Handmade Full Grain Leather Pocket Notebook Cover – Strap Closure – Made in USA

Handmade one at a time at Happy Hollow Farm in the foothills of the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, this leather pocket notebook cover is built for writers, travelers, and anyone who captures ideas on the go.

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 pocket notebook 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 journals:

Pocket Notebook Zipper

Pocket Notebook Loxx

A6 Notebook Strap

A6 Notebook Zipper

A6 Notebook Loxx

A5 Notebook Strap

A5 Notebook Zipper

A5 Notebook Loxx

Key Features

• Fits pocket notebook inserts — compatible with Field Notes and other smaller format note inserts; for full A6 size see our A6 notebook cover.
• Closed dimensions: 4.5 inches wide × 6.75 inches tall
• Open dimensions: 9 inches wide × 6.75 inches tall
• Secure wraparound elastic strap closure keeps your notebook protected without bulk
• Interior sleeve holds your notebook 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 capturing ideas at a campfire, sketching on a trail, or keeping notes through a busy day — 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 fits pocket notebook formats including some from Moleskine, some Field Notes and others. Note that Field Notes are slightly smaller so they will fit with a little extra room.

What are the exact dimensions of the cover? Closed: 4.5 inches wide × 6.75 inches tall. Open flat: 9 inches wide × 6.75 inches tall.

Does a notebook come included? The strap closure version does not include the Paper Age notebook insert. If you would like a cover that includes a Paper Age 162-page insert, please see our Pocket Notebook Loxx Closure or Pocket Notebook Zipper Closure versions.

How does the strap closure work? A flexible wraparound elastic strap 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 pocket or bag.

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. Some colors will darken over time; this is due to the organic vegetable tanned process.

Is this notebook 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 pocket notebook cover makes a great gift for writers, hikers, students, and anyone who keeps notes on the go. Available in over 20 leather colors, it is a practical and personal handcrafted gift from Tennessee.

Open 9 inches wide, 6.75 inches tall. Closed 4.5 inches wide, 6.75 inches tall.

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.