Midori Traveler Vs Traveler Leather Quality

[T4TEXAS]

I lost my old Midori branded passport size notebook and replaced it with one under the Traveler brand. That was a couple of months ago, and just now I found the old one. The difference in the quality of the leather is even worse than I thought. The old one is a smooth, deep rich brown. The new Traveler branded one is rough and an inconsistent lighter brown.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? Is Travelers using cheaper leather regularly, or did I just get a lemon?

 

If you also got rough leather, did treating it with saddle soap or a leather conditioner help?

[Beechwood]

I had a look at the Midori product and wasnt really impressed, especially for the highish cost, firstly I looked at making my own but the problem was sourcing the 3mm hide.

 

I bought another folder using good leather, the notebook cost me 1/4 of the Midori price and the leather is better, also a better shape than the Traveller where I was only getting a limited number of words to a line.

 

The notebook that I bought was improved further with shoe cream, such as this product.

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Woly-Unisex-Adult-Shoe-Cream-Treatments/dp/B00EFW8Z0G

[T4TEXAS]

Attractive. What are the dimensions?

Edited April 29, 2017 by T4TEXAS

[Beechwood]

5.5 inches by 7 inches by 1.25 inches deep

[T4TEXAS]

That's almost A5 size, and a different animal. I have several A5s for various notebook and journal purposes. The Midori/Traveler, both regular and passport sizes, are not intended for extensive writing. I can slip my passpirt size into my back pant pocket or in an inside jacket pocket where it is handy and always with me.

 

Back to my original question: has any one seen a difference in the quality of leather used pre- and post- the branding change?

Edited April 29, 2017 by T4TEXAS

[Beechwood]

Perhaps the thank you was lost in your edit.

 

You are welcome.

[T4TEXAS]

Thanks for hijacking this topic to critique Midori Traveler notebooks and tout your own design. Irrelevant, but attractive. I think I already said attractive, but I'll say it again. Attractive. Just irrelevant.I am sure people would be inreredted in learning more about your design and how you made it, in another topic.

 

Now, can we return to my original question about the quality of leather on the old Midori branded vs new Traveler branded notebooks.

[grainweevil]

I've just compared an unused Midori-branded TN regular (MTN) and an unused Traveler's Company-branded Passport (TCP) and yeah, there's a little difference. The TCP is a little lighter in colour (not much), but not inconsistent. The surface a little more matte, and a bit softer, I think. The inside surface is like velvet compared to the MTN. Maybe the TCP leather is cheaper, I wouldn't know, but I don't dislike it at all and I'm not getting a feeling of poor quality from it. It's possible you might have a bit of a lemon, but equally you're comparing a used version and an unused, and as you know they do change over time.

 

Afraid I've not had any experience of using any leather conditioners or whathaveyou.

 

Sorry, not much help, but fwiw and at least it's on topic.

[Beechwood]

Thanks for hijacking this topic to critique Midori Traveler notebooks and tout your own design. Irrelevant, but attractive. I think I already said attractive, but I'll say it again. Attractive. Just irrelevant.I am sure people would be inreredted in learning more about your design and how you made it, in another topic.

 

Now, can we return to my original question about the quality of leather on the old Midori branded vs new Traveler branded notebooks.

 

 

Point taken.

 

For the record, this is not my design but a commercially available product and nothing to do with me.

 

The purpose of my post was to show that good results had been obtained by using a proprietary product which produced a good finish on a hide folder which was requested in the final line of your original post.

 

Good luck to you.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Beechwood

[T4TEXAS]

Thanks. I may have a lemon. The old one that I used for about a year is much, much smoother, and the new one will never get to that point, at least not without some type of treatment. The interior of the old one is ever so slightly more velvety, but I would never have noticed the subtle diffetence if you had not mentioned it. People used to comment on how nice the leather is on the old one. Not on the new one.

 

I guess I'll keep it and set it up for a different use than the old one. Or ask for an exchange. Or give it to a friend.

 

Thanks again for the helpful, on topic post.

[T4TEXAS]

Ah! The shoe cream. Thanks, Beachwood. I"ll put it on my list of things to consider trying.

[dapprman]

I'm trying to compare the two as I've just got the limited edition Olive Traveller, having been using a Midori Traveller Passport for just under a year. As mentioned above, the outside of the new one does appear to be more matt and slightly rougher on the inside, HOWEVER, my passport has been carried around in a pocket for much of the time and so will have been 'seasoned' by that so it could just be a time thing.

 

I know some one who bought a black Traveller a few months back and used show polish on it. Very shiny and smooth, so yes using a cream/dubbin may well help. Personally I like the rougher/used look feel.

[bogiesan]

You might drop a note to Goulet, they sell hundreds of these notebooks and have been a dealer for a long time, long enough to know exactly what has changed.

 

I have a regular Midori (from Maido in San Francisco) in brown, about 3 years old.

I have a passport Travelers (from Goulet) in camel, about a year old.

There are differences but I am not disappointed in the finish or quality of the leather in the newer unit. If anything, the newer passport is slightly thicker than the older regular sized.

 

Leather is a completely unknown variable. The supply is uncontrollable at almost every point in the production from what the animals eat to harvest to tanning to dyeing to storing. I think Travelers buys what they can, at the best price they can, whenever they can.

[bogiesan]

If you have a couple of hours to spend on YouTube, the new olive edition of the TN has sparked dozens of new unboxing clips. Just search for "olive travelers". Most of these sleep inducing videos include direct comparisons with previous editions of the MTN and TN in the filmmakers' collections.

 

After sampling about 10 of these clips, I would suggest major changes made at the corporate level when Midori rebranded the Travelers Company included establishing new relationships with suppliers for their leather stocks and new finishers for their leather goods. However, a few of the reviewers have notebooks that go back more than ten years including many limited editions such as the PanAM and special embossed and stamped editions honoring hotels, trains, and cruise lines. The leather supply chain and leather finishers have clearly changed several times in the history of the company. Maybe one day they'll explain all that stuff on the Travelers Company's blog.