How Did You Customize Your Midori Traveler's Notebook?

[Misfit]

Has anyone used maryannemoll's link to pencils.jp to order a NTN? I'm tempted, but would like to know if anyone has to ask about the experience.

[Misfit]

Amazon has the regular brown version for $35.99. It is fulfilled by Amazon from and qualifies for free shipping. I ordered one.

 

The black regular version is $37 plus change.

 

There was a question on Amazon asking if it was the genuine Midori. Several responded yes. Photos show the stamp on the back cover

Midori

Made in Thailand.

[jimhughes]

Goddess: I've made multiple orders from Pencils.jp. They are a first class operation. On rare occasion , due to Japanese Holidays and vacations, they were'nt back to me in 24 H. I pick out what I want, order it. Atusko shoots me an Email with total cost, including tracked shipping from Japan. I pay via Paypal...a walk in the park. It goes out on their Mailing days, Tuesday and Friday IIRC. In 24H it's in LAX. I track the orders closely. Almost always in 7 days post shipping the Mail lady knocks me up and says sign here and I'm holding the items in my hands. Whole process is perfect. I asked about a 5 Star Ferry Passport Midori once, Atsuko was out. Said they'd have them in a couple of weeks restocked. In a week or so I got an Email from Atsuko, saying they were back in stock. He'd taken a set of the items I asked about and was holding them on his desk , if I still wanted them. Don't see that very often anymore. I highly recommend them. Usual disclaimers apply , no affiliation just a very satisfied customer.

[Misfit]

Why Jim, thank you for calling me Goddess. I got that from my brother because I told him how I picked up groceries that were on the floor and put them back. Or I feel sorry for items that get broken. Plus I'm a Libra, the only inanimate Zodiac sign.

 

Thanks for telling how ordering from pencils.jp works. I might order from them someday, and now I know what to expect. Thank you.

 

By the way, did you order those horizontal drilled animal beads?

[jimhughes]

Goddess: Yes I have 2 lifetime supplies of little plastic animals. So I'm good on that front. Thank you for the link on etsy.

 

Have an awesome week, Jim

[jp1337]

My MTN is still on it's way, hopefully will arrive soon with a whole bunch of inserts that I am not sure exactly how I will arrange. I am definitely going to put more elastic in to hold the inserts without rubber banding them together, I plan to keep 3 paper inserts in there at any time, and would like to swap out individual refills without dismantling the whole thing.

 

I am going to take it with me to Hong Kong this year, and to other overseas locations (Haven't fully planned it all yet, but at least Hong Kong is booked) so I was thinking that I will keep the nicest looking coin (I think the HK $10 coin looks gorgeous) so that when I come back, I can drill a couple small holes in it and place it on the elastic that keeps the cover closed.

 

As for other customisations, besides some sort of weight on the bookmark to make it easier to grab, I don't know.

 

Was great to look at all the ideas others have come up with. Such a creative bunch, no MTN should ever look the same as another!

[dogpoet]

I have a few fauxdori to hand, but have only really used a couple seriously thus far, and haven't modified any of them as yet.

That said, the notion of using a passport sized TN as a wallet is a tempting one, and that's one use where the proper Midori's putting the knot for the elastic that holds it shut in the back cover rather than the spine won't make any difference. It's just a shame there's only a card holder for the full sized model, not the passport one.

[john74]

There is a card holder for the passport size TN. Check out refill #004:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Midori-Travelers-Notebook-Refill-Passport/dp/B003SNT0KM/ref=pd_sim_229_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=419XDFWWcLL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1Y0NVXFJ8YVM6B7E4EYP

 

You can also find card holders that can be attached to the inside of the leather cover:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Midori-Travelers-Notebook-refill-holder/dp/B000ZYKFT2/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1454171400&sr=1-1&keywords=midori+sticker+pocket

[dogpoet]

Thanks. The stick on things could be handy.

Edited January 30, 2016 by dogpoet

[thomasrhee]

I just bought mine today (as well as buying one for the GF). I got mine in black, hers in brown.

 

Haven't had much of a chance to do anything with it but I did buy the following:

 

- Green weekly calendar with grid note on right side. (front)

- Grid journal (middle)

- Plain journal (end)

 

I also bought other refills like the stock (thick) journal and the ruled journal to see which ones I'll end up using on a regular basis.

 

I also bought 2x pen loops. One small and regular. I use the small one on top to loop the pen clip and put the regular one on the bottom as a "catch" holder for the pen. This way the pen doesn't flop around and it also seems like the clips remain more stable. To be honest, this idea came to me by accident. I didn't realize there were different sized pen loops and I just bought a black one for myself and brown one for her. When I got home, I thought the brown was a factory mistake that had passed QC since it was so small. Didn't feel like going back and returning it so I just repurposed it.

 

Right now, I'm using my Lamy Swift for the MTN since the clip is easy to spread.

 

Other than that, I replaced the black strap with a red one for some color.

 

 

Of course a red band means using matching mini red binder clips I had lying around the house.

 

Edited February 10, 2016 by thomasrhee

[dogpoet]

Just set up a passport sized fauxdori as a wallet, for which it seems to be working quite nicely. No photos (I do need to sort out a hosting site and get a half decent camera, I suppose), but it's one of the "Italian leather" traveller's notebooks one of the uk sellers is doing at the moment*. There's a bookmark string mixed in with the other threads, which isn't ideal, but otherwise, I think it'll do nicely. One of the kraft envelope folder things for notes, and one of the zip pocket/cardholder inserts for everything else. I even think the zip pocket will hold more change than tiny pockets in the last couple of wallets I've had, and I have another of those to hand if needed...

 

*(Extremely nice, imo, though obviously I can only talk about the passport one, not the full sized version. The only thing that could be an issue is that the knot for the retaining band to hold it shut is in the back rather than the spine, but for what I'm using this for, that doesn't matter.)

[pixelbunny]

Has anyone used maryannemoll's link to pencils.jp to order a NTN? I'm tempted, but would like to know if anyone has to ask about the experience.

 

Yes! Love their customer service. I emailed them with what I wanted, and within 24 hours got a reply with total plus cost of shipping to Canada. Even after mailing back and forth changing some items in my order, I always got a reply within 24 hours. They're wonderful! I'm hoping they'll have the Camel version in stock soon so I can order from them again. I have the brown passport size but finding it a little too small for my liking.

[jimhughes]

What PixelBunny said 10 x over. I sent a note to the pencils.jp contact who'd I dealt with a year or two back. This was concerning both the return of the camel Midori and the new mini Traveler in 10 th Anniversary tin. I got a note back in 12H responding to my questions. pencils.jp is the Jet Pens/Goulet Pens of Japan on service, shipping and variety of items they stock. Usual disclaimers apply, no affiliation, just a very satisfied customer. Purchase with full confidence, you won't be disappointed.

[Starguard]

For those who hate the knot, I substituted a thick hair tie, it's elastic enough to hold everything together has no knot and they are cheap. I get 5 or 6 on a little card. and keep a spare in the zipper pouch. They come in different colors too. The only downside is you can't attach beads/charms to it directly. Speaking of that, does anyone have any pictures of how you attach charms to the book mark? I saw where someone had put some really interesting looking tiny bolts to theirs but I couldn't tell in the picture how he added them.

[Misfit]

Thank you to all who left feedback on pencils.jp

If a search leads there, now I know they will be a great place to shop.

[spotted and speckled]

Anybody know any good replacement notebooks for the regular MTN? Banditapple seems to have disappeared, and they were the only non-Midori paper that fit that i know of. Variety is good!

 

Edit--forgot that Steve Curnow (https://www.facebook.com/CurnowBookNLeather/?pnref=lhc) is making Tomoe River notebooks that will fit. I need to write him! But still open to suggestions.

Edited March 13, 2016 by spotted and speckled

[migo984]

Anybody know any good replacement notebooks for the regular MTN?

I've bought a few things from this Etsy store in Taiwan. They do notebooks with 68gsm Tomoe paper. Good service and good products. I'm sure there are other Etsy sellers in the US who have MTN size notebooks if you do a search.

 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TarokoShop?ref=listing-shop-header-item-count

Edited March 13, 2016 by migo984

[Cushy Butterfield]

OwlStationers on Etsy do Tomoe River refills. I find them a perfect fit, both passport and full size, and super service. Arrive quickly in UK so Miami should be a doddle for them! I highly recommended them.

[bogiesan]

Anybody know any good replacement notebooks for the regular MTN?s.

I bought several molie cashiers at deep discount. I took them to a print shop and they cut them to fit perfectly using their big trimmer.. I tried and failed miserably using an office-type paper cutter.

[dogpoet]

Just set up a passport sized fauxdori as a wallet, for which it seems to be working quite nicely. No photos (I do need to sort out a hosting site and get a half decent camera, I suppose), but it's one of the "Italian leather" traveller's notebooks one of the uk sellers is doing at the moment*. There's a bookmark string mixed in with the other threads, which isn't ideal, but otherwise, I think it'll do nicely. One of the kraft envelope folder things for notes, and one of the zip pocket/cardholder inserts for everything else. I even think the zip pocket will hold more change than tiny pockets in the last couple of wallets I've had, and I have another of those to hand if needed...

 

*(Extremely nice, imo, though obviously I can only talk about the passport one, not the full sized version. The only thing that could be an issue is that the knot for the retaining band to hold it shut is in the back rather than the spine, but for what I'm using this for, that doesn't matter.)

 

I have now abandoned this.

British notes are too long to fit into a passport fauxdori without poking out the end a bit. I don't want to give somebody a note that looks like I've blown my nose on it, so this has no future. Maybe if I carried my wallet in a manbag instead of in my trousers, this would be more sustainable, but as this stands, I'm thinking "fail", though perhaps not in the youtube sense, as all of my limbs still work.