Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Smythson Panama Notebook is a pocket notebook from the London stationer Smythson, bound in crossgrain lambskin and filled with 128 leaves of its thin, gilt-edged, pale blue Featherweight paper. Smythson lists it at 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in), made in England, in our top $$$$ band (over $75).
On this page10 sections
The Panama Notebook in Navy, drawn to scale from Smythson's 9 × 14 cm.
Crossgrain lambskin cover; gilt-edged pale blue Featherweight paper
Price range
$$$$over $75 per notebook
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Notes on these facts
Made by Smythson of Bond Street (London). Made in United Kingdom: Smythson's US product page for the Navy Panama Notebook says Made in England, and describes it as handcrafted in England. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Smythson lists the Panama Notebook at W9 × H14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in), about the size of a Field Notes memo book.
Each book holds 128 leaves of Smythson's gilt-edged, pale blue Featherweight paper.
On October 22, 2026 Smythson's US store listed it at US$90 and its UK store at £60 (about US$79), our $$$$ band.
The crossgrain Panama leather is named after the Panama diary, which Smythson says Frank Smythson designed in 1908.
Smythson's product page says the notebook is made in England.
What is the Smythson Panama Notebook?
It is Smythson’s classic pocket notebook: a soft crossgrain lambskin cover around 128 leaves of thin, pale blue Featherweight paper with gilt edges. Smythson, the London stationer on Bond Street, calls it lightweight, portable and a natural gift or travel companion.
The name comes from the leather. Smythson says its Panama crossgrain borrows the texture of the Panama diary that Frank Smythson designed in 1908, and it now covers a family of diaries and notebooks.
Smythson Panama Notebook specs
Spec
Panama Notebook
Size
W9 × H14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 in)
Pages
128 leaves (256 sides)
Paper
Featherweight, pale blue, gilt-edged
Cover
Crossgrain lambskin (Panama leather)
Product code
1204770 (Navy), 1204764 (Black)
Price, Smythson US store
US$90 (October 22, 2026)
Price, Smythson UK store
£60 (about US$79)
Made in
England
Everything above is from Smythson’s own product pages and store data, which we read on October 22, 2026. Smythson doesn’t publish a weight, a paper weight in g/m² or a ruling pitch.
How big is it?
At 9 × 14 cm, it is a true pocket book, the same footprint as a Field Notes memo book.Field Notes Original Kraft books measure 89 × 140 mm, so the Panama would slip into the same jacket pocket, but it is bound in leather with many more pages.
The Panama sits between Smythson's slim Wafer and its desk-size Portobello.
Smythson sells the same leather in other sizes. Its pages list the Wafer Notebook at 7 × 10.5 cm with 96 pages and the Portobello at 21 × 26 cm with 192 leaves, so the Panama is the middle, everyday size.
What is Featherweight paper like?
Featherweight is Smythson’s thin, pale blue house paper, cut with gilt edges. Thin paper is what lets 128 leaves fit in a book that still bends in the hand, and the gilt edges protect the page block and give the closed book its gold line.
Smythson doesn’t give a g/m² figure, so we can’t compare it by weight with other thin papers such as Tomoe River. Thin sheets generally show more of the writing on the reverse, which matters if you use wet fountain pens.
Is it worth the price?
It is a luxury object first: at US$90 on Smythson’s US store, it costs several times a Moleskine for fewer, smaller pages. What you get is lambskin, gilt edges, English manufacture, a gift box and the option of foil-stamped initials.
If you want a pocket notebook to fill quickly and replace, a Leuchtturm1917 Pocket or Field Notes is the practical choice. If you want one book to carry for years as a wallet-like object, the Panama is built for that.
Smythson Panama
Leuchtturm1917 Pocket
Field Notes Original
Size
90 × 140 mm (3.5 × 5.5 in)
90 × 150 mm (3.5 × 5.9 in)
89 × 140 mm (3.5 × 5.5 in)
Pages
128 leaves
187 numbered pages
48 pages
Cover
Lambskin
Hardcover
Kraft card
Price band
$$$$
$$
$
Leuchtturm1917 and Field Notes figures come from their guides.
What colors and editions are there?
Smythson sells the plain Panama Notebook in colors such as Navy, Black, Forest and Slate Green, plus titled and printed editions. Titled versions such as Make It Happen or Travels and Experiences use the same format.
Smythson also lists metallic and Mara leather versions at higher prices. Because special editions sometimes differ in paper or page count, check each listing.
Where is the Smythson Panama Notebook made?
In England: Smythson’s product page says Made in England and describes the notebook as handcrafted in England. Smythson itself is a British company based in London.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Smythson Panama Notebook?
Smythson lists it at 9 cm wide and 14 cm tall (3.5 × 5.5 in). That is a pocket size, close to a Field Notes memo book and a little narrower than an A6 notebook.
How many pages does a Smythson Panama Notebook have?
Smythson lists 128 leaves of Featherweight paper. A leaf is one sheet, so that is 256 page sides.
What is Smythson Featherweight paper?
It is Smythson's own thin, pale blue writing paper, used across its diaries and notebooks. Smythson describes it in the Panama Notebook as gilt-edged and pale blue; it doesn't publish a paper weight.
Why is the Smythson notebook so expensive?
You pay for a lambskin binding, gilt edges and English manufacture. At US$90 on Smythson's US store on October 22, 2026, it sits in our $$$$ band, several times the price of a Moleskine.
Can you personalize a Smythson Panama Notebook?
Yes. Smythson offers hand-stamped initials, text or motifs in metallic foil on its product pages; personalized items can't be returned.
Is the Smythson Panama Notebook lined or plain?
Smythson tags the Navy Panama Notebook as lined, and its Blank Canvas Panama edition is described with ruled Featherweight paper. Check the listing, since special editions vary.
Is the Smythson Panama Notebook made in the USA?
No. Smythson's product page says it is made in England.
