Buffalo Leather vs Cowhide: $10 Cover vs Paper Republic

The Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket) gets my pick. It is the cover I carry the most, and it molds to the pocket and keeps aging well. If you want the toughest leather for the least money, the roughly $10 MILITARIA STUFFS full grain buffalo cover is the one to buy.

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How I tested these covers

I have four different covers, and they have different features and come from different sources. I wanted to know what the real benefits are, and which one feels better in the hand.

The thing that worries me most with leather is how it wears when you have scratches and pen clips. So I gave the new MILITARIA STUFFS cover a fingernail scratch test and compared it against covers that are already well used. The MILITARIA STUFFS cover has about three weeks on it.

The Traveler's Company cover has tons of scratches from me carrying it over the last five or six years.

The comparison at a glance

MILITARIA STUFFS full grain buffalo: best for toughness on a budget

MILITARIA STUFFS sent me this cover to review and test and give my honest feedback. They did not pay me.

It is a tough leather that allows a little more abuse than the Paper Republic or even the Traveler's Notebook. It feels tough in the hand, and it is taking a little longer to wear in.

If I scratch it, you can barely see the mark, and you can almost just rub it off. It is going to take something stronger than a nail to do any real damage. I was pressing harder on the front, and that spot shows a little more.

Some scratches and patina are starting to develop, especially on the spine. The color is a great dark brown that looks right in a more formal situation.

It is going to show some marks and blemishes as you use it, but I don't think it is going to break down. Buffalo leather is not something I have seen a ton of, and for about $10 it feels premium. Best for: a rugged cover on a small budget.

Skip if: you want the softest, most flexible feel.

Paper Republic: best for everyday pocket carry

I have it fully loaded with all my stuff, and it carries super well. I love that the pen sticks to the side nicely.

It does show more scuffs than the buffalo. The scuffs tend to blend into the leather, which is very shiny and starting to absorb hand oils and the abuse that pockets put it through. It is nice and flexible, and it feels so soft.

It molds to the pocket and has been aging beautifully. Best for: daily pocket carry. Skip if: you want the thickest, most abuse-ready leather.

Traveler's Company: best for a rugged, built-for-travel feel

Traveler's Company says this cover is cow leather, vegetable tan. Mine is the camel colorway, a lighter color than the other three, which are darker. The scratches and scuffs show a little more, and color may be part of the reason.

Compared side by side with the Paper Republic, the leather feels a little rougher and thicker. It is more of a preference. Do you want something that feels rugged and built for travel, or something that feels more premium and wears in very nicely?

Both will get scratched.

One more thing to note: Traveler's Company documents that the dye is natural and can transfer when the leather gets wet. I have seen that with a lot of other inserts, especially on the inside of the cover and not so much the outside.

Best for: people who want a rugged cover and don't mind a thicker feel. Skip if: you carry inserts or cloth that you don't want picking up color.

MeePlus Pueblo: best for patina

The MeePlus is Pueblo vegetable tan, sanded and oiled. It never names what kind of animal the leather comes from, but two retailers that sell Pueblo list it as cowhide. It is a rougher leather that takes a little more abuse.

It looks pre-scratched, and I think the marks are easier to wipe off. At about a hundred dollars, it costs more than the other three covers.

MeePlus sent me the SlimPad. They did not pay me.

MeePlus says they leave the leather uncoated. In my opinion that is a little better, because the oils get in faster, and the leather starts to patina and warm up sooner. I have already started to see that wear.

My wallet is also Pueblo leather and I have had it much longer. It has gotten shiny and dark, and I am looking forward to the cover turning into something similar. The MeePlus SlimPad is the one to look at if patina is what you want.

Does buffalo versus cowhide really matter?

It depends on how it was tanned, whether it is full grain or top grain, and which animal it comes from. That makes it hard to tell from a product page. It is going to be a preference, and you have to have these products in hand.

My pick is the Paper Republic. The buffalo cover is the one I would hand to someone who wants a tough, inexpensive cover.

The gear worth a look

• MILITARIA STUFFS full grain buffalo cover (3.5 x 5.5): The toughest of the four for about $10. MILITARIA STUFFS sent it to me.
• Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket): My pick, and the cover I carry the most.
• MeePlus SlimPad: Pueblo leather for the fastest patina. This is a referral link that gives you $10 off. MeePlus sent it to me.
• Traveler's Company Notebook (Regular, Camel): The leather is thicker and rougher, and it has taken years of scratches from me, so it suits you if you want a rugged, built-for-travel feel.

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Related reading

• Pocket Notebook Covers: 7 I Have Carried and What Each Is For
• Paper Republic vs Traveler's Notebook: Pocket Journal Comparison
• Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket Review After Two Months

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buffalo leather tougher than cowhide?

In my test, the MILITARIA STUFFS full grain buffalo cover was the toughest of the four. A scratch barely showed and mostly rubbed off, and it took more than a fingernail to damage it. The type of tanning and the grade of leather also matter, so you should handle the covers yourself.

Is a $10 leather cover worth buying?

The MILITARIA STUFFS full grain buffalo cover costs about $10. I have used it for about three weeks, and it has held up to a couple of weeks in my pocket. It feels tough and premium, but it is slower to wear in and less flexible than the Paper Republic.

Which leather cover is best for everyday pocket carry?

The Paper Republic cover is the one I carry the most. It is flexible, feels soft, and molds to the pocket. It also shows more scuffs than the buffalo cover, but they tend to blend into the leather.

Can the dye on a Traveler's Company cover transfer?

Yes. Traveler's Company documents that the dye is natural and can transfer when the leather gets wet. I have seen color move onto other inserts, especially on the inside of the cover.