FAQ

TAKAFA is a luxury house designing handcrafted leather journals, notebooks and bookmarks, made in Italy and rooted in the heritage of Al-Andalus. Founded in 2024 in London, with the ambition to bridge Mediterranean cultural heritage and contemporary Italian craft.

Takafa comes from the Arabic word ثقافة, meaning culture, not as an abstract concept, but as something lived, tangible and passed on through everyday objects.

TAKAFA Ltd is registered in London (3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom), with all leather goods handcrafted in Italy by master artisans.

We currently produce two collections of handcrafted leather journals and matching bookmarks: The Originals (full-grain Bos Taurus leather, in Black, Cream and Burgundy) and Al Andalus Garden (Italian nubuck leather, in Zeytun, Ruman and Burtuqal).

All TAKAFA notebooks are A5 format (15.3 × 21.5 cm) with 189 numbered pages. The Originals weigh 368 g; the Al Andalus Garden weighs 358 g.

TAKAFA leather bookmarks measure 3 × 15 cm and are designed to match their respective notebook collections.

Each TAKAFA notebook features 189 numbered pages of FSC® certified Italian ivory paper, a built-in table of contents, a woven inner pocket sewn into the back cover, a debossed Takafa metallic emblem, a hand-stitched lay-flat binding and a 5° curved top edge.

The Originals collection uses 100% full-grain Bos Taurus leather with a smooth pigment-tanned finish. The Al Andalus Garden collection uses 100% Italian nubuck leather (full-grain buffed to a velvety surface). All leather is REACH compliant and sourced as a by-product of the European food industry.

All TAKAFA notebooks use ivory-toned Italian paper that is FSC® certified, chlorine-free, biodegradable and dense enough to resist bleed-through with fountain pens, rollerballs and ballpoints.

Every TAKAFA leather notebook and bookmark is entirely handcrafted in Italy by master artisans, from tanning and stitching to debossing and finishing.

Yes. The leather is sourced as a by-product of the food industry (no animals are raised for leather), tanned under REACH-compliant standards, and the paper is FSC® certified from responsibly managed forests, chlorine-free and biodegradable.

Al-Andalus refers to the Muslim-ruled part of the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492 CE. Renowned for its gardens, orchards, manuscript culture and Mediterranean scholarship, Al-Andalus was one of the most influential cultural centres of the medieval world. The Al Andalus Garden collection honours that heritage in its motifs, names and colour palette.

They are Arabic names of fruits cultivated in the orchards of medieval Andalusia: Zeytun means olive, Ruman means pomegranate, and Burtuqal means orange.

Yes. TAKAFA ships to the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and many other countries. Shipping rates and times are calculated at checkout based on your destination.

We offer 30-day free returns on all TAKAFA products. Items must be returned unused, in their original Takafa packaging.

UK delivery is typically completed within 48 hours via tracked fast shipping. International delivery times vary by destination and are confirmed at checkout.

Keep your notebook away from direct sunlight, heat sources and humidity. Wipe occasionally with a soft, dry cloth. A neutral leather balm can be applied a few times a year to maintain suppleness. Full-grain leather develops a unique patina with use, this is part of its character.

Yes. The dense, silky Italian ivory paper has been selected for its smooth feel and resistance to bleed-through with fountain pens, rollerballs and ballpoints.

Yes. Every TAKAFA notebook and bookmark is delivered in a Takafa signature drawer gift box wrapped in a natural linen pouch, no additional wrapping required.

We offer corporate gifting and bespoke options for businesses. Please see our Corporate Gifting page or contact customercare@takafa.com.

Yes. TAKAFA partners with carefully selected retailers worldwide. Please visit our Wholesale Partners page.

Yes. TAKAFA offers a corporate gifting programme including bespoke debossing and bulk orders. Details on our Corporate Gifting page or contact customercare@takafa.com.

For all enquiries, email customercare@takafa.com or visit our Contact page. Press enquiries: see our Press page. Registered office: TAKAFA Ltd, 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, United Kingdom.