What are the origins of the Smythson brand?
History was made in 1908, when Frank Smythson is credited with creating the world’s first pocket diary: what we now know as the Panama diary. A distinct departure from the cumbersome desk diaries of the day, the Panama was innovatively designed to accompany everyday life – to slip neatly into a gentleman’s breast pocket “without causing the least disfigurement”. The key innovation was to use exceptionally
lightweight paper, a practice that continues with Smythson’s iconic blue
Featherweight paper.
What’s special about the Raffles X Smythson notebook?
The Raffles Soho notebook is created in a precise, distinctive green, Pantone-matched colour, 627C, and this is offset by a gold-stamped Raffles palm motif on the front cover and Smythson branding on the back cover. The bespoke printed endpapers are in Raffles’ jungle print and there’s a custom foreword page, with an illustration of Raffles’ quintessential butler. The gold-gilded pages are in Smythson’s signature paper and the outer cover is made from Grosvenor leather: a lightly grained leather with a classic finish that’s supple, yet structured and hard-wearing enough for everyday use.
Are all Smythson notebooks produced in the same place?
All Smythson notebooks and diaries are produced in a Hertfordshire workshop. Since the first Panama diary in 1908, Smythson has been crafting notebooks and diaries in England in much the same way, using traditional techniques that have been passed down through
generations of artisans.
What’s distinctive about the production – is there anything that’s unusual compared to a typical notebook?
From start to finish, a Smythson book passes through the hands of 15 craftsmen and women, who meticulously hand-finish every detail over 22 distinct stages: from thread-sewing each book and securing its grosgrain ribbon, to delicately gilding each page with gold or silver leaf.
Whether it’s the pliable cross-grain of Panama or the glossy finish of Mara, Smythson’s finest leathers are hand-selected and expertly finished in a spectrum of classic and seasonal shades. After embossing the leather to add the desired effect, our artisans use a special “tumbling” treatment to bring out the natural grain, softening the fibres to ensure a luxuriously yielding texture.
Are the page edges actually gilded in silver and gold?
Once folded, the paper sections are hand-collated, sewn and glued to create a block that lies perfectly flat. The spine is then “nipped” to press out air, guillotined to the finished size and sanded for gilding: only then can the metallic gilded edges be applied using a specialised machine and precisely positioned sheets of gold or silver leaf.
How did the distinctive blue, Featherweight pages originate?
Blue Featherweight paper remains exclusive to Smythson. At just 50gsm – half the weight of ordinary paper – it is exceptionally thin yet remarkably strong, designed to hold ink beautifully. Both sides can be written on, without bleed-through. Featherweight paper is also watermarked with a distinctive globe and feather design. Clearly visible when the page is held up to the light, the watermark appears at least once on each page and ensures the book is not an imitation. The distinctive blue hue is thought to have originated by accident, when a pot of blue ink was spilt into the pulp. Rather than discard it, Frank Smythson insisted the resulting paper be used, and customers soon fell in love with its pale blue shade. Featherweight paper has remained a signature of Smythson ever since.
