Return of the Ambi-Note

This is the Ambi-Note.

I designed this notebook a few years ago, maybe in 1999. I was designing my own line of handcrafted leather goods. The Ambi-Note is simply a notebook that fits standard (5"x8" in this example) notepads. It has slots (4 here) for business cards (or I.D. cards, credit cards, etc.) with a compartment behind the card slots for anything else you can stuff in there.

What is unusual is that I designed the Ambi-Note to be reversible for either right handed or left handed people (My beautiful wife, Elizabeth, is a lefty).



I was lucky enough to score some beautiful Slovakian pigskin for my samples through a very skilled leather worker I know, Chris Tekverk. While in his studio I had spotted this leather in brown (he was making some menus and billets for the Polo restaurant in Chicago). I asked him to order some in black for me.

I ended up making a belt, a 5"x8" Ambi-Note, a 8 1/2"x11" Ambi-Note, and a passel of simple card wallets, and a watchband.


Why am I posting about it now? Glad you asked. I've sold a few wooden play swords on Etsy and have been thinking about expanding what I sold there. I've been using Moleskine notebooks for awhile now, but hate that they don't stand up better. Today I saw a beautiful custom Moleskine cover by Paul Saffo and Gfeller Casemakers artisan Steve Derricott on Toolmonger.com, was inspired and thought of my Ambi-Note.
So I'm going to see if I can source some nice leather and start making some Ambi-Notes, perhaps even a matching Moleskine cover.

Me on the bench. Not much more to be said.

So this is a little late. This is the bench set I made for the Hoopers last year. My friend, Oleg Baburin, took the photos. It's a big set. The large bench is just under ten feet long. Most of the wood is 16/4 white oak (4"x4") except for the arcs which a little smaller. Mortised and tenoned. Fun job and a great couple to work with.