We make leather journals by hand in Riverside County, California.

That's the short version. Here's the longer one.

Paperboy Leather started during COVID quietly, with no real plan. A workbench, some tools, and a stubborn feeling that something well made and physical was worth pursuing. A little craft felt good after a long day. These early days were loose. We made things, figured out what worked, figured out what didn't. Nothing was serious yet. Well that was the case, until we saw it through. We worked at it, put together a batch and relied on word of mouth to get us around. That's brought us to where we are today.

We work with Badalassi Carlo Minerva Liscio, a vegetable-tanned shoulder leather out of Italy. It's the same category of leather you'll find on a quality belt or a well-made pair of boots. It's Heavy, and it's making process is completely indifferent to shortcuts. We get it directly from them.

Every journal is cut by hand. Measured by hand and Finished by hand. We use a mix of edge bevelers, corner punches, brass letter stamps, and razor blades to make your journal. The embossing is done with a press. That's about the extent of our machinery. Oh and a big table. Start to finish, one journal takes us about an hour but we don't rush the leather, and we don't rush the order.

Our branding lives on the inside. You'll know it's ours, but nobody else needs to.

We built this for people who write things down. Not because it's efficient, but because there's a reason you reach for a pen instead of a keyboard sometimes. We think that habit is worth equipping properly because "good tools keep the word going".

- Gabriel (Founder)