Lasts a lifetime - simply switch out a new notebook
Moleskine® journal’s elastic band is used as the closure
Hardcover journals fit best
Designed to hold pens in place with the elastic band, without them slipping out
Can be used with most similarly sized non-Moleskine journals
Becomes especially beautiful with age
Recycle the cover for years of journal use
Cover only, journal not included
Because of natural oils shade may vary
Dimensions (approximate size):
Small
Fits Moleskine® 3 ½” W x 5 ½” H
Opened: 7 ¾” W x 6 ¼” H
Closed: 4” W x 6 ¼” H
0.2 pounds
Medium
Fits Moleskine® 5” W x 8 ¼” H
Opened: 11 ½” W x 9” H
Closed: 5 ½” W x 9” H
0.4 pounds
We use natural Markings Equal Inclusion of Exceptional Imperfection Ornamentation
"... Saddleback Leather no longer discriminates against any cow on the basis of age, appearance, lactose intolerance... if the beast has a natural marking or brand, or whether or not they worship the Divine Bovine."
Truth is, sometimes beauty is only skin deep... like with cows. Their poetry is notoriously terrible, but man, their hides are nature's art. We don't believe that flawlessness equals beauty. Beauty is when we're able to see something as it really is.
This is true with humans too. There are lots of quality people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.
So we had just gotten back from Africa when Suzette and I took our kids up to a small entrepreneurship conference in Colorado. During one of the breaks, my 3 year old daughter, Sela, was talking to a lady by the fireplace and the lady turns to me, slightly rolling her eyes and smiling and says, “Um Dave, your daughter told me that she just saw a cheetah up in a tree eating a zebra leg”. So I said to the lady, “Oh that Sela, she says the craziest things. Everyone knows that cheetahs don’t climb trees. It was a leopard.”
That time with the leopards was written down along with a lot of other great stories from that trip in my Moleskine. But maybe the best stories will be the ones told by the cover itself. And as it ages, it’ll become even more valuable to you because of all the memories and stories you have with it that weren’t written down.
Perfect for the back pocket (I've the smaller of the two) I carry it everywhere, just to jot down notes, reminders, lists, and the like... I do wish it was lined with pig skin, but love it anyhow! I've now got my lady friend addicted as well; between the two of us, we own the classic briefcase, large tote, 2 MacBook Sleeves, large bifold, and large wallets, bible covers (used for moleskine) belts, and a few other items...
Simply Sophisticated
by Ryan - verified purchaser | 9/29/2015 11:19 pm
Quality is outstanding. Smell is intoxicating. Functionality is simple. What more could you ask for. It just works.
Just want I wanted
by Greg - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
This is just what I was looking for. There were some cheaper options out there, but I am satisfied with this purchase because I think it will last.
Great
by Bryan Newell - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
In-laws got me this for Christmas. It's great. As with all the other Saddleback products I own, it is very well constructed and fit for intended use. Won't be my last purchase.
Just perfect
by Christopher Eierdam - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
I have just started journaling and found the Picadilly essentials branded versions of moleskine notebooks. The medium journal fits perfectly in the Medium Saddleback (Got mine in DCB). I never imagined that the simple act of writing down any random thought could bring clarity to me but that's besides the point.
The DCB medium moleskine cover works perfectly with the medium moleskine and I have received numerous complements on it's amazaing ruggedness.
Nice Addition to My Collection
by David S. - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:06 am
I'd recently decided to start using Moleskine notebooks to try to keep my thoughts better organized. Naturally, this led to the opportunity to pick up another piece of Saddleback swag. A Dave's Deal came up and I soon had this tobacco brown beauty in my hands. I like how the tobacco brown ages and shows character more quickly than the other colors. If you use a Moleskine, you might as well not only protect it, but have the coolest looking journal in the room. As a bonus, what else can you buy that's got a 100 year guarantee?
Moleskine Cover
by Tim - verified purchaser | 11/26/2015 11:21 pm
I have been using my Moleskine cover for a year now.... it is a constant companion. Perfect match for my front pocket briefcase. Fit Form and Function are perfect. I condition it about every three months and it looks new. Like all of my SB products, it integrates into my daily life and becomes one less thing to worry about failing. Thanks Dave and Team from a very satisfied customer!
Large Bifold wallet; passport wallet
by Ronald - verified purchaser | 8/17/2015 10:49 pm
I have had the bi-fold wallet for a long time; perhaps ten years. I have at least three or more plastic cards in each slot plus medicare information in the pocket and bank envelopes with money inside. The point is, none of the stitching comes loose and the leather does not tear. The wallet does not deform too much from being in my pocket. I do use Obenauf's heavy duty LP as a conditioner and protector; the leather does not significantly darken. Without doubt, the best wallet I have ever owned.
I just received the passport wallet. It is same thickness leather. The first passport wallet was damaged in transit. It was extremely easy to communicate the problem back to Saddleback, receive a prepaid return postage label, and a few days later the replacement wallet came.
This is an excellent leather company. You are paying for excellent craftsmanship, materials, and service.
Welcome Back Beautiful Black
by Tina - verified purchaser | 3/27/2015 7:23 pm
Got this in black and it is gorgeous! Sturdy and thick construction. A little surprised when I opened the box and instead of that wonderful SB leather smell, there was a strong shoe polish odor. Hopefully this will fade away completely in a few days.
Great Cover
by Rick Ro$$ | 2/23/2015 11:22 pm
I ordered one of these for my pocket moleskine. It looks sharp and adds a nice layer of protection.
Excellent as Always!!!
by Luke | 1/29/2015 8:36 pm
This is an incredible cover for an incredible journal! It is everything it is supposed to be and you are guaranteed to have the most stylish Moleskine in the office! Thanks for making such great products!
Oscar Wilde Could have used one of These
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:12 am
I knew it was a match made in heaven I found out that Dave was into Apple and Moleskine, which are just about my 2 favorite things. Naturally I bought some covers, and they couldn't be any more perfect. This in DCB was the first SBL purchase of mine, and I love it just as much now as I did when I bough it. Thanks Dave.
Moleskin Cover
by Patrick H. Wrisley - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
I got one and liked it so well I got a second one! It's one-of-a-kind and people ask me about it all the time. Very well made, great leather, sturdy, and wears well. I own the chestnut and tobacco colors - gorgeous and a great price. I'm a leather snob and this is a awesome product. Highly recommend.
Amazing Quality, Amazing Product
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
I purchased my Medium Moleskine Cover and anxiously awaited its arrival. I was so excited the day it arrived and couldn't wait to open it. Once I got the package open, I was already loving it! The quality is amazing - no doubt it will last longer than I will. Check out my blog post, including my full review and lots of pictures here: http://cycle4christ.blogspot.com/2013/04/product-review-saddleback-leather.html
Thanks for a awesome addition to my journaling life!
Awesome! Just what I was looking for!
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
I've been perusing the different forums for unique items to use in my everyday work and personal life. I started using Moleskine journals for a few years now. The small journal/notebooks wasn't able to take the abuse I was throwing at it and the last one almost crumbled into a pile of dust. I wanted to find a way to keep my Moleskine notebooks stay in relatively good condition through the wear and tear of my work and personal life. I saw a forum member make a cover for his Moleskine journal but I don't have the time or inclination to put a leather cover together from scratch. I did a Google search and found this website. WOW! There are so many beautiful leather products here. But my focus was on a leather cover for my small Moleskine journal/notebook. So I decided to go ahead and make the investment into a Saddleback leather Moleskine Cover in black. I just got it this afternoon and I am so overwhelmed by the outstanding construction and the high quality leather. The design is very functional and simple. I am in love with my Moleskine notebook with its new leather outfit. With the cover it is a joy to use my Moleskine notebook and carry it around while I am working. Good job, Saddleback Leather!
Great moleskine covers
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:11 am
I use these for my personal journals and prayer logs. They'll last longer than I will I suspect, and that's just fine. My children will have them, and likely their children after them....Good! Everything in this world doesn't need to be disposable.
Moleskin Cover
by Patrick H. Wrisley - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am
I got one and liked it so well I got a second one! It's one-of-a-kind and people ask me about it all the time. Very well made, great leather, sturdy, and wears well. I own the chestnut and tobacco colors - gorgeous and a great price. I'm a leather snob and this is a awesome product. Highly recommend.
Just perfect
by Christopher Eierdam - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:10 am
I have just started journaling and found the Picadilly essentials branded versions of moleskine notebooks. The medium journal fits perfectly in the Medium Saddleback (Got mine in DCB). I never imagined that the simple act of writing down any random thought could bring clarity to me but that's besides the point.
The DCB medium moleskine cover works perfectly with the medium moleskine and I have received numerous complements on it's amazaing ruggedness.
Great
by Bryan Newell - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:06 am
In-laws got me this for Christmas. It's great. As with all the other Saddleback products I own, it is very well constructed and fit for intended use. Won't be my last purchase.
LOVE these!
by Rapolis | 1/24/2015 8:59 pm
I have 3 of these now and love them. The current tobacco and carbon colors are great... especially for the smaller saddleback items. I like the carbon moleskine cover so much, I bought 2 of the smalls for my daughters' journals to give them on Valentine's Day. I'm thinking their purple moleskines will look really cute in them. In the past, I always preferred dark coffee, but most of my purchases have been tobacco since the EIEIO change happened. This was actually my first carbon item... I almost didn't go with carbon this time since it's hard for me to spend saddleback prices on my 2nd or 3rd favorite color. But I'm really glad I gave carbon a try before it was discontinued!
Works well
by John | 3/24/2015 2:49 am
Just received the SBL Moleskin cover. It fits really well and gives a sense of presence and individuality to the typical moleskin journal. The only thing I miss is being able to easily access the envelope pouch on inside back cover. Guess I will just have to live with that!
I'm not a journaler but love this cover
by Steve | 2/16/2015 7:15 pm
Mine is the reviewer-maligned tobacco but unlike that unhappy buyer, I really like the color. I carry this with me everywhere for notes and to-do lists and the more I handle it the darker it has become.
Mine, too, arrived in a plain plastic bag just like the other dozen or so Saddleback items I have purchased. Unlike the other unhappy buyer, I admire Saddleback for not wasting my money on expensive packaging. It came, I opened and it works like it should.
I just really really love this cover. It is so cool to plop it down on a conference table and have eyebrows raise in envy.
Absolutely gorgeous
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:12 am
I bought the medium Moleskine cover in tobacco brown, and I do not thing I'll ever regret it. After only about a week of usage, it's started breaking in enough that it's getting easier to open and close (it relies on the cover of the Moleskine sliding in and out of the back sleeve a bit, so you can imagine the need to break it in a bit).
It makes my daily carry journal look like something an explorer from the 1800s would've carried around, which is an effect that I really like. Because the elastic goes around the leather, it leaves a nice little gap to slide a pen into, which is something that I really like as well.
If you use Moleskines (or some other similarly sized journal) on a daily basis, I'd recommend this to you.
Tolle Scribo!
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:12 am
St. Augustine heard the words "Tolle Lege" which means "take up and read". He took up the Bible, read, and came to the Christian faith. For this journal cover, we will say "Tolle Scribo" or "take up and write!" because that is exactly what this case will encourage you to do. It is protective, comfortable, great looking, and great smelling. It helps hold my pen to my notebook and I have already had tons of compliments on it. I look forward to years down the road when it is worn and the edges are bent but it still functions as great as ever and looks even better.
Nice looking, but had some trouble with the size..
by anonymous - verified purchaser | 7/24/2014 9:12 am
Someone wanted to give me a birthday present and I told them I wanted this particular case from Saddleback. I got it in Carbon Black. I put my large daily planner from moleskine (the hard cover one) in it.
I noticed that whenever I would spread out the planner to write, the covers move around from the securing flaps, such that one side would be sticking out more than the other. This could *maybe* also be attributed to the leather being stiff, and the part covering the spine doesn't have much give, but right now it's a bit more uncomfortable than not having a cover at all. Opening and spreading out the planner to write is no trouble usally, but when you start to close it, you'll notice the planner actually shifted around inside the flaps, and you'd have this compulsive need to readjust everytime i.e. sticking the front cover further into the front flap, or else the notebook/planner will be deformed (the front cover of the planner juts out more than the back cover, creating a slant along the edge of the pages instead of all of them nicely lined up together evenly).
I'm not sure if it would also be the case for the thinner, weekly format planner, since that would have a thinner spine. Maybe even the soft moleskine planners would be better because it'll be more bendy than the spine, but I have no intention of switching planner formats. Perhaps when I have time I'll post a youtube video of my cover, but for now, I have absolutely no qualms about the quality, the leather is nice and thick, it should be more supple over time, not a stitch out of place. Maybe I'll try removing the front cover of my moleskine from the front flap, or else I'll have to return this for possibly the bible cover and hope for the best.
Natural Marking
We wanted to let you know that this was recently added to the cow hand hoof-book, in the section governing acceptable hides:
"...Saddleback Leather no longer discriminates against any cow on the basis of age, appearance, lactose intolerance...if the beast has a natural marking or brand, or whether or not they worship the Divine Bobine."
Truth is, sometimes beauty is only skin deep...like with cows. Their poetry is notoriously terrible, but man, their hides are nature's art. We don't believe that flawlessness equals beauty. Beauty is when we're able to see something as it really is. This is true with humans too. There are lots of quality people who are really beautiful not in spite of, but because of the marks life has given them.
Leather is special because it's durable, natural, and it tells a story about a cow's life. Maybe the leather in your bag was from a real Casanova. Maybe he got tipped a lot. Maybe the bulls really liked the way she moooved. We don't know for sure, but we want you to see those stories and add your own as you carry your bag around.
Just to be clear, some leather definitely does not make the cut, but a lot of what has been rejected in the past for being too naturally beautiful, will.
We cut the nasty looking marks out and throw them away and the cool or insignificant ones we leave. When you want to know what the story is behind one of the marks on your leather, look it up here.
Stretch Marks
Marbly lines generally regarded as not cool marks on mothers, unless the mother is a cow or pig and then they're more than cool.
Stretch marks appear when the animal grows quickly or gets really fat for a time in life for some reason.
Veins
The veins and stretch marks are what give the leather that cool marbled look.
Did you know that if they slaughter a cow in the winter in a place where it's really really cold, that it'll have more pronounced veins because the blood rises closer to the surface to keep them warm.
Wrinkles
Almost all thick leather wrinkles when it is bent back on itself. Kind of like when you squat down in a pair of leather shoes and wrinkles appear about 4" from the toe.
Insect Bites
These pesky insects don't leave cows alone either. Ticks, mosquitoes and other bug bites show themselves as a tiny black or white spot.
You ever see birds sitting on top of cows? They're filling their craws with these bugs.
Pores
It's common to see very fine holes on leather if you look closely. Cows have hair too and if it isn't completely removed in the initial tanning process then you'll see them.
Scars
Itching oneself against or running scared through barbed wire, mesquite bushes or cactus will cause long thin black lines. If the bulls liked the way the cow moooved, then she'll get hoof marks which are usually up to an inch wide and a few inches long.
The bigger scars happen when they got gored or kicked hard. Two small single black scars not far apart are often bat bites. Those are found on cows in more jungly areas.
Callouses
If a cow sleeps on it's right side for years or has a habit of rubbing one spot with his horns or any kind of regular friction in one place, you get a callous.
These markings are usually smooth, not raised, small and circular in shape.
Brands
The mark of a cow well loved. Brands can be shapes, letters and numbers. We only use the nice and smooth healed up ones.
In third world countries, some ranchers don't have enough money to buy a branding iron, so they heat up a piece of iron and draw a picture on the cow. Whatever's clever, right?
Which leather is better, the old or the new?
The "new" leather is the same quality as the "old" leather. We just stopped letting some of the cooler marks fall onto the cutting room floor.
Will the scars and marks hurt the construction?
Nope. Any mark or scar that is possibly weaker than other areas, we cut out and throw away.
Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?
Absolutely not!!! With some pigs, we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but cows do not require any special handling.
What if I want a lot of marks?
If you don't get lots of marks, please don't return it in hopes of the next one having more. But hopefully, the Divine Bovine will smile upon you and you'll receive a bag that tells a cool story. If it doesn't have a lot of story on it, then you'll have to add your own by using it hard.
What if I don't want any marks?
Not all cows live hard lives and so not all hides have a lot of scars. If you order Carbon or Coffee, the thin or small scars won't stand out much. They show up nicely on Tobacco though. People who like the Chestnut color (red/brown) seem to like more perfect leather and we're very aware of that. It's not right or wrong; just a preference. Generally, we cut the big scars out of the chestnut leather, but there will always be a few here and there. If you get your bag and you really don't like it, send it back and we'll take care of you. We're not worried in the slightest. And remember, it's not the scars that make the bag, it's the bag. The marks just add to it.
Can I get Chestnut and Coffee with cool marks?
The amount of markings on Chestnut will be less than on other colors because we cut more of the bigger scars out of that leather. We know that, in general, Chestnut people aren't too big on large scars. Marks tend to blend in with the Coffee, but you'll still see them.
Are some scars more valuable, or sought after than others?
Yes. Absolutely! For example, most of our designs have pigskin interiors, which generally have a smooth matte quality. Often, these pieces will have a scrape or scar-type marking on it. These are, in fact, scars associated with the romantic life of the pig. More than most other animals, the pig is known for its violent mating behaviors and is aggressive, selfish and generally demeaning to its female partner. The male pig bites, scratches, gouges and anything else he can think of to have his way (in some rare cases pigs have been known to use other strategies, like cleaning the pigpen, bringing flowers, showing kindness to her relatives, etc,). Thus, many female pigs, at least the desirable ones, are pretty scarred-up. In the pig culture, this is a sign of status. The best hides for our purposes (i.e. creating the best leather bag possible) are the female hides because they are so much larger than the males and therefore we can get larger solid pieces (and girls just have better skin). Therefore, our pigskin will sometimes have various scarring patterns. We refer to these as 'love scars'.
How will this affect my warranty?
This won't have any effect on an existing warranty or a new warranty.
Why haven't you done this before?
Saddleback started and grew strong exactly because of allowing scars and marks and brands on our leather. It's what made us into who we are today. The marks became less and less frequent since the people cutting the leather didn't understand why anyone would want leather with imperfections. So, they thought they were helping us and and it just kind of stayed that way until now.
If you are using more of the leather per hide, will the price go down?
The marks and scars have always represented a very small amount of leather. And actually, the bags now may cost us more since the leather cutters spend extra time placing various scars and brands, which they didn't do before.
Can I see what it will look like before I buy it since this makes the leather so much different from bag to bag?
We have some pictures of the sorts of marks that might be on your bag, but we don't have shots of every piece. We wouldn't ever send out something that we wouldn't send to our own mom and dad. You'll love what you get.
Is this truly cooler leather or are you just trying to save some money on cheaper hides?
I'm pretty sure that if you ask anyone who's been watching Saddleback for any length of time, they'll tell you that we're not so much about the money as we are about creating things that bring people joy. It's art and it's quality and we just like it. It makes us happy. And don't forget, Saddleback has a steady history of constantly improving quality in design and materials. There have been several changes to designs that cost us more money to make, but that we did for no other reason than to raise the quality bar. It just seems like the right thing to do. So, to go against everything that we are known for, stand for and teach would be really inconsistent and pretty risky too. And the hides are the same expensive quality hides that we've used for years, but we're just not cutting out as many of the stories.
If this is so great--as you say--why are you the only ones doing this?
I suspect that other companies think that nobody would like it and they're not willing to take the risk to learn if it's true or not. Also, there are so many variables in the marks and scars on each hide that it's very difficult to teach a person which ones to cut out and which ones to leave. It could get very expensive if the cutters aren't trained well and they allowed some of those nasty looking lumpy scars onto the bags.
Can I still buy the old style if I just don't like this change?
Once we're out, we're out, but surely you'll be able to find some on eBay as people are wanting to sell theirs so they can buy one of these.
Will the colors be different?
Tobacco and Carbon are different, but Coffee and Chestnut are the same.
Is the leather going to feel different besides just looking different?
It's the same leather with a different look.
I bought a Tobacco bag 6 months ago but now I want this new Tobacco. Can I trade?
I would suggest that you either sell yours on eBay, which you may get more for, or you look into aging your bag more rapidly. Get on Youtube to see techniques on how to age leather. Remember you loved that bag enough to buy it. You may be pleasantly surprised. The only difference between this tobacco and our last tobacco is the amount of clear and natural oils and waxes on the hide.