Shiranami 6-Ring Leather Binder (Bible Size)

Shiranami is a PLOTTER US Exclusive leather developed for the Japan Blue Project, paying homage to the history of Japanese indigo dye and the artistic style of Hokusai’s “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji”. “Shiranami” translates to “white-crested waves” – the foamy white edges of turbulent waves at sea that create a stunning and dramatic view. This color hue is inspired by the famous indigo color that is utilized in Japan since the Asuka Period (710-794). Japan Blue Project seeks to share this quintessential color identity of Japan with customers globally.

PLOTTER collaborated with a long-established tannery in Himeji to produce “Shiranami Leather”, a leather dyed with natural indigo with a tasteful expression. The leather is infused with a generous amount of white tax. The white waxy bloom on the surface of the leather represents the foamy waves, which gain luster the more you age it. Just like waves, the white wax blooms recede with use, and a hidden indigo-dyed blue surfaces over time.

The edge of Shiranami leather is untreated so you can see the gradation of which the indigo dye penetrates the pale material of undyed leather. This is a unique expression that we preserve as a homage to the process of “Aizome” (indigo dye). Bible Size is the iconic standard size for personal organizers that holds all you need in one convenient place. It is compact and fits comfortably in your palm for easy access to writing and recording notes.

Point 1: Lays flat and open to more than 180 degrees, so it is flexible and easy to use in any environment.

Point 2: The 11mm (0.4") rings hold just the necessary amount of pages that are most important to your project, and hardly get in the way of writing and use.

Some people enjoy the contours of the leather against ring hardware as the leather becomes supple over time. However, we recommend using a Leather Ring Supporter if you want to slow down that effect. 

Specifications

Color / Shiranami Blue
Material / Steer (cowhide)
Binder / 6-hole KRAUSE ring .4" diameter copper (silver)
Backplate/ Brass (matte silver)
Body Size / H7" × W4.5" × D.6" (180mm x 115mm x 15mm)
Country of origin / Made in Japan
Number of sheets stored / Approximately 80 sheets of DP paper

Note: The backplate is made of brass and plated with matte silver color. Plating may come off due to friction and will exhibit the natural oxidation and discoloration of the brass material. Please enjoy the natural aging of the brass characteristic alongside the leather. We recommend inserting no more than 80 pages of PLOTTER original DP refill paper or 50 pages of Blue Paper refill to ensure the longevity and functionality of the hardware.

WARNING: California’s Proposition 65

Japanese Indigo-dyeing technique

Shiranami leather is a new leather type developed by PLOTTER in conjunction with a historic tannery in Himeji, an area known for its expertise in leather. It features a leather expression unique to PLOTTER – indigo-dyed leather with white wax bloom. The white, waxy surface represents the foamy waves, which gain luster with use. When you cut through a piece of indigo-dyed leather, you’ll also glimpse its white core – this is a special characteristic that allows the leather to showcase the indigo blue on the canvas of the leather’s white base.

Heritage tannery in Himeji 

PLOTTER worked with a heritage tannery in Himeji to create Shiranami Leather. The tannery’s 100-year-long history and technology enabled them to apply “Aizome” to leather, a dyeing process using natural indigo. Starting with a special tannin-tanned pure white leather designed exclusively for Indigo dye, each piece of leather is then dyed with natural indigo and vegetable oil. In the last step, the leather is infused with a generous amount of white wax from the leather core to the surface.

Inspired by Japan Blue 

This color hue is inspired by the famous indigo color that has been utilized in Japan since the Asuka Period (710-794). The usage of the color was so widespread that there was a time when Japan was dyed “all blue” with indigo. Irish-Greek-Japanese writer Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (later known as Koizumi Yakumo) was known for introducing the culture and literature of Japan to the rest of the world, and he dubbed indigo blue the iconic color of Japan when he first set foot in the country.

Shiranami, white-crested waves

Not only is the leather dyed with natural indigo, but it is also inspired by “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji” by Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. The signature piece “The Great Waves off Kanagawa” depicts the turbulent, white-crested waves which dominate the scene, whilst Mt. Fuji poses quietly in the background. In Japanese, these crashing waves are called “shiranami.”

The charm of leather and the variation of indigo dye

Leather is a natural material from animals, so it has individual differences and flavors that cannot be found in man-made products. The expression of leather is not uniform due to blood vessels, small scratches, linear wrinkles, or uneven color bands while undergoing processing. This is not a defective product, but a sign of real leather. PLOTTER retains the individual differences of leather to show the charm of leather. Due to the nature of the indigo dye and the degree of dye penetration based on different parts of the leather, there may be color variance in the leather expression per batch. Please enjoy the individuality of Shiranami Leather and the appeal of indigo dye.

PLOTTER Bible Size – A compact personal organizer

The Bible size is one of the iconic dimensions in the personal organizer category used around the world. Because it is a practical size to carry around, some consider it a nice “personal” size for everyday use. It doesn’t take up too much space on your desktop and is portable from room to room. This compact size is recommended for schedule planning across different projects if you pair it with PLOTTER Schedule Refills. The personal size also makes it a convenient commonplace notebook for notes or reflective journaling while you are on the go. 

Measurements

Leather Binder Dimension: 4.5” (width) x 7” (height) x 0.6” (depth) / 115mm x 180mm x 15mm

Ring dimension: 0.4” (11mm)

Recommended capacity: 80 sheets of PLOTTER Refill Memo Pad (DP Paper)

Refill Memo Pad Dimension: 3.7” (width) x 6.7” (height) / 95mm x 170mm