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Handmade Field Notes Cover Review: Woodsy Leather
Woodsy Leather's pebbled Chestnut Kodiak Bandito Field Notes cover beat the smooth Texas Mud one in my pocket. At $35 to $45 for a handmade cover, it earns an A tier.
Yes, a handmade Field Notes cover from Woodsy Leather is worth it, and the pebbled one is the one to get. The Woodsy Leather Chestnut Kodiak Bandito Field Notes Cover has been my daily driver since I got it. It is soft, it hides wear, and it costs around $35 to $45.
Watch the full video for everything shown on camera.
What I tested
Two handmade covers for a Field Notes notebook. Same maker, same price. Brad at Woodsy Leather makes every one by hand, and Brad sent me both of these for free.
The real difference is the leather. The Chestnut Kodiak Bandito is pebbled. The Woodsy Leather SB Foot Texas Mud Field Notes Cover is a smooth tan.
I carried both in my pocket for a couple of weeks, swapping them back and forth. I picked the Kodiak Bandito to focus on because it's the one I've been carrying the most. Brad is a solo maker in North Carolina with an Etsy shop, makes every cover alone, and also rebinds Bibles.
The pebbled cover is the one that surprised me
It's a pebble leather, which I didn't think I was going to like as much as I do. I had not really tried pebble leather before, just because it wasn't really my style. I kind of like the smooth finish of the Texas Mud cover too, but the Kodiak Bandito caught my attention because of how soft it is.
You can really mold it, and it will stay that shape. It's thick enough that you are not going to be concerned the notebook will break. More often than not, I forget I have a pocket notebook with a leather cover in my back pocket.
That's how soft this cover is.
Best for pocket carry: the pebbled Kodiak Bandito.
Wear
I have not seen a lot of wear on this cover, which I think is the nature of being pebbled. You get a little more scratch resistance. If you really looked, you could find some scratches, but this has been in my pocket for a long time and I have barely seen any signs of wear.
I'm totally okay with some wear, but it's nice that the pebbled grain hides scratches I don't want on the cover.
How it lays flat
Inside, the Kodiak Bandito lays completely flat right away. The Texas Mud cover doesn't lay as flat. My Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket), which I have carried in my pocket a ton of times, doesn't lay that flat on the table either.
You can still feel some of the stiffness from that leather.
The one-elastic tradeoff
Most covers of this kind use an elastic that goes around to close the notebook, plus a separate elastic through the top and bottom that you tie in the middle. Paper Republic does it that way.
The red elastic goes in and out of the holes in the back, and you get one knot for that and a separate elastic with a knot to seal the notebook.
The Woodsy Leather cover is different. One elastic does both jobs. It goes out the middle hole and back in, and that is what closes the notebook.
In theory, you can only fit one notebook. In reality, you can always add a second elastic and tie two notebooks together, the way Traveler's Company and Paper Republic users do. I wouldn't worry about the one-notebook setup, but know that's the only elastic you have to play with.
The elastic itself also feels easier to get on and off than the one on my Paper Republic.
Side by side
| Woodsy Leather Chestnut Kodiak Bandito | Woodsy Leather SB Foot Texas Mud | Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leather | Pebbled | Smooth tan | Stiffer, ages well |
| Lays flat inside | Completely flat | Not as flat | Not even that flat on a table |
| Elastics | One, does both jobs | One, does both jobs | Two |
| Price | Around $35 to $45 | Same price | More expensive |
| Best for | Pocket carry, hiding scratches | Smooth finish fans | Multiple notebooks |
My pocket setup
Lately I've been carrying just one pocket notebook, and that has been everything I need. In the past I carried a couple, one being my reference notebook.
Is it worth the money?
Each Woodsy Leather cover lists at $35 on Etsy, which I think is a fantastic price for something handmade by someone who puts a lot of care into it.
You can tell the quality in the rounded corners and the way the leather is finished on the edges. These covers are also more affordable than Paper Republic and Traveler's Company.
I've ranked it on my website, and it's an A tier for me. I'm keeping the Kodiak Bandito, and it's going to live in my pocket for the foreseeable future. Brad has been an amazing contact and knows a lot about leather.
Buy it if you carry a Field Notes in your pocket and want a soft cover. Skip it if you need two elastics out of the box for several notebooks. I compare seven pocket covers I own in another video, and I made that list before I owned this one.
The gear worth a look
- Field Notes: The pocket notebook that goes inside the cover and lives in my pocket every day.
- Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket): My comparison point: two elastics and a stiffer leather that doesn't lay as flat.
- Woodsy Leather Chestnut Kodiak Bandito Field Notes Cover: The soft, pebbled cover that stays in my pocket and hides wear well.
- Woodsy Leather SB Foot Texas Mud Field Notes Cover: The smooth tan cover from the same maker, the one I compared it against.
- Traveler's Company Notebook (Regular): The system whose multi-notebook elastic approach I reference when talking about adding notebooks.
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Related reading
- Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket Review After Two Months
- Field Notes Winter Edition Review: The 1943 Two-Way Memo Books
- Field Notes vs LOCHBY vs Dialog Notebook: What I Use Each One For
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Woodsy Leather Field Notes cover worth the money?
Yes. It retails between $35 and $45, and the corners, edge finishing and elastic all feel high quality for a handmade cover. It's an A tier for me.
Which is better, pebbled or smooth leather for a Field Notes cover?
For pocket carry, the pebbled Chestnut Kodiak Bandito. It is softer, lays flat inside, and hides scratches better than the smooth Texas Mud cover I also tested.
Can a Woodsy Leather cover hold more than one notebook?
It has one elastic that does both jobs, so it holds one notebook as it comes. You can add a second elastic and tie two notebooks together.
How does it compare to a Paper Republic cover?
The Woodsy Leather cover lays flatter and is softer, with an elastic that is easier to get on and off. Paper Republic gives you two elastics instead of one.