B6 Leather Journals

B6 Leather Journal Covers: the Size Between A6 and A5

B6 is the format people reach for when A6 runs out of line and A5 will not go in a jacket pocket. Every cover in this collection is cut from full-grain Crazy Horse leather, measures 5.3" × 7.7" (13.5 × 19.6 cm) closed, and holds the notebook on elastic bands so you keep the cover and replace the paper. Called a B6 journal cover in one shop and a B6 notebook cover in the next; put a dated insert on the bands and it is a B6 planner cover as well.

What Size Is B6? Dimensions in Inches, Centimeters and Millimeters

There is more than one B6, which is the single most common reason a notebook arrives and does not sit the way its owner expected. All three of these are called B6 by the brands that sell them:

• ISO B6 — 4.9" × 6.9", 12.5 × 17.6 cm, 125 × 176 mm. The European B6 and the one most paper suppliers mean.
• JIS B6 — 5.0" × 7.2", 12.8 × 18.2 cm, 128 × 182 mm. The Japanese standard, 3 mm wider and 6 mm taller than ISO. Kokuyo Campus and most Japanese B6 notebooks use it.
• B6+ / Paperback — 4.9" × 7.5", 12.5 × 19 cm, 125 × 190 mm. Leuchtturm1917’s own stretched B6, the same width as ISO but 14 mm taller.
• The Asperaria B6 cover — 5.3" × 7.7", 13.5 × 19.6 cm, 135 × 196 mm, measured closed. Cut to clear the tallest of the three.

Because the cover is cut for B6+, all three fit. An ISO B6 leaves about 1 cm of leather above and below the page; a B6+ leaves about 0.3 cm at each end. The cover figure is the leather, not the paper — a notebook is always smaller than the cover it goes into.

Is B6 the Same as A5? Is B6 Bigger Than A6?

No to the first, yes to the second. B6 sits between the two, which is exactly why it exists:

• A6 — 4.1" × 5.8" (10.5 × 14.8 cm). B6 is about 2 cm wider and 3 cm taller. See A6 leather journals.
• B6 Slim — 4.25" × 7" (10.8 × 17.9 cm). A narrow B6 such as the Midori MD B6 Slim. See B6 Slim leather journals.
• B6 (ISO) — 4.9" × 6.9" (12.5 × 17.6 cm).
• A5 — 5.8" × 8.3" (14.8 × 21 cm). A5 is about 2 cm wider and 3 cm taller than B6. See A5 leather journals.
• B5 — 6.9" × 9.8" (17.6 × 25 cm), the next B size up. See B5 leather journals.

In page area B6 is roughly 40% larger than A6 and roughly 30% smaller than A5. It is the size that fits a coat pocket but still takes a full sentence per line.

What Fits a B6 Leather Notebook Cover

• Leuchtturm1917 Paperback B6+ — 125 × 190 mm. The tallest B6 on sale and the size this cover is cut for.
• Kokuyo Campus B6 — 128 × 182 mm, JIS.
• Stalogy 365Days B6 and other Japanese B6 notebooks — JIS B6 or a millimeter or two under it.
• Any ISO B6 notebook — 125 × 176 mm, with room to spare.
• B6 Slim — narrower than standard B6. It fits, but it will shift sideways on the elastics; pair it with a second booklet to hold it steady, or use the B6 Slim cover, cut 7 mm narrower.

Two or three booklets can run at once on the elastic bands. If you are unsure, measure the notebook rather than trusting the letter printed on it.

B6 as a Refillable Setup

The cover is the thing you keep. When a booklet is full you pull it off the elastics and put the next one on, which is what makes this a refillable rather than a bound journal.

• Notebook refills — B6 paper in lined, plain, colored and 250 gsm watercolor.
• Journal inserts and organizers — card slots, zip pouches and pen holders that ride on the same bands.
• Pen cases and pen holders — a holder clips onto the cover, a case travels on its own.
• Journal charms and bookmark clips — for marking the page and finishing the closure.

The B6 cover also works as a traveler’s notebook in a shorter, wider shape than the classic Regular size.

Every B6 cover here comes in one of two shapes. A bifold closes edge to edge like a book and is the slimmer one in a coat pocket; see bifold leather journals. A trifold has a flap that overlaps the front, with more room for cards and tickets; see trifold leather journals.

B6 in Six Leather Colors

Every B6 leather cover is cut from the same full-grain Crazy Horse hide in six colors. Black Onyx, Chestnut brown, Forest Green, Bordeaux burgundy, Cognac and Caramel. The whole range sits on the leather journals hub, and any of them can be personalized with laser engraving, heat stamping or gold and silver foil.