Smythson

Gigantic flagship store. I visited here to get a passport cover for my dad. Staff was so kind and friendly.

I buy my diary at Smythson every year.
And by every year, I mean the last two years. You see, my husband happily surprised me by buying me the W1 in December 2013. At £295, it is Smythson’s most expensive diary, and you’d not be wrong for calling it excessive.
People all year long have commented on the loveliness of my diary, envious eyes spying its iconic blue featherlight paper and luxurious cobalt blue crocodile binding, wishing it were theirs. Sometimes even telling me they wished it were theirs.
It is an extravagant statement of outrageous wealth.
But my husband bought this diary for me specifically to use at work. As a manager of a team of 15 people, it has kept me more organised throughout 2014 than I ever have been. I get a full A4 page for each working day of the year, and I use the weekends for additional overflow notes from the week. My entire worklife is in this diary. It’s become an extension of me at work that I wouldn’t know what to do with myself without it. One time I worked from home and accidentally left my diary at work, trudging rudderless through my wasted working day.
The diary itself isn’t just a pretty statement object, though. The pages are Bible-​page thin, which means the diary is surprisingly light and flexible — allowing me to run from meeting to meeting throughout the day with ease, never feeling encumbered by a heavy day-​per-​page beast. Yet the pages take any of my fountain pens’ ink without bleeding, feathering or presenting any dry-​time issues, which means I can write in it with whichever pen takes my fancy (not something that can be said for all paper types, and if you’re a fountain pen user you’ll know what I mean).
So as 2014 came to a close, and I was nearing the end pages of my Smythson diary, I started looking at my options for next year. Aspinal, I thought. I went to check them out, and their diaries were like Porsches next to a Ferrari. Luxury stationers? I don’t think so. No, an Aspinal diary would never do. I halfheartedly perused the technicolour diaries at my local Paperchase but knew before even plucking one off the shelf that it would pale in comparison to my Smythson — setting me up for a year of bitter disappointment.
I turned to my husband and asked just one request for Christmas. A 2015 Smythson W1 diary. So we headed over to the Smythson shop on New Bond Street the next weekend. The shop itself? Like any other shop on New Bond Street. Expect to feel slightly unworthy unless you shop in high-​end boutique stores on the regular.
But even if you don’t have a big fat bank account, you too can shop in the Smythson store. You see, if you’re not quite as extravagant as me, you can get a pocket diary for as little as £29. My dad has got one every year since 1989, won over by Smythson’s quality and craftsmanship. He dropped 2002 in the toilet — as soon as it dried out on the radiator it was as good as new (allegedly, the story goes). I certainly won’t be trying that with mine…

Their seasonal collections appeal to me each and every time, read my review about @smythson

Smythson on Bond Street is an amazing shop. You will find a great range of small leather items, purses, wallets, keyrings, diaries, etc., and a great selection of stationery. They also sell all the old-​fashioned accessories that you won’t find anywhere else like travel escritoires, cufflink boxes and jewellery cabinets, made from the finest leather.
What I particularly like about Smythson is their ability to personalise virtually all of their items. They print your own letterhead, design your business cards and invitations and monogram your wallets and notebooks.
Admittedly, their prices are sometimes obscenely high, but it is still hard to resist buying. The staff is quite uptight, but I found them always extremely helpful and accommodating.
Highly recommended !

Boutique spécialisée dans les agendas de poches et de bureaux de luxe
Nombreux accessoires en cuir pour le bureau ou la maison.
Maison typique de l’artisanat anglais de luxe, very old fashion, établie depuis plus d’un siècle, c’est l’un des lieux forts de la tradition anglaise.
On peut trouver des agendas de poches à Paris chez Colette.
maj: rectifions ! chez Colette, ce né sont pas des agendas mais seuleument des carnets de notes, à 55 EUR quand même !

I really enjoy Smythson’s notebooks and diaries, especially the tactile feel of the fine leather and the light pale blue paper. Besides Greater London (including Heathrow), Smythson products are available online and at their New York City Store. And (gasp) occassionally (and carefully) you can obtain a good deal on ebay.
My annual splurge is to buy the Schott’s Miscellany Diary. This keeps me happy counting days and keeping up on interesting trivia.

I was already a stationery junkie for years before discovering Smythson’s I must admit, they truly are a cut above the rest. No matter what you buy, from anywhere in the world (and I am counting Florence) the paper will not be able to compare.
Their finish is flawless. I’ve been indulging and getting their agendas (diaries in england) for my mom every year. I’d get one for me too, but being a techno-​freak I just use my phone. At least it’s able to tell me i’m about to miss something! :)
My personal little dream is to one day print my wedding invitations there, and personal cartes visite. They really do know how to do their job! One time I was browsing, as I often do, and found this delicious little notebook named wedding planner. I took a picture of it and made a mental note to drop by if/​when my BF popped the question. He still hasn’t. But I still remember his face when he was casually flipping through my pics with me one afternoon!!! Hilarious!
I’d highly recommend their super-​light blue airmail paper and their agendas (diaries), but unless you have a black AmEx, (and an account to match) I’d steer clear of £350 travel wallets and £1000 jewelry boxes.
If nothing else, I can go to Greece twice for the price of the travel wallet, and £1000 does go quite far, even at Tiffany’s!
Have fun browsing, but as shopaholic says, beware they are truly irresistible!

A great location for upmarket gifts in the stationery/​small leather goods space. A traditional stationers (by royal appointment) that’s been going for years, they’ve recently managed to update their range so you can get some contemporary twists on passport holders, visitors books, diaries, baby books etc etc. These now come in bright pinks, greens & yellows, but you can still get your sober black leather with gold gilt edging if you want. Go to the back of the store and enter a bygone era of personalised stationery. Recall the golden age of Victorian Britain — get yourself a calling card or headed writing paper. With endless paper weights, colours, fonts & designs, you can stand out with your very own design. And sitting at the velvet draped tables with your very own consultant makes you feel very important!

Smythson is a fantastic place to buy high quality stationery and leather goods; nothing comes cheap but the design, look and feel are worth it…
I love their paper products, but my real weakness is around leather goods, especially their purses and travel products.
They have some fabulous handbags, and a brilliant travel wallet which I bought for my mum.
One of my favourites little gifts is their safari travel notebook, paper thin pages bound in gorgeous croc print leather. You will feel like an old fashion explorer!
Check out their greeting cards — there are truly a cut above the rest.
Beware, a visit could turn out costly!