Paper
The best B6 notebooks for fountain pens
B6 is the size between a pocket book and an A5 journal. It is also a label that covers at least three different page sizes, depending on whose notebook you buy.
How this page is funded. Buying through a link here earns us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend or the order we recommend it in, and we have not hands-on tested these products — see how we choose and the full disclosure.
B6 is the size people arrive at after trying both of its neighbors. A pocket notebook turned out to be too small to write a real entry in; an A5 journal turned out to be too big to carry every day. B6 sits between them, and for a daily log or a travel journal it is often the size that sticks.
It is also the size where labels are least reliable. Buying a B6 notebook sounds like buying a known quantity, and on the shelf it is not - which matters far more once you own a cover, a planner system or a set of refills that have to match.
What B6 actually measures on the shelf
We pulled the dimensions each maker publishes on its own listing for every notebook on this page. They do not agree, and the disagreement is the most useful thing to know before you buy.
| Notebook | Size as published | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Tomoe River FP Notebook B6 | 182 x 128 mm (7.17 x 5.04 in) | The size three makers here agree on |
| Stalogy 365 Days Notebook B6 | 182 x 128 mm (7.2 x 5.0 in) | The same size, rounded differently |
| Hobonichi Fireside Chat B6 | 7.17 x 5.04 in | The same size again, in inches only |
| LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ | 125 x 190 mm (about 4.8 x 7.5 in) | Taller and slightly narrower - LEUCHTTURM's own size, not B6 |
| Kokuyo Penott B6 | 4.1 x 7.2 in | Listed as B6 but more than 0.9 in narrower than the others |
Three of the five agree on 182 by 128 mm, so that is the size most people mean by B6. LEUCHTTURM1917 is explicit that its B6+ is a different size, which is fair. Kokuyo's listing is the puzzle: it calls the notebook B6 and gives a width that would make it a distinctly narrow book. We cannot tell from the listing whether that is the real page or a listing error, and we are not going to guess.
The practical rule: when size matters - a cover, a planner insert, a shelf of matching journals - buy on the millimeter figure, never on the letter. The notebook sizes guide explains how the B series relates to A5 and A6 in principle; this table is what the products actually are.
How we ranked these
- Published paper specification first. Two of these five publish a paper weight. The rest publish a size and a page count and leave the paper to trust. For a fountain pen, the paper is the whole purchase.
- Binding second. A small page that will not lie flat loses a large share of its writing area to the gutter. Thread-sewn binding, or rings that fold back, earn real credit at this size.
- A size that matches the label. A notebook that publishes true B6 dimensions will fit B6 covers and inserts. One that does not is a separate decision, and we say which is which.
- Page count, as a practical measure of how long the book lasts at the daily-log pace B6 is usually bought for.
- No hands-on testing. As everywhere on this site, nothing below is based on writing tests of our own; it is published specification, cited, and the arithmetic on it.
The notebooks
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid 68 gsm Tomoe River FP paper, thread-sewn to lie flat, with every figure that matters published on the listing. | The best-documented B6 notebook we found | $19.10 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
| 2 |  LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted The LEUCHTTURM1917 feature set in a light softcover - but at 125 x 190 mm it is a taller, narrower size than the B6 other makers publish. | Numbered pages and an index, one size up from B6 | $20.50 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
| 3 |  Stalogy 365 Days Notebook B6 A thin-paper daily notebook with a full year of dated grid pages in a book you can still carry. | One book for a whole year | $23.89 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
| 4 |  Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph Soft rubber rings, a plastic front cover and 140 pages of graph paper for the least money on this page - with a listed size that does not match other B6 notebooks. | A B6 that folds back on itself, for writing standing up | |
| 5 |  Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid A slim 80-page dot grid notebook in true B6, sold as an accessory to Hobonichi's Techo planner range. | A slim true-B6 notebook from a planner maker | $15.00 · View on Amazon #ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded |
1. The best-documented B6 notebook we found
Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid
68 gsm Tomoe River FP paper, thread-sewn to lie flat, with every figure that matters published on the listing.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded
Almost nothing about this notebook is left to trust. The listing states the paper, the grade, the exact dimensions, the sheet count, the ruling and the binding, which puts it ahead of every other B6 we looked at.
It is worth reading the weight carefully: 68 gsm. The Tomoe River FP notebook this site covers at A5 publishes 52 g/m2, so this is a heavier grade of the same paper family rather than the famously thin one. The maker does not explain the difference, and we are not going to guess at it - the Tomoe River profile covers what the thin grade does.
The sub-dot grid is a detail with a stated purpose: the maker says printing lines as dots evens out ink absorption where the nib crosses them. That is a claim rather than a measurement, and we are recording it as one.
| Paper | 68 gsm SANZEN Tomoe River FP paper, whiteSource: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
|---|---|
| Size | 182 x 128 mm (7.17" x 5.04")Source: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Extent | 160 pages (80 sheets)Source: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Ruling | 5 mm square grid in light indigo, printed as microscopic sub-dotsSource: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Binding | Thread-sewn, lays flatSource: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Cover | Flexible matte black soft coverSource: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Made by | SANZEN, in Japan; described by the listing as successor to Tomoegawa's original Tomoe River FP paperSource: Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
What it does well
- Paper, dimensions, extent and binding all published
- Thread-sewn, and stated to lie flat
- Paper designed specifically for fountain pens, per the maker
What it does not
- Soft cover offers little protection in a bag
- Grid only on this listing; the unruled version publishes almost nothing
- 68 gsm, not the 52 g/m2 grade the Tomoe River name is best known for
Skip this if you specifically want the famously thin 52 g/m2 Tomoe River. This listing states 68 gsm, and the A5 FP notebook is the one that publishes the thin grade.
2. Numbered pages and an index, one size up from B6
LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted
The LEUCHTTURM1917 feature set in a light softcover - but at 125 x 190 mm it is a taller, narrower size than the B6 other makers publish.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded
The plus sign is the specification to notice. LEUCHTTURM publishes 125 x 190 mm for B6+, while the Tomoe River, Stalogy and Hobonichi B6 notebooks on this page each publish 182 x 128 mm. The B6+ page is taller and slightly narrower - a different shape, not just a different brand.
That matters twice: it changes how the page feels to write on, and it means a cover cut for standard B6 is unlikely to fit it.
Everything else is the familiar LEUCHTTURM1917 book: numbered pages, a contents page, two ribbons and a rear pocket, with 80 g/m2 published. That is a moderate weight - comfortable with a fine nib, likely to show through with a wet medium, which is the same story as the A6 pocket version.
| Paper weight | 80 g/m2, acid-free, FSC certified MIXSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
|---|---|
| Size | Approximately 4.8" x 7.5" (125 x 190 mm)Source: LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Extent | 123 numbered pages, 8 perforated detachable sheetsSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Binding | Thread-bound, opens flatSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Fittings | Blank table of contents, gusseted back pocket, two ribbon markers, elastic closure, labeling stickersSource: LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
What it does well
- Publishes 80 g/m2, where the A5 listing publishes nothing
- Numbered pages and an index built in
- Softcover keeps it light for a size meant to be carried
What it does not
- B6+ is not B6, so a cover cut for standard B6 is unlikely to fit
- 80 gsm is moderate; a wet nib will show through
- 123 pages, against 160 in the thread-sewn Tomoe River B6
Skip this if you already own a B6 cover or planner system. The size does not match, and the [notebook sizes guide](/guides/notebook-sizes-explained) is worth reading before you buy into either.
3. One book for a whole year
Stalogy 365 Days Notebook B6
A thin-paper daily notebook with a full year of dated grid pages in a book you can still carry.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded
The idea is a single book for a year: thin paper, high page count, and a date grid printed at the top of every page so you do not have to write one.
Stalogy does not publish a weight, and the buyer feedback on its own listing is openly divided on bleed-through — some inks are fine, some are not. That division is what thin paper looks like when it is well made but still thin.
Ghosting is guaranteed. Whether it bothers you is a matter of taste, and some people like it.
| Format | B6, 365 Days NotebookSource: Stalogy 365 Days Notebook, B6 squared (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Paper weight | Not published |
| Ruling | Grid, with date and time markers printed on each pageSource: Stalogy 365 Days Notebook, B6 slim, squared (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Also available | A5, A6 and B5 in the same formatSource: Stalogy 365 Days Notebook, A5 (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- A full year in one carryable book
- Date grid printed on every page
- Several sizes in the same format
What it does not
- No published paper weight
- Bleed-through reports are genuinely mixed
- Ghosting is unavoidable at this thickness
Skip this if show-through bothers you, or if you want to use a broad nib every day.
4. A B6 that folds back on itself, for writing standing up
Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph
Soft rubber rings, a plastic front cover and 140 pages of graph paper for the least money on this page - with a listed size that does not match other B6 notebooks.
Start with the size, because it is the odd one. The listing calls this B6 and gives 4.1 by 7.2 inches. Three other B6 notebooks on this page publish 5.04 inches wide. We cannot tell from the listing whether the page really is that narrow or the figure is a listing error, so if width matters to you, check before you buy.
The rings are the reason to consider it. Rubber rings do not snag a bag or dig into your hand, and a ring binding is the only one that folds completely back - which at B6 means writing one-handed, standing up, holding the book in the other hand.
Kokuyo claims the paper is bleed-resistant and suitable for fountain pens but publishes no weight, so the claim is a claim. The kind of paper Kokuyo makes is covered on the B5 notebook page, where its Campus books appear.
| Size | Listed as B6, 4.1" x 7.2"Source: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
|---|---|
| Extent | 70 double-sided sheets (140 pages)Source: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Ruling | 5 mm graphSource: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Binding | Flexible rubber rings; folds back 360 degreesSource: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Cover | PVC plastic front cover, kraft board back, elastic bandSource: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Maker's pen claim | Bleed-resistant paper, stated suitable for fountain pens, markers and highlightersSource: Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Paper weight | Not published |
What it does well
- The least expensive notebook on this page
- Folds completely flat and back on itself
- 140 pages, second only to the Tomoe River B6 among the undated notebooks here
What it does not
- Listed dimensions do not match other B6 notebooks
- No paper weight published
- Rings obstruct one side of every spread
Skip this if you want the book to look like a journal on a shelf. A plastic-covered ring notebook is a working tool, and the thread-sewn Tomoe River B6 is the one to keep.
5. A slim true-B6 notebook from a planner maker
Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid
A slim 80-page dot grid notebook in true B6, sold as an accessory to Hobonichi's Techo planner range.
#ad Price as of October 18, 2026. How this is funded
The listing gives the size, the page count and a thickness of 0.12 inches - and nothing about the paper at all. It is sold as a Techo accessory, but the listing does not say what paper this notebook uses, so we do not say it either.
What the dimensions do establish is useful: 5.04 by 7.17 inches is the same 182 x 128 mm that Tomoe River and Stalogy publish, so this is true B6 rather than one of the near-B6 sizes elsewhere on this page.
Eighty pages at an eighth of an inch thick is an insert, not a journal. Think of it as a refill you rotate rather than a book you keep for a year.
| Size | 5.04" x 7.17" (B6)Source: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
|---|---|
| Extent | 80 pagesSource: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Thickness | 0.12"Source: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Ruling | Dot gridSource: Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16) |
| Paper weight | Not published |
| Paper stock | Not published |
What it does well
- True B6 dimensions, published
- Published thickness of 0.12 inches, so it adds little bulk
- Sold under the maker's own name
What it does not
- No paper weight or stock published
- 80 pages fills quickly
- No binding detail published
Skip this if you want to know what you are writing on before you buy. Nothing about the paper is published, and the Tomoe River B6 above publishes all of it for a similar price.
B6 against A5
This is the comparison most buyers are actually making, so it is worth putting numbers on it rather than calling one bigger.
TheAntiq's cover listing gives the LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5 as 5.75 by 8.25 inches. A true B6 at 7.17 by 5.04 inches is about 0.7 inches narrower and just over an inch shorter. Multiply it out and a B6 page gives you roughly three quarters of that A5's writing area, in a book that fits a coat pocket where the A5 needs a bag.
| If you mostly write | Choose | Because |
|---|---|---|
| A daily log, lists, short entries | B6 | Three quarters of the page area in a book you will actually carry. |
| Travel notes on the move | B6 | Small enough to write in holding it, big enough for a full day's entry. |
| Long-form prose at a desk | A5 | The extra quarter of page area is the difference between a paragraph and a page. |
| With a broad nib | A5 | A wide line eats a small page quickly; a narrow nib keeps B6 usable. |
If you are undecided, the honest tiebreaker is where the notebook will live. A book that stays on a desk should be A5 or larger; the journals for writing page covers that case. A book that goes out of the door every day is where B6 earns its place.
Buying a cover for a B6 notebook
Covers are where the size inconsistency above stops being a curiosity and starts costing money. A cover is cut to a specific block of paper, and a few millimeters in the wrong direction is the difference between a book that closes and one that does not.
- Find the cover's stated inner size, in millimeters, before anything else. A cover listed only as B6 has told you less than it appears to.
- Match it to the notebook's published figure. A cover cut for 182 by 128 mm will take the Tomoe River, Stalogy or Hobonichi notebooks on this page. It is unlikely to take a LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+, which is 8 mm taller at 190 mm.
- Check thickness as well as height and width. The Hobonichi notebook publishes 0.12 inches; the Stalogy publishes 0.5 inches. A cover built around a slim insert will not close on a year-long book.
- Treat the Kokuyo as its own format. Its listed width does not match the others, and it has a plastic cover of its own in any case.
The refillable approach this site recommends for leather covers applies here too - buy the paper you can verify and put the cover around it. The leather journals page explains why that beats a bound journal whose paper nobody names.
What to write with on a B6 page
Page size and nib width are more connected than most notebook advice admits. A 5-inch-wide page holds noticeably fewer words per line than an A5, and a broad nib makes that worse on every line you write.
A fine or extra-fine nib is the natural partner for B6, and a Japanese fine in particular - a Japanese grade runs roughly one step narrower than a Western one, which the nib size guide works through. Narrower also means less ink on the page, which helps on any paper at this size.
And because B6 notebooks tend to be written in on the move, a pen that caps securely matters as much as the nib. A screw cap or a cap with a proper seal is what keeps a pen carried with a small notebook from drying out or working loose.
Ruling at B6
Grid and dot grid dominate this size, and that is not an accident. On a small page, a fine grid guides handwriting without committing you to a line height, and it squares up the lists, tables and quick sketches that make up a lot of daily-log writing.
All five notebooks here are grid or dot grid. If you want ruled lines at B6, the Life, Tsubame and Maruman notebooks in the section below come ruled, though none of them publishes a paper weight. The dot grid roundup covers why grid suits a small page.
What we left out, and why
Several B6 notebooks came up in our search and did not make the list. Being specific about why is more useful than pretending the list is complete.
- Life Noble Note B6. A well-regarded Japanese notebook whose B6 listing publishes no paper weight, dimensions or binding detail at all. The A5 sibling appears elsewhere on this site with the same gap marked.
- Tsubame Notebook B6. Its listing describes the size as B6 modified and gives a sheet count, and nothing else. That is another data point for the size table above, and not enough to recommend.
- Maruman Mnemosyne B6 spiral. It lists 5.04 by 7.17 inches, so it is true B6, but the B6 listing publishes no paper weight and it was backordered when we checked.
- Midori ring notebook, B6. Listed as B6 deformation, which signals a modified rather than a standard B6 size.
- Other LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ colorways. Several B6+ softcover listings returned no offer when we checked. The one on this page was in stock.
Questions people actually ask
What size is a B6 notebook?
Most commonly 182 by 128 mm, or about 7.17 by 5.04 inches - the size the Tomoe River, Stalogy and Hobonichi B6 notebooks on this page all publish. Not every notebook sold as B6 matches it, so buy on the published millimeter figure rather than the label.
Is B6 bigger than A5?
No, smaller. A true B6 is about 0.7 inches narrower and just over an inch shorter than a LEUCHTTURM1917 Medium A5, which works out to roughly three quarters of the A5's writing area.
Is B6+ the same as B6?
No. LEUCHTTURM1917 publishes 125 by 190 mm for its B6+, which is taller and slightly narrower than the 182 by 128 mm other makers publish for B6. A cover cut for standard B6 is unlikely to fit a B6+ notebook.
What is the best B6 notebook for fountain pens?
The Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, on published specification. Its listing states 68 gsm Tomoe River FP paper designed for fountain pens, true B6 dimensions, 160 pages and a thread-sewn binding that lies flat.
What is a B6 notebook good for?
Daily logs, lists, short journal entries and travel notes - writing that happens away from a desk. It gives roughly three quarters of an A5's page area in a book small enough to carry every day, but it is cramped for long-form prose.
Will a B6 cover fit my notebook?
Only if the cover's inner size matches the notebook's published dimensions. Check both in millimeters, and check thickness too: a cover built around a thin insert will not close on a thick year-long book.
Sources
- Tomoe River FP Notebook B6, square grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16)
- LEUCHTTURM1917 B6+ softcover, dotted (retail listing, read 2026-09-16)
- Stalogy 365 Days Notebook, B6 squared (retail listing, read 2026-09-16)
- Hobonichi Fireside Chat Notebook B6, dot grid (retail listing, read 2026-09-16)
- Kokuyo Penott B6 soft ring notebook, graph (retail listing, read 2026-09-16)
- TheAntiq A5 leather journal cover (retail listing, read 2026-09-13)