Italian Leather Notebook Covers from The British Belt Company

November 21, 2018

More excellent leather goods to show and tell! A couple months ago, The British Belt Company reached out and requested that I review one of their leather notebook covers. Not having purchased from this company before, and always looking for new manufacturers and retailers entering the stationery space, I of course agreed.

I opted for the pebbled burgundy leather option. At least nine different color options are available.

Immediately upon handing this notebook cover, I knew that it would be a hit. The cover is made from thick, full grain leather, with nicely finished edges and a suede interior. It feels great in the hand, and smells even better. (Yes, I smell all my leather.) The British Belt Company was kind enough to emboss my initials in the lower right-hand corner of the cover, which I always do if I have the option.

This notebook did ship with a lined, A5 refill, but it’s not the most fountain-pen friendly paper and devoted fountain pen users will probably want to swap in something else. A Seven Seas Writer from Nanami Paper fits perfectly, and I suspect that another A5 notebook like the Taroko Design Enigma or the Hobonichi Techo Cousin would also work.

My A5 Nanami Seven Seas Writer snug in its new home.

A comparison shot of three leather notebook covers that find their way into my daily rotation: The British Belt Company A5 (bottom), a custom One Star Leather Baron Fig Confidant Cover (middle), and the Gfeller English Kip leather cover for my Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6 (top).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Based on what I’ve seen so far, The British Belt Company makes high quality leather goods, and I can add this notebook cover to my list of recommendations, alongside One Star Leather and other quality makers. You can purchase this product, along with a wide range of leather belts, bags, and other accessories, directly from The British Belt Company via their website. The Italian Leather Notebook Cover, plus refill, is currently priced at $90, which is about standard for a leather notebook cover of this size and quality. I’ve also decided to include this product in the TGS 2018 Holiday Gift Guide. Be sure to check it out, especially since many of the retailers featured in the guide will be running Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales in the coming days!

Disclaimer: The British Belt Company sent me the notebook cover featured in this review at no charge, for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.

Sunday Reading for November 18, 2018

November 18, 2018

Pelikan Souverain M800 Stone Garden Special Edition (via Pencilcase Blog). Dries gets his hands on the new Stone Garden. I can confirm it’s a stunning pen!
Montegrappa’s Extra “The Sea” Makes a Big Splash (via UK Fountain Pens). I had the opportunity to view some of these pens at the DC Pen Show, and an Extra 1930 is on my list at some point. Montegrappa’s celluloids and that huge nib really make for an exceptional looking pen.
Review: M600 Vibrant Orange (via Pelikan’s Perch). Josh has been having quite a Fall, with all of the excellent new Pelikan releases to review. I’m still on the fence about whether I like this particular color enough to add it to my collection, but I hope Pelikan continues to do more with the M600 size.
Adventures in Fountain Pen Repair and Restoration (via Fountain Pen Follies). There is indeed something very soothing about pen repair, and Esterbrooks are relatively easy to fix up and get writing again, once you get the hang of changing pen sacs.
Recife Special Edition Artist Travelers Fountain Pen (via Pen Addict). Recife is a French brand that I’m not familiar with but seems to be making a publicity push recently.
Ensso Pen Uno (via Ed Jelley). The Pen Uno is one of the more unique stationery products currently on the market, being feather-light and built around the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto refill.
Kunisawa Find Sticky Memo and Block Memo Pad Review (via Pen Addict). Since launching earlier this year, Kunisawa has been pushing out all sorts of different products. High-end sticky notes are relatively underrepresented and are a welcome addition.
Kasama Una (via Hand Over That Pen). I was able to handle one of these pens during my recent visit with the Big Apple Pen Club. The Una is a wider pen, but I found it very comfortable to hold.
Intro to Vintage Esterbrooks (via Well-Appointed Desk). Before you get into repairing vintage Esterbrooks, learn some about the brand here!
Story Supply Co. Morning LE (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). SSC makes great notebooks, and it’s exciting to see them get into the special edition game.

Please Visit and Support My Sponsors and Affiliates!

Please take a moment to visit these fine folks who help keep this blog going! It's next to impossible to keep up a steady stream of fresh review content without some form of sponsorship or affiliate relationship. I'm grateful to everyone who's helped me out along the way.

Vanness Pens. Vanness Pens carries rare and hard-to-find inks from all over the world, including Colorverse, Callifolio, Akkerman, and the full line of DeAtramentis. You can check out my recap of a visit to Vanness here.
Pen Chalet. Pen Chalet has a wide variety of available pens and offers unbeatable value on pens, inks, pen cases, etc.
Anderson Pens. In addition to having one of the largest offerings of bottled ink in the world, Anderson Pens is an authorized retailer of a wide range of brands, including Sailor, Aurora and Faber-Castell. Check out the sponsor profile I published here, and don't miss out on their new special edition bright red Diplomat Aero.
Appelboom. Please check out Appelboom's extensive selection and excellent pricing on a wide range of brands, including Montblanc pens such as this Classique 145 I reviewed.
Goldspot Pens. Goldspot regularly offers excellent promotions and specials! Check out their "Weekly Dip" section for details.
Paul's Paper & Pens. Paul features a well-curated selection of fountain pens, multi pens, notebooks, and more, including some very uncommon Pilot Vanishing Points and Decimos that we don't see here in the States.
Pokka Pens. Pokka Pens makes high quality, portable ballpoints that make for a great EDC option, including a new pressurized “All-Weather” pen developed in partnership with Fisher and Rite-in-the-Rain. Check out my review here, and don't forget to use the code GENTSTA to get 10% off your purchase!
Ensso. Ensso makes what might be my favorite machined pen to date, the PIUMA fountain pen. You can check out my review here, and use the code “FALL18” for 30% off your order!
TGS Amazon Page. I run across many more items (pens, pencils, books, accessories, etc.) in my online "travels." I can't feature them all on TGS, but Amazon has an option where I can set up an affiliate page to host product recommendations and earn fees on referrals. Amazon does not sponsor or endorse this blog in any way.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen I’ve been wanting to test out for a while: the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic. I also launched the 2018 TGS Holiday Gift Guide, and this week’s Deals & Drops featured some Black Friday Previews.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

No, this is not a joke. It’s already that time of year again.

The TGS 2018 Holiday Gift Guide Is Live!

November 17, 2018

I thought I would give you all a week’s head start on this year’s 2018 Holiday Gift Guide, to put some ideas out there for Black Friday shopping! This year’s guide will look somewhat different from last year, since I’ve tried to focus more on accessories and non-fountain pens, which I believe make better gifts. The plan is to try to keep to a semi-regular blogging schedule through the upcoming holiday season, and also to try to stay on top of seasonal sales, promotions, and discounts as I’m able, starting next week.

Also, a word of thanks to everyone who shopped the gift guide last holiday season, and plans to do so again this year. My sponsorships and affiliate relationships are how I keep the blog running, and pay for (most) of my costs. 2018 has been a great one so far, and I’m looking forward to continuing to explore the stationery world in 2019, with some great ideas for the future!

Deals & Drops: Gearing Up for Black Friday

November 15, 2018

Though next week is “The Big Show” in terms of holiday season deals and promotions, it looks as though many retailers have restocked the clearance sections of their websites already! Be sure to check these out, and also remember that now’s the time to grab a 2019 planner of your choice, as well as start thinking about ordering custom products (such as leather goods, pen cases, notebook covers, etc.) that you want to have delivered in time for the December holidays. Happy shopping!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Please see our Privacy and Cookie Policies for additional information.

Penwell Traveler (via Kickstarter/Good Made Better). Less than a day to go on the Penwell Traveler, so if you want to back it and haven’t yet, now’s your chance!
It’s Hobonichi Time! (via Amazon). If you’re planning to and haven’t already, get your order in on your 2019 Hobonichi Planner. Most are Prime-eligible, including the English Techo (A6 version), the Techo Cousin (A5 version), the Techo Cousin Avec (A5 version in two 6-month volumes), the slim “Weeks”, and the epic 5-Year Techo.
It’s Midori Time! (via Vanness Pens). Not a Hobonichi fan? How about Midori? Vanness has a selection of Midori paper and planners in stock, including the slim Professional Diaries, A5 Business Diaries, Midori’s own 5 Years Diary, and more!
Jibun Techo Planners and More (via Kawaii Tokyo/Etsy). Etsy Seller Kawaii Tokyo carries the Jibun Techo Planners from Kokuyo, yet another Japanese Planner Option in addition to Midori and Hobonichi.
One Star Leather Goods (via Etsy/One-Star Leather). Need a cover for that planner, or for your regular notebook? If you’re looking to beat the holiday rush, get your order in now to ensure timely delivery.
Great Prices on This Year’s Aurora Releases (via Vanness Pens). Vanness has many of this past year’s Aurora special and limited editions on sale at some great prices.
Sailor King of Pen (via Anderson Pens). The Andersons have one of the best selections of Sailor’s oversized “King of Pen” releases out there, in both the 1911 and Pro Gear styles that include the “Earth” and “Ocean” editions.
Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen (via Pen Chalet). Pilot’s new inexpensive fountain pen is now in-stores, and while I find the design a bit underwhelming, it’s still a Pilot pen and I expect it will be a good writer. The red and matte black color combination looks good.
Pre-Black Friday/Cyber Monday Giveaway (via Goldspot). Be sure to enter the Goldspot giveaways starting now, and bookmark the page to check back next week.
Aurora Clearance Deals from The Nibsmith (via The Nibsmith). Dan has a bunch of pens on clearance, and all come with a free nib adjustment or customization!