Spotlight: The Traveler's Company

When we discovered the Traveler’s Notebook at a trade show in 2018, it was love at first sight. Its leather covers were beautiful. Its paper was top notch. And its “notebook system” was a revelation. In essence, the Traveler’s Notebook is a refillable leather cover that you can fully customize by inserting slim notebooks with different designs, so you can carry a planner, notebook, sketchbook, pencil pouch, and more all in the same place, tailoring your setup completely to your needs.

The Traveler’s Notebook launched in Japan in 2006 as a product series by the Midori stationery brand, famous for its paper quality and wonderful stationery designs. But Traveler’s was more than just another Midori product; it had its own distinct vibe that soon gained a loyal following. In 2015 it became its own offshoot brand, the Traveler’s Company, with a mission to facilitate people’s journey of self-expression. 

The Traveler’s Notebook “system” is simple but revolutionary: instead of having to carry around a datebook for your plans, a sketchbook for your drawings, a notebook for your thoughts, graph paper for technical work, separate journals for work or home, a special notebook for gardening and one for your next vacation—you can just choose the separate inserts you prefer and bind them all into the same place, then replace them when they’re full. It reduces waste and keeps you organized. It lets you build your own dream notebook and use it over and over again.

But it’s more than the clever design that makes the Traveler’s Notebook so popular. It’s beloved because of the way it makes people feel. The leather cover develops a gorgeous patina over time, giving it a nostalgic and timeless air that makes you feel like you could go on a grand tour of the world, dabble in natural history, or hunt for treasure like Indiana Jones. It’s an object that takes you to another time and place and elevates everyday writing, inspiring us to take the time to observe and document our lives.

Aside from its notebook system, the Traveler’s Company makes other accessories that perfectly complement the star of the show. These include compact travel-sized pens, brass bookmarks, clip-on pen holders, small sketchbooks, and even binders where you can archive the notebook inserts you’ve completed.

Traveler’s also makes playful limited edition items inspired by the theme of travel. Last year for their 15th anniversary, they released a series of notebook inserts called B-Sides & Rarities, which included a washable paper insert, a letter paper pad, and a refill with map-like accordion folds. And this year they’ve produced a set of fabulous limited edition notebooks themed around traveling, with foil-stamped covers and special accessories in a captivating vintage style.

We can’t say enough good things about Traveler’s Company,* so we encourage you to check them out for yourself! How would you customize your notebook?

Browse our Traveler’s Company collection to see all their awesome notebooks and accessories, and read through our Traveler’s Notebook Guide to learn more about how the notebook system works.

See the collection >

*Here are a few more good things: their notebook inserts are fountain pen friendly and lay flat, and among other things, the Traveler’s Notebook is great for keeping a commonplace book and for garden journaling.