Crafting A Leather Journal

How we build our hand-sewn Messenger Journal

It starts with Rustic Design

Step 1 - The Finest American Top Grain Leather

What is rustic design, exactly? It's purpose and strength. It's building products designed for a purpose, achieving simplicity and beauty through eliminating distraction and waste.

We’re creators. Craftsmen. Artisans. We love using the best available leather for the pieces we craft. We care about the materials in our creative arsenal, which is why step one is choosing high-quality top-grain leather from American cowhides.

Step 2 - The Creativity and Skill of an Experienced Artisan

Something truly unique occurs when we craft art that’s both useful and beautiful. We think art should be a shared experience, so in every product we make, we’ve left room for your creativity.

Step 3 - Irish Waxed Linen Thread

Crafting anything from leather requires big needles and a few calloused fingers before you get a brilliantly crafted piece made with Irish-waxed linen. Irish linen has a deep crafting history, and today, though the authentic Irish linen industry is much smaller than it was in the past, we continue to use it to bring you quality journals that will last.

Step 4 - Hand-torn, acid free paper

#70 text, felt finish, FSC certified, acid-free/archival, min. 30% post consumer content. We’ll interpret: We love our paper, and we think you will too.

Step 5 - Old-World Binding

The long-stitch binding method is one of the oldest and most reliable known to man. It requires no glue, is equally rustic and long-lasting when professionally executed, and offers fantastic binding strength. We combine the long-stitch with a chain stitch for the best look and extra reliability. This is a unique combination of methods but is based on techniques that have existed since the medieval era.

Step 6 - Built To Last

We want to help you keep all your ideas in one place with pages that won’t fall out, no matter where you take them. Pick it up, drop it, turn it inside out, the messenger journal can handle it.

Final Product ($68)

The look of our Messenger Journal was inspired by Lieutenant Dunbar’s civil-war era journal in the feature film Dances with Wolves. It’s outfitted with a double tie wrap closure and a fold-over leather flap—perfect for hikes with trail-writing spots.

Available in all 8 of our leather options. A popular customization is to personalize it with an engraving of a name or phrase.