Company/Community vs The Actual User Experience of the Travelers Company TN

I’m not one to put controversial statements online, so hear me out! 😅

I’ve been using a Regular Travelers Company TN for a few years now.

It’s predominantly been used when out and about, opting for the easier to write in William Hannah A5 notebook when I’m at my desk/doing work.

I initially loved the size of the Regular TN, but my overall love for it has faded somewhat…..

I’ve now moved to the Paper Republic A5 Portfolio (same height as the Regular TN, but a touch wider) - Although it’s worth noting that it’s not really designed for A5 notebooks, and the refills are their “XL” size (which is in-between TN Regular size and A5).

My issues with the TN are well documented by other people, so I’m not going to dwell too much on it.

For me, the main gripes are:

• Doesn’t lay flat and constantly a challenge to write in
• Even when you get it flat, the humps in the middle combined with the thin width make the writing experience less enjoyable
• Elastic hump at the back - Not a deal breaker, but annoying.

Anyway, that’s not really the intention of the post - Just a bit of context I suppose.

What I have realised since moving away from the Travelers Company TN, is that SO much of the attraction to it does not lie in the “main” product itself (the actual notebook), it lies in the company, the community and the array of “official” options - From notebook inserts and accessories, to the pop up shops, stamps and general community vibe.

I just wondered, does anyone else feel that way, and that they are indeed compromising on the user experience of the notebook, but feel the rest of it makes up for it?