save you a few dollars as well. In addition, they make plastic card sleeves, zipper pockets, adhesive pockets and a nice kraft folder.
Once I picked up a few I liked I quickly learned how to stack them in there. Using the elastic cord I was able to get 2 notebooks in, a couple of the clear pockets and a craft folder/pocket. These things are really much better stuffed. They are the perfect size to hold standard size mail the way it’s folded when you actually mail it. I used it to organize my letters and bills. They are very versatile and you can set them up in a way that suits your needs. But they really are just a flap of leather with a notebook in it. The thing I thought I disliked about them is what I ended up loving about them. It’s all about the leather.
Midori uses some of the absolute finest leather I’ve ever seen on any product. I’ve custom made a few fauxdori’s, as the community tends to call them, and nothing comes close. I wanted to make my own so I ended up at The Second King's and even though I was able to make some pretty nice fauxdori’s, the leather still fell short. They are just hard enough to keep their shape but still pliable enough to have just the right amount of play in them. They are really smooth and they get this amazing patina as they age. The more you use them the sexier they get. And that shoe polish smell? They use it to go around the outside edges to really finish them off. It goes away after a few days. I break mine in by letting them sit in the sun for a few hours and then really giving them hell in my bag.
This notebook won’t be for everyone. I highly recommend you check out the Midori Traveler’s Notebook group on Facebook to get a real feel for these notebooks. They look amazing and everyone will be asking you about them. But make sure it’s what you want.
Here's a review by Bradley on YouTube
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Showcase of my own DIY Midori which I named Kendori
