Hobonichi Cover yuge fabric farm: Fish Scale Crest (A6)

The Hobonichi Techo A6 Cover from yuge fabric farm features the classic Uroko pattern – repeating triangles symbolizing fish scales – woven into vibrant yellow-white Kinran brocade. The fabric is a deadstock find from a factory in Hiroshima, rescued through the "Fabric Rescue" project of the Japanese craft shop yuge fabric farm. The robust polyester outer shell catches light in a subtle shimmer that gives the fabric its velvety sheen. The cover wraps the Hobonichi Techo A6 Original with 165 × 241 mm and lies flat in your hand with a 3 mm spine width.

Special Features

• Kinran brocade in Uroko pattern: The Uroko pattern of arranged triangles originates in ancient China and has been considered a protective symbol for centuries. The fabric's triangular structure is directly readable to the eye – the weaving depth is immediately apparent.
• Pen holder with clip hook: Inside sits a narrow hook that holds a pen at the clip. This keeps the cover closed and protects the pen from falling out.
• Two bookmarks, two formats: One bookmark ends with a triangular pendant, the other with a square one – both held in the binding material. This allows you to mark two different pages simultaneously, for example the current day in the daily calendar and the current week in the monthly overview.
• Interior pockets and card slots: The inside is lined in silver and features multiple slots for cards, notes, and papers – useful for business cards, receipts, or loose sheets.
• Security mechanism through pen loops: The two pen loops on the outside also serve as a closure – a simple but effective protection against accidental opening in your bag.
• Pattern placement varies: Since the brocade fabric is not cut to a fixed grid, the Uroko pattern on each cover is slightly different – no two copies are identical.

Application & Tips

• Pen selection: The clip hook is designed for pens with a clip. Rollerballs, fineliners, and slim fountain pens with clips fit securely; a pen without a clip can be inserted into the loops, but the hook won't hold it actively.
• Avoid Cover on Cover: According to manufacturer notes, the PVC material of a Cover on Cover reacts with the PU dye of the fabric – this can impair the color and quality of the cover. Therefore, it's better to avoid combining it with a Cover on Cover.
• Two-calendar system: If you use the Hobonichi Techo with monthly and daily pages, you can strategically use the two different bookmarks: the triangular pendant bookmark for the current day, the square one for the monthly overview – instant access without searching.
• Fit for thicker blocks: The cover is designed for A6 notebooks with a spine up to approximately 13 mm. Thinner notebooks fit loosely, thicker ones are still possible – the fit becomes tighter then.

For Techo Enthusiasts

Kinran (金襴) is a Japanese brocade in which paper-thin strips are coated with gold foil and used as weft threads – this creates the characteristic metallic sheen without actual metal threads. The fabric used here comes from a Hiroshima factory and was retrieved from storage through the "Fabric Rescue" project of yuge fabric farm. The Uroko pattern itself – uroko (鱗) means scale – is one of the oldest Japanese Wagara patterns: equilateral triangles arranged in rows symbolize renewal and protection. The pattern was considered a family crest of powerful feudal lords and has found its way from ancient China via kimonos to this A6 cover. Since the fabric is not cut to a fixed repeat grid, the pattern placement varies from cover to cover – a detail that brings joy when selecting the right copy at the store.

Technical Data