Hide & Home Leather Notebook Cover

[fpupulin]

After almost one year of daily use, I thought it was time to review the HIDE & HOME Leather Notebook Cover in brown.

H&H leather notebook covers were a “common gift” to me and my two daughters. They opted for the white threads, which I also like very much. I wanted to have our notebooks personalized, so I asked Emma Atkins (HIDE & HOME’s soul) to send me pics of some example to see personalization “at work”. She sent me a couple of photographs showing the font she uses, and we decided to have the notebooks engraved with our initials on the bottom right of the front. We also decided to have H&H logo engraved on the back, a choice that Emma let to our decision.

I placed my order (https://hideandhome.com) on April 9 and that same day I received confirmation of the order; on April 15 I was notified that my order had left the workshop and had been shipped via Royal Mail; and on April 21 the notebook covers reached their destination in Italy. A very smooth, communicative and fast transaction.

The warm, reddish brown color that you see in H&H webpage is exactly what you will receive. I was very pleased of the fidelity of the colors shown in the webpage, as that particular color was one of the main reasons to choose H&H among competitor brands. The leather is actually brilliant without being glossy, of a beautiful, warm tobacco, almost marbled color. It is really stunning. The cuts are perfectly painted in a dark, blackish brown. The corners are perfectly rounded, and I greatly prefer rounded vs. straight corners. The other reason that made H&H cover particularly desirable to me, was the thickness of the leather as you can appreciate in the product photographs, and the actual cover is just as beautifully thick as the images on the website. The white stitching, sewed at hand, is perfect. As the threads only partially runs along the long side of the cover, Emma engraved on the leather a black, thick line that joins the sewings, a very classy detail.

Inside the right internal flap of the model we choose [3.5” x 5.5" (92 x 14 x 143mm) when spread, 6.5" x 4.5" (165mm x 110mm) when closed], a vertical slit allows to pull out the elastic band of the hardbound Moleskine notebook. It is a detail that I particularly like, as I prefer the heavy paper of the Moleskine sketchbook for both writing and drawing, and in the pocket size they are only available hardbound. In the photograph you can see a Moleskine pocket sketchbook in red.

The elastic band can be used to clasp the leather cover, maintaining it closed inside the bag or the pocket of your jacket.

The “loose” fit of the cover also allows using two Moleskine cahier together, one inserted under the left flap and the other under the right flap. Also in this case, the H&H cover closes perfectly.

You may also have a hardcover Moleskine on the right and a cahier on the left. The leather cover is well packed, but it still closes and can be clasped with the elastic band.

The leather of H&H brown cover is stiff, very pleasant to the touch but stiff. You have to educate it some weeks to have it remaining flat when open. If you search for a supply, oily, distressed leather, at H&H you should instead try the Horween Dublin cover. The beautiful, shiny color of the cover, the perfectly executed hand-made stitchings, the rounded corners, the elastic band that clasps the cover and the engraved initials, everything speaks about quality and craftsmanship. Among my many notebooks, this is the one that receives most of the appreciative comments when I use it at some meeting.

I will place soon an order with Emma for a tight-fit Leather Notebook Cover Pocket, in brown with black thread, a slimmer cover to carry in the pocket of my jacket in more formal occasions.

Edited August 27, 2017 by fpupulin

[BT_Summers]

These notebook covers look brilliant, a superb idea, thanks for posting.

[dapv]

Thank you for posting your thoughts and pics - very helpful and appreciated. The last pic has me wondering if you can slide a pen in there, if yes, how wide a pen or MP do you think will fit? Kind regards.

[fpupulin]

Thank you for posting your thoughts and pics - very helpful and appreciated. The last pic has me wondering if you can slide a pen in there, if yes, how wide a pen or MP do you think will fit? Kind regards.

 

 

When the cover is fitted with a hardbound notebook, the space left for a pen is quite reduced, and not many of my pens may slide in (but I generally prefer pens with quite a large girth). Among those that can be fitted, I have a Kaweco Sport, a Montblanc Meisterstück Mozart, and an Aurora 88, vintage model, similar in size to a Parker 51.

[dcpritch]

Thanks for enabling sharing! I just ordered a Leather Notebook Cover Pocket with green stitching.

[fpupulin]

Thanks for enabling sharing! I just ordered a Leather Notebook Cover Pocket with green stitching.

 

 

 

We are like kids, and every opportunity is good for buying a new toy. Ah, how I understand you! I'm almost irresistibly tempted by the slate gray cover ...

 

And please, do not forget to share a pic of your cover with green stitching when it will arrive.

[Arcadian]

That's gorgeous! I've been spending a lot of time procrastinating looking at leather goods today, and this is the best I've seen ;-)

 

Also, which pen is that? It's pwetty

 

 

- P.

[dcpritch]

... please, do not forget to share a pic of your cover with green stitching when it will arrive.

 

I will certainly share.

 

By the way, the rich, tortoise brown tones of your Montegrappa Extra 1930 look marvelous with that leather cover.

[fpupulin]

That's gorgeous! I've been spending a lot of time procrastinating looking at leather goods today, and this is the best I've seen ;-)

 

Also, which pen is that? It's pwetty

 

 

- P.

 

 

As dcpritch anticipated, the pen is a classic Montegrappa Extra 1930, in Turtle brown celluloid. It is an extraordinary pen made in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, and it is fitted with a very soft and dancing #8 nib with medium tip.

[fpupulin]

 

I will certainly share.

 

By the way, the rich, tortoise brown tones of your Montegrappa Extra 1930 look marvelous with that leather cover.

Thank you, dcpritch, for your kind words. The rich brown of the cover also looks great with my other Extra in Black Bamboo. I will post a photo of the duo one of these days.

[Mister5]

This looks great! Reminds me of the Franklin Christoph pocket notebook cover, but it looks like the leather may be a touch thicker and could take a bit more of abuse. I don't have one that can hold an A6 so this may go on the Xmas list.

[jimhughes]

The Queen of the Exchequer aka CFO has forbidden your name to be mentioned in her esteemed presence. She saw the Credit card charges for an A6 soft cover, an A6 hard cover Mollie and a wallet I'm going to see if I can shoehorn an XS Mollie Volant in. They are on the way. Have an awesome week, Jim

[fpupulin]

The Queen of the Exchequer aka CFO has forbidden your name to be mentioned in her esteemed presence. She saw the Credit card charges for an A6 soft cover, an A6 hard cover Mollie and a wallet I'm going to see if I can shoehorn an XS Mollie Volant in. They are on the way. Have an awesome week, Jim

 

 

Is the soft cover you ordered the Dublin Horween? I'm intrigued...

 

What you call the hard cover, in brown leather (and I guess the Slate Grey must be the same) is rigid enough to allow you writing with the cover in hand, even when it is loaded with a soft-cover Moleskin.

 

Do not forget to post photos when you will receive your covers and wallet.

[jimhughes]

Now on the way to Albuquerque. Info on items shipped:

Leather Notebook Cover Pocket - Brown - Olive Green

Quantity: 1

Leather Notebook Cover A6 - Horween Dublin - With / With / Green

Quantity: 1

Slim Folding Leather Card Wallet - Olive Green

 

More info on delivery.

[amberleadavis]

Woo Hoo!

[fpupulin]

As I promised, here are going a couple of pics of the H&H notebook cover with the Black Bamboo Montegrappa Extra. The colors of a forest...

 

 

[Beechwood]

They do some lovely wallets too. I know that £63, Is that about $80? might seem expensive for a wallet but they last for many years. I use my fathers leather wallet that was bought in 1946 and still going strong.

 

Think of it as an investment.

[dcpritch]

Here are some pictures of the Leather Notebook Cover Pocket with green stitching that arrived a week ago. I love the thickness of the leather; this is truly a first quality item. The Field Notes shown is one of the three colors of their Shenendoah trio, which I thought matched smartly the stitching. My 1937 Parker Vacumatic Standard in Emerald Pearl looks pretty good with it, too. Thanks Franco for the great idea!

 

[dapv]

That is superb. Thank you for sharing.

[fpupulin]

Here are some pictures of the Leather Notebook Cover Pocket with green stitching that arrived a week ago. I love the thickness of the leather; this is truly a first quality item. The Field Notes shown is one of the three colors of their Shenendoah trio, which I thought matched smartly the stitching. My 1937 Parker Vacumatic Standard in Emerald Pearl looks pretty good with it, too. Thanks Franco for the great idea!

 

What a nice green-accented combo! And your Vacumatic is truly gorgeous!

 

Yes, you are right: the thick leather is really first quality.

 

I have placed now my Christmas order, but I will see my gifts only late in December, as I asked Emna to send them to my fathers' address in Italy, where I hope to spend the Christmas holidays.

 

Enjoy your cover.