Frequently Asked Questions

Vegetable tanned leather is leather that has been processed using natural plant-based materials—primarily tannins found in tree bark, leaves, and other organic sources.

Vegetable tanned leather is made by soaking animal hides in natural tannins extracted from plants like oak, chestnut, or mimosa. This traditional tanning process can take several weeks, but it results in a strong, durable leather that ages beautifully over time. Unlike chrome-tanned leather, which uses chemicals, vegetable tanning is more environmentally friendly and produces leather that develops a rich patina as it’s used. It’s commonly used for high-quality goods like belts, wallets, saddlery, and leather covers.

Our vegetable-tanned leathers come from tanneries nestled in the hills of Tuscany, Italy. Each tannery uses its own time-honored methods, recipes, and dye processes, which means no two hides—and no two colors—are ever exactly the same. Even within the same colorway, variations in tone, depth, and finish are natural and expected, and are part of what make each piece truly one of a kind.

Because leather is a natural material, each piece will have its own unique character. You may notice variations in color, natural markings like fat lines, scars or veining, and subtle differences in texture—these are all part of what makes each cover one of a kind. No two hides are exactly alike, and as a result, the natural dyes absorb differently into each piece of leather, creating slight variations from what you may see in photos or videos.

If your cover is exposed to moisture, simply lay it flat and allow it to air dry naturally. Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight to preserve its color and finish. Over time, the natural oils from your hands will enhance its beauty. If the leather begins to feel dry, a light application of leather balm can be gently applied and buffed away.

With regular use, expect gentle reshaping, soft creases, indentations, scratches, and a deepening patina that reflects its unique character. Embrace the joy of daily use!

Patina is the rich character that develops on leather over time through use and exposure to light, oils from your hands, and everyday wear. As the leather ages, it may deepen in color, become softer and shiny, and develop subtle variations that make it uniquely yours. It’s a sign of high-quality leather and one of the reasons vegetable tanned leather is so loved—it only gets better with age.

Our Original and Rustic leathers will develop the most noticeable patina over time. The Rustic leather goes through a stone polishing process that gives it a more matte appearance at first, so as it ages, it often develops a deeper, richer sheen that makes the patina especially noticeable.

Our Pebbled leather will still darken and soften with use, but because of its textured grain, the patina tends to be more subtle compared to the smoother finishes.

When leather is first cut, the edges can appear rough or unfinished. Each of our covers is carefully edge-finished by applying a finishing compound and hand-buffing the edges to seal and smooth the leather fibers. This process creates a durable, polished edge with a smooth feel and subtle shine.

You can visit our Cover Sizing page to find the perfect fit and see which size best suits your needs.

We do our best to keep our inventory up to date! If you don’t see a color listed, it means it’s currently out of stock. Don’t worry—we do our best to restock colors each month!

Our Trifold covers are crafted with rounded corners.

Our Bifold covers feature square corners by default. Rounded corners are available upon request; however, this option is only available on covers without pockets. If you would like rounded corners, please contact us after placing your order and we will be happy to accommodate your request.

Yes! You can absolutely personalize your journal with embossings.

We offer a wide range of customization options, including initials, a single word, or a short phrase. You can choose from six different foil colors, and we have a full set of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, punctuation, and several symbols available.

***Please note that all embossing is completed exactly as it’s entered at checkout, so we recommend reviewing your text carefully before placing your order to ensure everything appears just as you’d like.

Each embossing can include up to 10 characters (including spaces).
If your phrase is longer (up to 20 characters total), please split it into two parts:

• Enter the first part under Embossing 1
• Enter the second part under Embossing 2

Be sure to select the same location for both embossings.

If you still have more characters, or want to add an additional location, a third embossing can be added to your cart here.

We currently emboss standard letters only (A–Z). Accented characters (such as À, Â, É, Ö, or Ñ) are not available and will be converted to plain letters.

We currently offer six symbols that can be added to an embossing, seen here on the customization page:
heart, paw print, star
tree, sun, infinity

Symbols are approximately 5 mm in height, about 1 mm taller than our standard letters.

To include a symbol in your embossing order, enter an * in the embossing field on the order form and complete your purchase.

After placing your order, please email us to let us know which symbol you would like.

Pockets are available as an add-on for all of our covers. All interior pockets are made from leather in our Original collection and stitched with coordinating thread.

For Rustic or Pebbled covers, the pockets will be made from the matching color in our Original leather collection. For example, a Pebbled Red cover will have Original Red leather pockets.

Yes! We can create custom covers with a different interior leather and/or contrasting stitching. Customizations of this nature are subject to a $40 customization fee. If you're interested, please email us with the details of what you'd like, and we'll be happy to discuss the options with you.

We don’t offer charms. There are so many great options available online, and we’d rather not charge more for something you can easily find at a lower price. We love that this gives you the freedom to choose charms that truly match your style! To help, we’ve shared a video on our social media pages showing how to easily add them to your cover—so you can fully customize it and make it your own

No, our covers are sold on their own. Inserts are such a personal choice, and we want you to be able to fill yours with the notebooks or planners you love most.

Whether you’re looking for an embossing in a unique spot, a beautiful caviar leather, or a custom size, we love bringing special ideas to life. Send us an email to start designing your one-of-a-kind piece.

Each cover is handcrafted to order and ships in 3- 5 weeks. Once your order is on its way, you’ll receive an email with your tracking information.

Shipping timelines for Pre-Order colors vary by color and are listed on the individual color’s product page.

If your order includes a Pre-Order color along with additional items, your entire order will ship once the Pre-Order color is available. If you would like to receive your other items sooner, please place a separate order for those items.

Once your order is on its way, you’ll receive an email with your tracking information.

Each cover is made to order and crafted specifically for you. Once an order is placed, the production process begins shortly thereafter.

If you need to make a change to your order, please contact us within 12 hours of placing it. We are happy to try to accommodate modifications but are unable to accept cancellations.

Absolutely! When we ship your order, it includes a copy of the order details, but no pricing is listed. If you’d like us to include a handwritten note for the recipient, just send us an email—we’d be happy to add it.

If you’re unsure what to choose, we also offer gift certificates that allow the recipient to design the cover of their choice.

Yes! We can ship internationally but please note that customers are responsible for any taxes, duties, fees, and/or tariffs that may be due at the time of delivery. If you have questions, or don't see your country listed at checkout, feel free to reach out to us via email cabinenord@gmail.com.

Please note that due to the new packaging regulations put in place in August 2026, we are not currently able to ship to EU countries.

Because each order is made specifically for you, we are unable to accept returns or exchanges. However, if your order arrives damaged or incorrect, please contact us at cabinenord@gmail.com, and we will do our best to make it right.