This journal originated in a custom request. The customer wanted a guestbook for a Medieval-themed wedding. The design would also serve as a travel journal, sketchbook, or small photo album, for anyone interested in the medieval style.

 
I copied the design on the cover from the 'seal' of a 14th century English knight - Sir Thomas de Beauchamp. I chose this seal, because Sir Thomas was a genuine medieval knight and warrior: he fought in all the French wars of Edward III and was one of the commanders at the great English victories at Crécy and Poitiers.

 
The central medieval knight design is surrounded by a hand-tooled border front and back.


The journal is handmade from vintage buffalo hide and is available in two colours, both of which are applied with a natural, non-toxic wash. The journal contains 100 pages (200 usable sides) of 150gsm cartridge paper.

The colour of the journal offered in this listing is APPLE GREEN.


The cover measures 9 x 8 inches (23x20cm).


For those with an interest in medieval history, the two sides of the seal read in abbreviated Latin: S(IGILLUM) THO(M)E COMITIS WARRWYCHIE ANNO REGNI REGIS E(DWARDII) TE(RT)II.POST CO(N)QUESTU(M) ANGLIE SEPTI(M)O DECIM(0) ET REGNI SUI FRANCIE QUARTO.


In translation this reads:


'Seal of Thomas, Count (Earl) of Warwick in the year of the reign of King Edward the Third...after the Conquest of England the seventeenth, and of his reign of the Kingdom of France the fourth'. This dates the seal to 1344.
 

The 'chapters' of paper are stitched into the leather cover with a traditional 'Italian' stitch - a style of binding that guarantees a long life.


I love working with leather, but for ethical reasons I only use vintage leather for my books- ie leather from working animals that have come to the end of their lives.