Journal/planner Cover

[wikeh2004]

Hey, I found this instead. Lihit Labs also makes a Smart Fit Multifunction Cover Notebook. Jetpens has the larger B5 size, but Amazon has the A5 size. I ordered one in Navy. It's coming from Japan, so it may take a while to get here. It has slots to take the notebook cover, plus pockets for cards, documents, and a pen. It should fit a Nanami Paper Seven Seas Writer, Hobonichi Cousin, or similar sized notebook. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

LIHITLAB Smart Fit Multifunction Cover Notebook A5 Navy
by LIHITLAB
Link: http://amzn.com/B00BBNNYF8

 

Here's the JetPens listing. http://www.jetpens.com/Lihit-Lab-Smart-Fit-Cover-Notebook-B5-Black/pd/10743

 

 

I asked JetPens about the zippered compartment. They said that it does not have any pockets to hold the cover of a notebook. The notebook just rests inside the compartment. They said it can take notebooks up to about 17mm thick. I'm sure a Seven Seas Writer would fit.

[Oldtimer]

I have also been looking for something similar, but more in the concept of an all-in-One carry on that can house several things that can go together almost always for a sketcher/writer:

 

1- A place to hold several pens; 5 to 8, six is OK and a cover to protect them from scratches

2- an A5 thin sketchbook and/or

3- a slightly bigger notebook/sketchbook

4- small ruler, eraser

5- for watercolorists, a place for a mini watercolor kit.

 

The only one of the suggested alternatives here that resembles this concept is too expensive, mostly because it comes with a high shipment cost to USA. I think it is time we start requesting companies for such an item and when they see it is a viable sales option they will start to designs it. One other close to this concept are the pouches from Right in the Rain - or - Write in the Rain, not sure which it is! Possibly the first one.

Some japanese pouches are close to this concept and i have seen a few on Instagram, but have no idea who to buy them from. Not talking about leather covvered, i would prefer something more pliable, weather proof, easy to carry with even something containing water.

 

Will be coming back to this post to see if something else comes up!

[wikeh2004]

Hey Oldtimer,

 

You may find something on the Jetpens.com site. They have a variety of Japanese made carriers and bags. The Japanese seem to have a mania about organization. :-)

 

Good for us.

 

Thanks,
Walter

 

I have also been looking for something similar, but more in the concept of an all-in-One carry on that can house several things that can go together almost always for a sketcher/writer:

1- A place to hold several pens; 5 to 8, six is OK and a cover to protect them from scratches
2- an A5 thin sketchbook and/or
3- a slightly bigger notebook/sketchbook
4- small ruler, eraser
5- for watercolorists, a place for a mini watercolor kit.

The only one of the suggested alternatives here that resembles this concept is too expensive, mostly because it comes with a high shipment cost to USA. I think it is time we start requesting companies for such an item and when they see it is a viable sales option they will start to designs it. One other close to this concept are the pouches from Right in the Rain - or - Write in the Rain, not sure which it is! Possibly the first one.
Some japanese pouches are close to this concept and i have seen a few on Instagram, but have no idea who to buy them from. Not talking about leather covvered, i would prefer something more pliable, weather proof, easy to carry with even something containing water.

Will be coming back to this post to see if something else comes up!

[Oldtimer]

wikeh2004,

I went to jet pens and have something on my wish list just in case if i don't find what i really, really want. t seems that what i want is designed by Greenroom, at a price. I went there and you can choose an 11 days delivery which is a lot less expensive. Transaction does not go well with paypal. Also, someone told me that the bank, if you use a credit card, will charge a "conversion fee" when they check out equivalencies between MYR and USD. Go figure, is it that difficult?

 

Since it is so difficult to go through the transaction, i guess the UNIVERSE is telling me, "Go to another place!" . LOL. i will keep looking for a while. The RiteintheRain one is looking better every day at $17...

 

We people without much to do like to over think these things.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Oldtimer

[Plume145]

oh! I forgot another store that's good for asian stationery if you can't shop from the actual local stores: Notemaker. It's based in Australia and AFAIK they recently slashed the price of their international shipping, so it went from 'pretty steep' to 'doable if with a little bit of the shopping cart shuffle'. I forgot them because I haven't gotten into the habit of them, also they seem to renew stock a bit less often than Jetpens and I have a constant need for novely haha.

 

If neither suits, especially if you're in the EU and want to shop within the zone, you could try the journal shop or cult pens, but IMO it's not really equivalent to the other two in terms of range. Well, unless you want actual pens because Cultpens is definitely great with that, but otherwise and for cases, pouches, and other organizers, not so much.

 

Just thought I'd add this to the same thread.

[Fox Point]

If a zipper isn't absolutely necessary, perhaps look into making a midori system catch-all - mine has a sketchbook, watercolour pad, project book, journal, all of my class notes and other project notes, an A5+ 2 cm accordion forlder with card pockets and small note pocket, and a pouch for chap stick, scissors, etc. The only thing I have yet to do is sew a 5 pen pouch to the back, inside flap, because I am rather bad at sewing. With an overlap of the material around the front, the corners are protected too. It is 10 cm thick, all together, but it holds Everything.

 

Fox Point

[wikeh2004]

I just got the Lihit Labs Smart Fit Multifunction Cover Notebook in A5 from Japan via Amazon US. I made the order on the 22nd, and it arrived today, the 31st. Nice Halloween present and great service from Japan. And, shipping was free (AFAIK).

 

It's very nicely made with what feels like a durable fabric (Cordura). The covers are quite stiff, which means the cover will give the enclosed notebook a lot of protection, but it also means that inserting the notebook may take a little more effort. It has external pockets on the front cover including one that closes with a velcro fastened flap and one for a pen, and pockets for business cards and papers inside the front cover. Inside the back cover, there is a pocket open on two sides that can take a notepad or loose papers. It comes with a Twist Ring notebook. However, the notebook insert has only 14 lined sheets in it. So you'll have to buy additional pages to fill it to capacity. There is an elastic band on the inside of the front cover that can be used to hold it together.

 

I intended it to be a cover for my Seven Seas Writer notebook or for a Hobonichi Cousin, the A5 big brother of the Techo. I am pleased to say that the cover fits the Seven Seas very nicely and the covers of the notebook will slip easily into the internal slots of the front and back covers. Or, you could just use the back cover slot to hold the notebook, which I think is preferable. The Cousin was a tighter fit than the Writer, but would still be happy in the Smart Fit cover. Either the Hobonichi or Writer would be the upper limit in thickness of notebook you could fit.

 

I also fit a TWSBI medium notebook in the cover, so that's an alternative.

 

I tried a Circa Junior notebook in this cover. Unfortunately, it does not fit as is. If you trim the plastic cover of the Circa notebook, the Smart Fit cover could work, but it's not an ideal fit.

 

We'll see how it works in practice, but so far I'm favorably impressed.

 

I'll post some photos later if I figure out how. :-) See the Amazon link in an earlier posting for clearer photos of the cover itself.

 

Showing the front of the cover.

 

Showing the Hobonichi Cousin planner with ribbon markers (built into the cover).

 

With the Seven Seas Writer in the cover.

Edited November 2, 2014 by wikeh2004

[Erica Kline]

I just got the Lihit Labs Smart Fit Multifunction Cover Notebook in A5 from Japan via Amazon US. I made the order on the 22nd, and it arrived today, the 31st. Nice Halloween present and great service from Japan. And, shipping was free (AFAIK).

 

It's very nicely made with what feels like a durable fabric (Cordura). The covers are quite stiff, which means the cover will give the enclosed notebook a lot of protection, but it also means that inserting the notebook may take a little more effort. It has external pockets on the front cover including one that closes with a velcro fastened flap and one for a pen, and pockets for business cards and papers inside the front cover. Inside the back cover, there is a pocket open on two sides that can take a notepad or loose papers. It comes with a Twist Ring notebook. However, the notebook insert has only 14 lined sheets in it. So you'll have to buy additional pages to fill it to capacity. There is an elastic band on the inside of the front cover that can be used to hold it together.

 

I intended it to be a cover for my Seven Seas Writer notebook or for a Hobonichi Cousin, the A5 big brother of the Techo. I am pleased to say that the cover fits the Seven Seas very nicely and the covers of the notebook will slip easily into the internal slots of the front and back covers. Or, you could just use the back cover slot to hold the notebook, which I think is preferable. The Cousin was a tighter fit than the Writer, but would still be happy in the Smart Fit cover. Either the Hobonichi or Writer would be the upper limit in thickness of notebook you could fit.

 

I also fit a TWSBI medium notebook in the cover, so that's an alternative.

 

I tried a Circa Junior notebook in this cover. Unfortunately, it does not fit as is. If you trim the plastic cover of the Circa notebook, the Smart Fit cover could work, but it's not an ideal fit.

 

We'll see how it works in practice, but so far I'm favorably impressed.

 

I'll post some photos later if I figure out how. :-) See the Amazon link in an earlier posting for clearer photos of the cover itself.

 

Showing the front of the cover.

IMG_4464 copy.jpg

 

Showing the Hobonichi Cousin planner with ribbon markers (built into the cover).

IMG_4469 copy.jpg

 

With the Seven Seas Writer in the cover.

IMG_4472 copy.jpg

Hi Wikeh,

 

How are you liking that cover?

 

Once you got the Junior into it were you able to close the cover over the rings? I always worry about that. Also the paper being too big...

 

If the cover is "A5", I think there are A5 disc bound notebooks by Clairfontaine, although I haven't bought any.

 

I am still not sure that's what I want, I really like the "executive" look of leather, and I am also pretty picky about colors, and they don't have purple or pink, which are my favorites.

 

While I was searching for Lihitlab on Amazon I also found something similar by Kokuyo...and I found the reviews in here too. Not clear if that one will work with discs.

 

So I am still searching..

 

Good thoughts though,

 

Erica

[wikeh2004]

Hi Erica,

 

Haven't had a chance to use it. Just did some fitting tests. The Circa Junior is not a good fit. The stock Junior cover will not fit into the slots on either front or back cover. The Junior cover would have to be trimmed to fit. I would not recommend an A5 cover for a Circa notebook. Levenger has covers to fit and in leather, albeit for a higher price. For a quality leather cover, I don't think Levenger's prices are out of line, but I admit that the ones I bought were almost always from their eBay outlet or their website outlet pages, so they were discounted.

 

Levenger sometimes has leather covers in purple (they call it eggplant) or red. I haven't seen any in pink.

 

Here's one that might work for you.

Levenger Circa Pro Folio Junior Notebook (AL12645 RD JNR NM)
by Levenger
Link: http://amzn.com/B00IMNU0H0

 

Levenger Circa Softolio Junior Leather Portfolio - Grape (AL12510 GP JNR NM)
by Levenger
Link: http://amzn.com/B00KH5UT22

 

Anyway, you get the idea.

 

Was this the Kokuyo cover you were looking at?

Kokuyo Systemic Refillable Notebook Cover - Twin Ring Notebook with Edge Title - A5 (5.8" X 8.3") - Normal Rule - 28 Lines X 50 Sheets - Black Cover
by Kokuyo
Link: http://amzn.com/B0049KD4LE

 

I think any A5 cover would be too short (heightwise) for a Circa Junior notebook. The Junior is 8.5" high.

 

Kokuyo also has this cover, but it's meant to fit a slim notebook. Won't fit anything thicker than about 1/4". A friend of mine had one and it's perfect for one of their slim Campus notebooks.

Kokuyo Systemic Refillable Notebook Cover - A5 (5.8" X 8.3") - Normal Rule - 24 Lines X 40 Sheets - Red / Gray
by Kokuyo
Link: http://amzn.com/B001J5PC6W

 

Good luck!

Wikeh2004

 

Hi Wikeh,

 

How are you liking that cover?

 

Once you got the Junior into it were you able to close the cover over the rings? I always worry about that. Also the paper being too big...

 

If the cover is "A5", I think there are A5 disc bound notebooks by Clairfontaine, although I haven't bought any.

 

I am still not sure that's what I want, I really like the "executive" look of leather, and I am also pretty picky about colors, and they don't have purple or pink, which are my favorites.

 

While I was searching for Lihitlab on Amazon I also found something similar by Kokuyo...and I found the reviews in here too. Not clear if that one will work with discs.

 

So I am still searching..

 

Good thoughts though,

 

Erica

[Cushy Butterfield]

Hi Wikeh,

 

the pictures on Amazon seem to suggest that the ring binder that comes with it can be completely removed. Have you found that is true or was I just going bog eyed when I was trying to interpret the Amazon pictures? I particularly don't want rings. As a lefty they can be a nightmare.

[wikeh2004]

Yes, the Twist Ring notebook that comes with it is completely removable. It just slips into the slot in the back cover. I tried writing in it today, and the paper isn't that great. It is quite smooth, and takes FP ink well, but it has some bleed through to the other side. Not as good as the TR paper. Besides, I was a little disappointed to find that the notebook they include had only 14 sheets of paper. It was just a teaser. Not easy to find replacement pages for this A5 size Twist Ring notebook. Lihit Lab's Semi-B5 size seems to be commonly available.

 

The Twist Ring A5 notebook uses paper with 24 holes. Kokuyo Campus A5 Smart Ring binder paper, which is easy to find, will not fit as it uses 20 holes. :-( The rings are small, but you can take their notebook out and replace it with a Seven Seas Writer A5 notebook or something of similar size. A Hobonichi Cousin planner will fit nicely. This cover will also fit a Medium TWSBI notebook.

 

I advise slipping only the rear cover of your notebook into the back cover slot. Slotting both notebook covers makes it a little too stiff to open and close. If your notebook or planner is fairly slim, you could slip it into the front cover slot and add a notepad in the back cover pocket. Pretty flexible. I would say the capacity of the cover is about 5/8" max in thickness of content.

 

As I said earlier, I bought this to cover a Seven Seas Writer and a Hobonichi Cousin planner and it works great for that. I like the various sized pockets and the pen pocket. Gotta have that. I like the Smart Fit cover itself, but I'd ditch the Twist Ring notebook that comes with it. (Sorry, Lihit Lab). :-)

 

Hi Wikeh,

the pictures on Amazon seem to suggest that the ring binder that comes with it can be completely removed. Have you found that is true or was I just going bog eyed when I was trying to interpret the Amazon pictures? I particularly don't want rings. As a lefty they can be a nightmare.

 

Here's a few more photos. Apologize for the quality - should shoot with a regular camera, eh? :-)

 

Here with a Hobonichi Cousin inside and the Twist Ring notebook to the right.

 

Open with the Cousin. It's a perfect fit for it.

 

The pen pocket will take a Lamy Al-Star, but that's the largest it'll take.

Edited November 5, 2014 by wikeh2004

[Cushy Butterfield]

Thanks. Just what I was hoping to hear. I want to put a Tomoe reader in it so your comments re that are also helpful. Order going in!

[Cushy Butterfield]

Arrived today, very pleased with it. Fits my Nanami Tomoe Reader as if it was made for it. Thanks for the info!

[da vinci]

Arrived today, very pleased with it. Fits my Nanami Tomoe Reader as if it was made for it. Thanks for the info!

Any chance of a pic or 2?

[wikeh2004]

Excellent! What color did you get? :-)

 

I'm using mine to carry around a Hobonichi Cousin planner, for which it is also a great fit.

 

Arrived today, very pleased with it. Fits my Nanami Tomoe Reader as if it was made for it. Thanks for the info!