I am really excited to reach the finish line of launching the new BK Original Notebook Cover “Alchemist”. The idea has been in the making for a long time, but really gained momentum in the last six months or so. Frido and I sensed that the world was entering a very uncertain time, and our question was, “How can we be there for BK friends and families when they need us the most?” We wanted to make sure that we are in alignment with “why, what, and how” of Baum-kuchen to continue supporting our community
I have always wanted Baum-kuchen to be an oasis for all of us, no matter what is going on outside our four walls (both physically and virtually), where everyone who walks into our little world feels seen, fully and exactly for who they are. I feel that the quiet mission is ever more so important today. So when we decided to go into small-batch production of our original leather artifacts, I leaned on Frido’s design expertise to find the perfect balance in an artifact that holds a calm yet sturdy spirit. The result is the most minimal notebook cover on the surface, with many hands-on finishes involved in making it. These details might be noticeable only when you pick it up and trace the edges where the two leather pieces meet, or when you look closely at small details, such as where the stitching begins and ends. We also intentionally chose to keep natural markings like scars, blemishes, and wrinkles, as well as leather-tanning production and handling marks that inevitably happen before the hide reaches our studio in California. We want to be diligent in respecting leather as an organic material, and we feel that minimizing production waste is extremely important as we participate in the broader leather industry ecosystem. As a result, no two notebook covers are the same in the way that the leather character is manifested. With use and individual contexts (like how dry your hands are or how humid your location might be), the cover's personality will evolve even more as part of the aging and patina process, making the cover you hold uniquely yours over many years.
The name “Alchemist” was chosen towards the end of our design/production process. Frido and I have often told our kids, “Word has power,” in many parenting moments. I feel the same whenever I have the honor to look for a word or phrase to represent the artifact we love so much. Sometimes a word pops in my head like a spark, and some other times, it slowly emerges like a spring of water. Initially, I had the idea of naming it with a Japanese word. But when I was holding the first round of prototypes a few months ago, the word “alchemist” came to my mind. I loved the book “The Alchemist” and wrote about it in my earlier Substack story. Here is a small portion of what I wrote back in July 2024.
"The Alchemist book had many beautiful wisdoms embedded within the story. Towards the end, I especially loved watching Santiago learn to become very quiet so he could listen to his heart’s voice and discover these signs unfolding in front of him.
“How can I listen to my heart’s voice?”
This will be a question I will be embodying today and tomorrow."
Now that I just reread the Substack story (it’s my first time reading it after I shared it back then), it makes total sense. I would love the cover to be a quiet container so we can listen to our heart’s voice when we open the cover. I am also drawn to the idea of becoming an alchemist - someone who can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, and I believe we all can be unique alchemists in our lives.
I just finished checking and packaging the first round of covers Frido has created so far, carefully reviewing every detail. A word has power, and so does all of the gentle energy we folded while we were making these covers. As the last step of the production, I am embedding the intentions of all that I hope for in an artifact called “Alchemist,” as I tuck each one away in a fabric bag with a special BK logo.
May “Alchemist” offer a moment of pause to you… to inhale and exhale, leaving a ripple of calm that we all need to navigate every day.