Wanderings Standard Size Travelers Notebook/Handcrafted Genuine Leather Journal - 4.75" x 8.5" (12 x 22cm) - Refillable Travel Journal - 100 GSM Blank Inserts

I just received my Wanderings Leather Notebook Journal and am very happy with this item. It looks very nice and that is important to me. Functionality is even more important and this is where it shines. The elastic bands that hold the the inserts seem robust and with a lifetime warranty, I find my mind at ease. It is real vice faux leather and this shows via subtle imperfections that give this notebook "character". The paper seems adequate to fine writing and note taking. It is thick enough that you can write on both sides without major interference from the writing on the other side impairing you ability to read well what you wrote. I will be shifting to fountain pens in a day or two and will let you know how that works out. I have also put in the graph paper insert and it fit just fine. The elastic band that keeps it closed works perfectly. This is exactly what I wanted for taking notes at work and when traveling as well as personal writing when I go on travel with my wife, family or friends. Since it hold three inserts I will use two for work and one for personal writings. I do not like to mix personal with work and this gives me that flexibility I wish I had found this earlier, to be honest. Now I can store old work notes and ideas in chronological order as I work through each insert. Same with my personal notes, poetry, ideas and writings. It is very close to the perfect size for travel. Large enough for substantive content on a page and yet small enough to carry by hand, in a briefcase, purse or other bag. Too big for most pockets though. A smaller version that can fit a pocket might make sense. Like a sportcoat jacket pocket or a back pocket in a pair of pants. However, given it's current size I am very happy with this product. It is well made, serves its function well and provides an adequate means to capture, notes, thoughts and any other ideas or scribbling one may want to do without undue constraints. I did not receive this product for free and paid my well earned money to get it and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this product. It is well worth what I paid for it. If something fails there is the lifetime warranty as well.

So basically, I wanted a naturalist or pocket journal that wouldn't take up a lot of room, that also had a vintage look and feel. This worked perfectly. It came very well packaged. The paper is sturdy and has a nice vintage bridal white tone to it. It didn't ghost when I used ink, but it does have a slight shadow. That's not a problem for me. However, it won't hold up to wet mediums such as tom bow or watercolor. I love the refillable feature which will allow me to add a few sheets of watercolor paper for visual journaling later. As well as replacing the papers instead of having to buy a new journal, although I probably will for other subjects. It is real leather with a nice soft leather smell, nothing chemical or odorous. How to tell is you look at it magnified to see if it has skin pores. Faux leather or pleather won't have those, and this one does which I've included as a photo. It has an excellent polish, so it took bending it slightly to get those to show. Overall, I would recommend this if you're looking for something that's compact, with quality paper with a genuine leather cover for pocket journaling.

The Basics::: Upon delivery you will find the notebook in a plastic sleeve in a nice cardboard box that is also wrapped in plastic. You will receive the notebook itself plus 3 included blank page booklets/refills already secured in the notebook. If you prefer lined paper or other types, refills can easily be purchased here on Amazon. I already ordered lined paper when initially ordering the notebook and this is the brand I used. Midori Traveler's Notebook (refill 001) ruled The fit is good although the edges are square instead of rounded like the included blank refills. I do not have a preference but If you do then just be on the lookout for that I am sure you can find rounded edge refills. Initial Thoughts::: When I took the notebook out of it's packaging I couldn't help but immediately be satisfied with my purchase. Upon taking the plastic sleeve off of the notebook I noticed some superficial marks on the leather, which happens I know, but it made me wonder if they do that in the manufacturing process on purpose or if it just occurs. Either way it did not bother me as I thought it gave the notebook some character right out of the box. The notebook does seem to be a little darker then what was shown in the pictures, I actually like it better with the darker color. The feel of the leather itself is fantastic, soft and pliable, and has the beautiful leather smell to it. I expect it to age nicely over time. The notebook itself seems to be of high quality for this price, the bands that hold both the notebook closed and paper refills inside seem well made, and secure. I also find the 3 separate paper refills inside to be a unique idea. On the front of the notebook you will notice an embossed logo for the company Wanderings I assume, as far as I know they do not offer any custom personalization, but it is leather you can always go to someone and get it personalized any way you like upon receiving the item. So far I am very satisfied with this notebook, and as of now I recommend it 100%. This is defiantly a high quality product and Wanderings knows that and have put a Lifetime Guarantee to back it. Really that being said you can not go wrong in my opinion. Come January 2017 I will update this review based on how its held up and functioned for me. I have noticed that some of the reviewers received and discount/free notebook for a review so I will go ahead and say that I payed full price for the notebook and am merely leaving a review as I feel this product deserves one.

This product deserves every five star rating it has. I couldn't love the notebook more! I recently began bullet journaling and did a ton of research on notebooks to decide which system would work best for my needs. I found the Wanderings notebook in a search for the comparable Midori Traveler's Notebook. The Wanderings notebook is made of beautiful, rich leather with obvious attention to craftsmanship and detail. Customer service is top notch--I had a question about the assembly (after I fiddled around with everything in my excitement/admiration the day it arrived and then couldn't put the notebook back together properly) and received a helpful answer less than fifteen minutes later. I've been using the notebook for a week and love it more every day. One major improvement over the design of the Midori is the absence of the elastic cord knot through the center of the back cover. Not sure why Midori does this, as it's impossible to lay the notebook flat. The Wanderings notebook has the elastics threaded through the spine, so no unsightly bulges. I also appreciate the addition of the leather tab the goes over the notebook when closed...it's a classy touch and seems to protect the pages better than the elastic alone. Refill packages for standard traveler's notebook from Midori and Etsy sellers fit perfectly as described. The notebook is fully customizable and is an absolute steal at this price point given the leather quality, craftsmanship and the three notebooks that come pre-loaded! I don't know how this notebook will hold up over time, though from the quality of the leather I imagine it will age beautifully. But even if something does happen to it, I'm buying another one immediately. I love it that much. I almost NEVER leave reviews but I read them obsessively, and the (verified purchase from those who weren't compensated, I HATE those paid reviews!) reviews for this notebook were what made me purchase this notebook...so I felt duty bound to share my honest opinion! No discount or incentive given, just an honest paying customer who couldn't be more thrilled with this product or this seller. Now if they would only make a pocket sized version...

I love this journal & consider the money well spent. As an admittedly disorganized author, I can have several inserts going for different projects, publishing notes, etc. plus a calendar to track my work all in one gorgeous, portable notebook. I had been interested in the idea of a Traveler's style notebook for that reason for a long time, but the standard size simply would no do for writing long sections of manuscript. This Large Size (almost standard US paper size) is awesome for that. The quality of the paper in the inserts is superb. It takes fountain pen ink beautifully with no bleeding or ghosting. The notebook & inserts open flat on the table & are comfortable to use. They are sewn rather than stapled, so they do not damage the band's. I currently have four inserts in my notebook (I purchased extra inserts & bands). I think that if you don't mind a chunky journal, this cover could easily hold six inserts. It is important to note that (at least as far as I can tell at the date of this review) because of the specialty size of this cover, you will be stuck using the Wanderings inserts which are manufactured for it. They come in blank, dot, & lined. Lined is perfect for my purposes, but just be aware you probably won't be getting any fancy, novelty inserts in this 8×10 size & you'll kind of be married to Wanderings for your refills. One last thing to note: this leather marks SUPER EASY. It scratches, oil stains, creases, etc. I think that makes it beautiful, but if flaws bother you DO NOT by this leather. In summary, if you are fine with basic, high quality inserts, like big pages, & think distressed leather is attractive, this is an amazing investment.

I really like this journal. It's very well put together and has a nice feel. Here are my pros and cons: Pros: - The rubberband enclosure and the bands that keep the notebook refill in place feels high quality with good resistance. - The leather is thick enough to hold it's shape as well as be a good foundation for the bands to be attached to. - Love that it can hold 3 refills that are easily obtainable though then refills are pricey @ $6-$7 per refill. I will be getting paper and making my own with a sewing machine and exacto knife later on. - Like the color of the leather but I'm waiting for it to be distressed with years of use. - The leather seemed to be oiled and moist to prevent it from drying out and cracking but this is also a con. Cons: - the oil that keeps the leather moist also does bleed into the pages. I noticed oil stains where the rubberband secures the notebook close. I also noticed another sketchbook in my bag getting some oil stains from the cover as well. The leather does not feel oily, it feels quite good, but does stain. The staining is not a big deal as it's colorless but I still notice it when I look for it. - leather bit that's attached to the closure band is a bit awkward to use when closing the notebook because the rubberband wants to compress it as it shrinks back down to it's original size when you open your journel. Opening the journel is fine but closing and securing the journel will take some practice but I can see that it'll soon be second nature. It does provide a nice looking pad once closed properly. I believe the designer of the journel didn't want just the rubberband on the leader as that amount of pressure placed on a supple piece of leather will create an undesireable indentation the size of the rubberband diameter. - the paper is good but not great. Good for pencil, color pencils, pens, ink pens, etc. I use a fountain pen with a semi flex nib. There a high amount of inflow so it's understandable there's bleedthrough but not toilet paper amounts. Overall, it's a great leather journal that I will be using for years to come.

This is the most attractive and the best little note book I have had in a very long time. I love the size, it fits nicely in the side pouch of my briefcase or in the inside pocket of my suit jacket. Also, because of the size it doesn't take up a lot of space on my desk. When writing the notebook will lay flat so it is easy to write on both sides of the notebook and is easily usable for both left and right handed writers. The paper is great quality (ink does not bleed through the pages -- even fountain pen ink). People can easily add different inserts beyond just the note pad that it comes with. I added two, one for holding business cards and other documents and two a plastic sip pouch for holding receipts (I was looking for something like this for holding business receipts when traveling -- this keeps things organized and in a easy to use place to store things quickly). The leather soft, good quality, and looks to be extremely durable and it is water resistant (found that out the hard way) but the water beaded on the leather and wiped off easily without blemish on the leather and the paper inside was completely fine - not water damage on the paper. I would say that this is a must have for anyone who wants an easy to use note book - regardless if this is for a journal for backpacking through Europe or for throwing in your brief case for the commute to the office or travel for business.

tl;dr - if you need a journal for work, school, or personal writings, the Wanderings Notebook is perfect and you must buy it. Let me start by confessing that I have an office supply fetish. I was the first one in my college crew to have a Staples membership card, back before Staples let just anyone in, and I was more proud of that card than my first checking account, or even the organ donor sticker on my driver's license. To my wife's exasperation, I can spend an hour comparing, contrasting, and choosing the right day planner, notebook, or pen. We've been a team for many years, but there are some things about me that she doesn't understand. I take a lot of notes, about a lot of things, and I like to keep them so I can go back later and remember what I was thinking or see how much smarter I've grown over time. I've gone through Day-Timers, At-a-Glance, Franklin Covey, Composition books, Moleskines (all flavors), gridded notepads in a simple binder, and even multi-subject 5-star notebooks. None of them really felt right. I needed partitions for multiple subjects, the ability to replace sections as they filled up, and the benefit of archiving for later reference by subject or date. Plus it had to fit in my briefcase without squeezing it in next to my laptop. The Wanderings Notebook fits all these requirements perfectly. It's basically a durable leather cover with an elastic binder that fits multiple folios (that's English Major talk for "notebooks"). It has a flexible spine so you can bend it backward to lay it flat, the pages are sized amply, and yet it's small enough to be easily portable. You can get folios in blank, ruled, or gridded pages - they're very easy to insert and remove. If you devote each folio to a specific subject, you can keep your thoughts properly separated - I have one for work, one for my side business, and one for my innermost thoughts and feelings (only a few pages there...). When one folio is full, you can remove it and archive it in a sturdy hardback binder (sold separately), so eventually, you'll have multiple volumes of your own brilliance lining your bookshelves for easy reference, personal retrospectives, and subpoenas for legal discovery. All this, PLUS, the notebook is just plain badass. First off, it smells great. Like, I know that's not something you look for in a notebook, but trust me - it's important. I've literally asked people at work to smell my notebook. Afterward, they agree it was worth it. Second, I've had mine for two weeks, and eight different people have asked me if I was Indiana Jones. Including my wife, who you'd think would know by now that I'm not, but perhaps was hoping that the 1930's-looking office couture was a preamble to the more adventurous lifestyle she's always craved. And, I have to admit, scribbling my notes, diagrams, doodles, and maps - all with a fine-nib Montblanc fountain pen - does *feel* right. (Especially while I'm wearing my fedora, which I sometimes do. No, I'm not weird - I was just born 40. Don't judge.) All this to say that this may be my Forever Notebook.

Wanderings maakt een topproduct. Het omslagelastiek zit in de rug geknoopt en niet op de achterkant, zodat er geen vervelende bult onder je pagina ligt. Ook hun inserts zijn van betere kwaliteit. Deze boekjes zijn genaaid in plaats van geniet. Het kompas is een leuke decoratie voor een reisverslag, geschikt voor alle soorten reizen.

Great quality leather that feels nice to touch - smooth and soft. It's easy to swap out journal inserts if you want to. Mine arrived with a slight scratch on the cover and the closing elastic a bit loose feeling but otherwise a good journal of a good size.

This Wanderer's Grande, although it sounds like a Starbuck's coffee, is really a superior personal journal. It arrived promptly and absolutely beautifully packaged. As a gift, it will easily convince any recipient of the giver's admiration and respect. Utterly top quality. The touchable cover is so luxurious and leathery that the cow who provided it must be proud as punch. The paper (easily replaceable with blank, dotted or lined inserts, making it a lifelong treasure) is substantial in weight with a nicely finished surface that doesn't bleed through. It underscores and complements any budding author's self-acknowledged genius. Honestly, as a journal, it is so nice and pristine that I carried this book around for three days, afraid to write in it for fear of making a spelling error and ruining the first page. When I finally did force myself to sit down and write the date, April 7th, to enter my first witty observation, the thing I noticed almost immediately, was that the date was actually May 7th and I had already messed up my perfect clever beginning. This one journal, even with its opening entry that smacks of obvious stupid overconfidence, has replaced several smaller notebooks and journals as my go-to place to keep the data, notes and sketches that make my life so fascinating and enviable. You won't go wrong with this unless you get so bewildered that you forget where (and when) you are in the space/time continuum. 10/10 with a star, a cross and a bullet. I recommend it highly. This is the one. No kidding. It is so beautiful it's intimidating, especially for perfectionists, and folk like me who have a very big whatchamacallit - list of words that we know.

Bra på vissa sätt att den tar A6 vilket medför att man får in Almanacksförlagets Vanliga almanacka i A6-format. Däremot går den inte ner i bakfickan på jeansen. Tyvärr tillverkad i Kina. Efter knappt ett års användning noterar jag en regelbunden vävbas i "lädret". Det får mig att tro att det inte handlar om läder från djur, vilket vi i Västeuropa kallar äkta läder. Jag gissar att det istället är konstgjort läder, vilket kineser ibland kallar "real genuine leather". Om man har problem med fuskläder får var och en spekulant avgöra själv, men ärlighet i produktpresentationen vore klädsamt.

This is a beautiful product and comparable to other brand names. Thank you.