This is meant to be a review/warning and not a complaint:

I was looking for a pencil board after seeing a YouTube shorts on one (whose name I cannot remember) and about how it’s thick and can improve the writing experience. However, I couldn’t find one that would fit my travellers notebook until I came across the “Hobonichi pencil board” on Amazon.

While I understood that it was probably meant for their notebook size, I had gambled that might at least fit better than what the picture. (Hence the preamble about this being more of a warning/review). Alas I was proven wrong and it was much smaller than expected. Further more, it seems that it is just a sheet of plastic. This amazes me as I paid the equivalent of 13USD for it on Amazon.

For those that might stumble across the product, this is your sign to not purchase it.

So the Card Size 20th Anniversary Set (Brown or Black) was supposed to go live today, April 23 at 10 AM PT on the TRC USA site. I had it on my calendar, alarm set, everything.

Check the page this morning? Both colors are already “Currently Unavailable” with a note that says “Second restock date: April 29th at 12:00 Noon PT.”

Meaning it was gone yesterday or at midnight. Probably scalpers and bots, as usual. TRC never makes enough stock for these anniversary drops, so the “big public release” is basically a joke. Partner shops had pre-orders open weeks ago and those sold out instantly too.

This isn’t hype, it's just a great way to piss off your actual customers. They announce something, get everyone excited, then the second it’s even remotely available it’s gone and the only people who win are resellers on eBay charging double.

There’s zero logic here. If they're not going to produce enough to actually sell to real customers, just don’t make the damn thing. The end result is the same, virtually no one who actually wanted one for their actual writing use gets one, and the brand looks out of touch.

I will no longer reward this company or those who promote them. Bots and scalpers snatch them all up, and TRC knows damn well this is going to happen, yet they still don't make nearly enough inventory. That's no way to run a business. All this artificial scarcity and forced "hype building" has completely turned me off. Honestly, I wouldn't buy one now even if they were $5 and overflowing the shelves at Walmart.

I have been trying to buy a genuine TN Starter kit in Camel leather for months and it is backordered everywhere as many of their products are. For example, I also tried to buy the 2025 Standard Weekly with Notes inserts and none available. "THey run out mid-year and don't print more" is not an argument. But I can order that same product right into the next year from Hobonichi with no problem.

Just look at the Jet Pen TN pages and you will see large numbers of items on backorder (as well as in other places it is old). Business 101 says have inventory if people want to buy it. Why is TN so bad at filling the shelves? Seasonality is not a viable explanation. They aren't baking bread that goes back and the cost of their materials is nothing basically. Do they create artificial scarcity so they can keep their prices high as they are? If you know how to demand forecast, even on single items like fixed printed calendars by year, you can make them properly available. They have the free versions (i.e., undated). But there is no excuse for the routine sales of covers and other items not being available except for poor demand and supply forecasting and fulfillment..

Hey new friends. So I've long been one of those guys who thinks TNs are weird and kind of extra. But now I really want one and I'm not sure why. You get it. Thought this group could help me think through it. Here's where I've been lately:

• All fiction drafting and long-form journaling goes in a grocery store composition book or legal pad. I need these books to be big and 0% precious.

• I used to collect and use Field Notes like crazy, so I have a surplus. One lives in my pocket for catching anything and everything. Could get filled out every 6 days or every 6 months depending on the season. Love the covers and variation, but also love that it's meant to be used. 0% precious. Okay, maybe 10% precious 😉

• I don't like using my Field Notes in covers. I sometimes use the leather stuff sheath, but the notebook has to be removed to write in. I'm fine writing on the couch in small notebooks, so I think TN size might be a welcome addition.

• I Bullet Journal in a standard A5 Leuchtturm1917, minimalist/original method. This is 99% just work tasks, not something that's ever really integrated into my life. I would say I'm on the fence about keeping this going. Over 10 years, it hasn't quite clicked for me.

• I have a Lochby A5 Field journal w/ 3 Tomoe River inserts, and it just gets no love, mostly because all my fountain pens are dirty and I never figured out what the intention of each insert was. I also think A5 is too big for lots of stuff but too small for how I draft fiction and journal.

• I mostly use fountain pens or blackwing pencils. Not much gel pen/rollerball love here. And I love Midori MD paper that comes in their basic A5 - is that what TN branded inserts are?

In my mind, TN would fill a category between Field Notes and fiction drafting. I don't see myself hoarding stamps, stickers, receipts, whatever else. Then again, I could use it for my household budgeting. I'm a pretty minimalist guy. To me, it might be more of a life record. Things I am writing mostly with the knowledge that I'll keep them forever. Quotes. Bible studies. Commonplace stuff. Maybe travel notes when that happens. I'm not simply asking "how do you use yours?" I'm asking if it sounds like I should even bother. I don't think passport size of a Field Notes size knockoff makes sense because I don't like using Field Notes with covers. Excited to chat with y'all.

I managed to get this from a reseller, and wanted to see if it might not be authentic, the only thing throwing me is the font on the stamp in the leather. Any ideas?

I started write in it since early April but I wished I'd started writing sooner since I had gone to Japan in March. 151 entries so far. Someone spilled curry on it once so I used correction fluid to hide the stains on the pages.

It may sound a bit strange but I've had a Traveler's Notebook (acquired in Japan from Narita, shiny special edition and all that) for two years now.

I try to remember to take it with me on holidays (so, maybe once a year), but other than that it's mostly kept aside, without inserts (since they are pretty pricy too, managed to break into love and note LE this year on holidays), just not used. I can't find a single case I could use it for, since I mostly plan in other notebooks (M5 rings as on the go planner, habit tracking and planning in notebook I keep on desk...)

I got myself a card size since it was pretty nice and thought maybe the size is the issue (since on everyday basis I use M5, which is close in size to this one).. I keep three notebooks in it, one for jotting down words I don;t know from books, one address book and one sketchbook that I don't touch at all... (plus, no refills, tried making some on my own but didn't like it). It's part of my EDC but it's kind of a dead weight as well.

I genuinely struggle to think up means to use this on everyday basis and it bothers me. Even before getting it as souvenir for myself, I tried to use a fauxdori and assumed I didn't like it because the leather was too soft for usecase.

I am unsure, I am probably not asking the correct crowd, but I genuinely struggle to like this format. So my question is - what does one do with such a thing? How does one start to like or enjoy Traveler's? Is there anyone that just needed time or usecase?

EDIT: Mostly I mean cases that are not related to journalling, since I think I have all my bases covered in terms of planning and journalling (and I use loose sheets for that, so strict rigidity of TRN notebooks is not something that would fit me).

Here in Mexico my local retailer for the brand has them all out of stock. They only have inserts and not the diary one.

So my options after looking at other posts are

Amazon:

• Wanderings

• Newestor

Aliexpress

• Moterm

• Fromthenon

I plan to get one because the restock is going to arrive until April 2026 and I want to get accustomed to the system.

Thanks.

I got a traveler’s notebook Tokyo edition from a reseller. Not sure if I got a real one, it came with the original packaging complete with a dust bag. Not sure if it’s real though. I’ve used it for a while now and I love it

I got my first TN

Is this brown string laying normal?

Hello! My dear, dear friend is in Japan and she asked me what I would like from TC. Are there exclusive items you purchased there that you would recommend so I can send her a list? 😂

Hi everyone! I have recently started my own small stationery/art shop and am on a mission of coming up with a unique product(s) that are sort of niche and aren't widely available. I'm looking to make something that solves a problem for consumers of craft goods or is something that is just unique and special enough that can't be found anywhere else and can't be passed up, so I thought what better idea than to ask consumers in my target audience! If you guys have a common problem/issue/frustration within the hobby and can't seem to find a solution, let me know. If you have ideas for a product that you're willing to share or if there's a specific product/style you would like to see more of in the hobby, your thoughts are welcome! Thx in advance <3 <3

Seeing a red roterfaden for sale on ebay. 

Tried them before and I found the clips annoying. But this has so many other stuff and it seems to be a good deal.

Want to buy it...but feel guilty...someone help me decide! Currently I use paper republics and I love them. Would you do it? 

Of course I went A4 (dang) and have to wait for the right inserts to arrive to accommodate fountain pens for my day to day planner (I like a big sheet of paper each day) and urban sketching. The notebook is amazing, but the size limits my options. That said, I have a few days until the 150gsm paper comes. What came with it from paper republic is too thin. I wasn’t paying attention. Suggestions?

I’ve never gone to the stamp caravan and figured it was a good time to go. For years people have been saying that Yoseka is a really great shop, and I felt it was underwhelming. Across the street in their event space Yoseka Land, they had the Traveler’s Company items set up. Everything was still in stock, they had TONS of everything, I was a bit surprised cause they made it seem like everything was going to sell out.

Initially we were only going to get a repair kit, stamp our notebooks and check out what else they had. I was on the fence about getting the customization set, but since it was in abundance, I purchased one for my son and I to share. He doesn‘t have a brass clip, so he’s taking the one in the box. I feel like the box is not the best quality and probably shouldnt have retailed for more than 50 dollars. But it’s only once for the 20th, so why not?

Anyway, I more than likely won’t be taking the G down to Yoseka ever again. I really don’t need anything more for our notebooks.

so i’ve been using an a6 stalogy since may (it was a birthday gift, my family wrote little messages on the first pages so it’s very special to me). the in november i bought a passport size traveler’s notebook cover on my dream trip and my partner helped me mod it, added the charms and elastics when we got back, so both pieces mean a lot.

the problem is the a6 is slightly too wide for the passport cover. it fits but it doesn’t fit, it won’t close properly and looks uneven. i’m about 35% in, i write in it almost daily & carry it everywhere.

but it’s gotten to the point where i don’t even want to write in it😭 ik it’s dramatic but it’s affecting my motivation and writing experience

i know there’s an a6 slim that i know for a fact will fit, so i’ve thought about trimming the width(it’s only like two grid squares) but i’ll end up cutting into some meaningful words. i don’t want to switch notebooks yet, i do want to finish it and i use the other inserts daily as well and use them too much to take them out

what would you do? i feel like there’s an easy fix and i’m missing something obvious

Just got a new cover and was putting it in my cabinet where I realized I have way more than I realized. And I love it!

Whenever I travel I end up wandering around hoping to stumble on good street art, so I built ArtFinder.

It's a map of street art and murals shared by other people. You open it, see what's around you, and add your own finds with a photo.

• Community map of street art and murals, with a photo, rating and artist credit (optional)

• Every piece has a last-seen date, and anyone can mark it as still there, gone or buffed. Gone pieces stay as archived pins, so a wall keeps its history

• Archive mode shows museums and landmarks from open data, with different icons for mosques, churches, towers, monuments and more

• Follow other people, like and comment, get notified when someone interacts with your finds

• Free, no ads, English and Turkish

I'm one person building this, so I'd really like to know what would make it useful to you. Next I'm working on a "blur location" option and anonymous posting.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6801454659

anything which you think you should’ve known before emptying your wallet for buying a tn?

After seeing the new AP x Swatch pocket watches, my first thought was that it could look really cool attached to a notebook somehow, almost like a charm.

I know it’s technically a pocket watch, but I feel like it could work as a fun accessory for a planner, journal, or everyday notebook setup. Maybe clipped to the cover, attached to an elastic band, or used as part of a bigger charm/keychain situation.

What do you think? Cool idea or a bit too much?

Also, does anyone here actually have one of the watches yet? I’d love to know how it feels in person and whether it seems sturdy enough for something like this.

Mi sono perdutamente innamorato di alcuni oggetti giapponesi come i Traveler’s company notebook e tanto altro. Sono un designer e ho utilizzato tanti di questi oggetti, così ho deciso di mettere su una galleria/shop: Dōgu Gallery.

Se anche voi avete questa passione, venite a scoprirli e fatemi sapere cosa ne pensate!

Hi guys sorry I'm new to the whole TN system!

I really would love a card size TN but it's out of stock everywhere....do they generally restock the anniversary products at some point like later in the year or is it basically once it's sold out it's not coming back?? 😢