Handmade Leather A5 Journal Cover | Riri Zipper Closure | Tennessee USA

Handmade Leather Journal Cover – A5 Zipper Closure | Full Grain Vegetable Tanned Leather, Handcrafted in Tennessee

Handmade one at a time at Happy Hollow Farm in the foothills of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, this A5 leather journal cover is built for writers, travelers, and anyone who carries their thoughts with them.

We source full hides directly from Wickett & Craig, one of the oldest and most respected tanneries in the United States, located in Pennsylvania — using only #1 quality hides tanned through a traditional vegetable process with no harsh chemicals. We cut, shape, and hand-build every journal cover from scratch at our workshop in East Tennessee. The leather develops a rich, character-filled patina with use, and every cover carries the subtle grain variations of a natural hide.

Other work and organizer products:

Pocket Notebook Loxx

Pocket Notebook Zipper

Pocket Notebook Strap

Journal Notebook Loxx

Journal Notebook Strap

Medium Portfolio

Large Portfolio

Toiletry / Makeup Bag

Pen Case

Key Features

• Fits standard A5 notebook inserts (5" × 8.25") — compatible with most popular A5 notebooks
• Closed dimensions: 10 inches × 6.5 inches
• Open dimensions: 10 inches × 13 inches
• Includes a Paper Age 252-page A5 notebook insert
• Secure wraparound zipper closure keeps your notebook protected without bulk
• Interior sleeve holds your journal firmly and prevents scratches
• Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett & Craig (Pennsylvania)
• Available in over 20 leather colors
• Built to last a lifetime

Whether you're journaling at a café, sketching trailside, or carrying it daily — this cover protects your pages and gets more beautiful with every use.

Proudly handmade at Happy Hollow Farm in Tennessee since 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size notebooks fit inside this cover? It is designed to fit standard A5 notebooks measuring 5 inches × 8.25 inches, compatible with most popular A5 inserts including Leuchtturm1917, Moleskine, and similar A5 formats like the included Paper Age, 252-page notebook.

What are the exact dimensions of the cover? Closed: 10 inches × 6.5 inches. Open flat: 10 inches × 13 inches.

How does the zipper closure work? A flexible wraparound zipper wraps around the closed cover to keep your notebook secure. It provides a snug, protective fit without adding bulk, making it easy to slip into a bag or backpack.

What leather is used and where is it made? We use premium full-grain vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett & Craig, one of the oldest and most respected tanneries in the United States, located in Pennsylvania. We source full hides directly — each measuring 9 to 10 feet long — and cut, shape, and hand-build every cover from scratch at Happy Hollow Farm in East Tennessee.

Will the leather develop a patina? Yes — the full-grain vegetable-tanned leather naturally ages into a deep, character-filled patina that gets more beautiful with every use. Each hide carries subtle natural grain variations that make every cover unique.

Is this journal cover made in the USA? Yes — every cover is handmade at Happy Hollow Farm in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. We are a family-owned workshop that has been crafting leather goods since 2019.

How long until it ships? Made to order with a current lead time of 3–4 weeks. Free shipping to all 50 USA states on orders over $25.

How do I care for the leather? We recommend Smith's Leather Balm (natural organic ingredients) for periodic cleaning and conditioning. Avoid prolonged exposure to water.

What makes this a good gift? This leather journal cover makes a beautiful gift for writers, students, travelers, and anyone who journals regularly. Available in over 20 leather colors, it can be paired with their favorite A5 notebook for a complete and personal gift.

Open 13 x 10 Closed 6.5 x 10

We build each item to the order. This allows us to include more options without increasing cost and provides the customer with several customization options. Current lead time from order placement is 3 to 4 weeks.

Over $25, Free Shipping To All 50 USA States.

High quality leather may require periodic maintenance. As the leather may become dry or dirty in normal use. We recommend a high-quality leather balm to clean and condition. There are many available to choose from. We use and recommend Smith's Leather Balm which you can find in the accessories collection on our site. Smith's Leather Balm is natural and only made from organic cocoa butter, organic beeswax and 100% Pure Sweet Almond Oil. We do not stock but do use Feibing's saddle soap for cleaning.

Watch the video above to hear how Happy Hollow Farm got its start in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee — a family leather shop built on a simple belief: the things you carry every day should be made to last a lifetime.

How It Started

Happy Hollow Farm began the way most good things do — with a love of craft and a frustration with the alternative. We were tired of leather goods that looked great in the store and fell apart within a year. So we learned to make our own, starting with the basics and working our way up to the full line of bags, wallets, and accessories we offer today.

Why We Make What We Make

Every product we make starts with full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett & Craig — one of America's last traditional tanneries, operating in Pennsylvania since 1867. We use only #1 grade hides, vegetable-tanned over 14 days in a process that produces leather with genuine character. It scratches, it patinas, it gets better with age. That's the point.

Our hardware is solid brass or stainless steel. Our zippers are Excella YKK. We don't cut corners because the people who carry our work notice the difference — and so do we.

Made in Tennessee

Everything is handmade at our farm in East Tennessee. We're not a factory. We're a small team that takes pride in every stitch, every edge, every piece that leaves our shop. When you buy from Happy Hollow Farm, you're buying something made by hand, by people who care, in a place we love.

We offer free monogramming on most products and free shipping on orders over $25. If you ever have a question about your order or our leather, we're easy to reach — just people, no bots.

There's a version of this product that costs less. You've seen it. It looks similar in the photo, ships fast, and feels fine in your hand — for about six months. Then the stitching pulls, the finish cracks, the zipper sticks. You replace it. And the cycle starts again.

At Happy Hollow Farm, we make things differently. Not because it's trendy, but because we believe the things you carry every day deserve to be built to last.

What Quality Actually Means

Quality isn't a price point. It's a series of decisions made at every step of the process — decisions that are easy to skip when no one's watching and you're trying to hit a margin.

Here's what those decisions look like for us:

• We start with the right leather. Full-grain, vegetable-tanned hides from Wickett & Craig — one of America's last traditional tanneries. #1 grade only. No splits, no corrected grain, no shortcuts.
• We let the leather develop naturally. Vegetable tanning takes 14 days. It produces leather that breathes, ages, and develops a patina unique to the person carrying it. It costs more and takes longer than chrome tanning. We do it anyway.
• We use hardware that holds. Solid brass and stainless steel. Excella YKK zippers. The kind of hardware that outlasts the leather if you let it.
• We stitch by hand or with precision machines. Every seam is meant to hold under daily use for years, not months.
• We finish the edges. Burnished, not raw. It's a detail most people don't notice until they see a product that skipped it.

Why It Matters

A well-made leather good doesn't just last longer — it gets better. The leather softens and conforms to how you use it. The patina deepens. It becomes yours in a way that a mass-produced product never does.

We make things in East Tennessee, by hand, with materials we'd stake our name on. That's the value of quality. Not just what it costs — what it's worth.