I have been using the Field Notes notebook for about 10 days and I finally bought a pencil sharpener and was able to test out the pencil, so I thought I would update my review.

My initial thought was I would like the soft cover, but I wondered how durable it would be. So far, no problems at all. It basically lives in my back pocket during the day and other than a few wrinkles, there has been no discernible wear at all. Two things that I thought were missing from the Field Notes, that I really liked about my Moleskines was the page marker and file folder built into the back cover. Those annoyances were easily overcome with the addition of a simple paper clip. I use it to mark my page and hold the odd bit paper or business cards I collect during the day. Since it is so easy to keep with me, I find that I am using it much more often than I thought I would.

I like the pencils too, but I did not find anything to really distinguish the Field Notes brand from any other premium brand I have used. If anything I liked them a little less because the lead is not quite dark enough for my tastes. Otherwise no complaints. Even with a budget $3 sharpener, the pencil gave me a smooth barrel and sharp point quite quickly. The eraser is top notch as well. It does a good job of eliminating marks without leaving a bunch of dust all over the paper. I also received a complimentary pen with my order. It had a bit of retro styling to it, it reminded me of a pen you would find at the bank back in the 80′s but it is really just a standard ball point click pen, nothing special.

I give the Field Notes notebook a strong recommendation. It has basically converted me from the Moleskines, although I do still plan to use them for permanent archiving due to the much nicer binding. The pencil was just fine too, although as I mentioned you can find similar models about anywhere. I would pass on the pen, but then again I am a bit of a pen snob.

From 10/15 review:

I am a tried and true fan of the Moleskine notebooks. They are classy, convenient and durable. The one thing they are not is flexible. I like to keep mine in my back pocket and since I never remember to pull them out before I sit down, that leads to a lot broken spines. With this problem in mind I have been looking for a thinner more flexible notebook to use in the field while still using the Moleskines for permanent archive and desk notes.

I have read several articles praising the Field Notes brand so yesterday I took the plunge and ordered a few sets. So far I have been very impressed. Shipping was lighting fast. Within 24 hours of my order, the notebooks were in my hand. The Field Notes books are approximately the same height and width as the pocket sized Moleskines but only about 1/8 the thickness. On a straight price comparison the Moleskines are a better value (192 pages to 144 pages for $10) but that doesn’t really matter us. What is important is functionality. Field Notes has a sturdy, flexible cardboard cover that should stand up to plenty of abuse plus all the page corners are rounded. It may seem like a small things but is make for much easier pocket removal. The only option is graph paper, but that is fine by me since that is my favorite style in Moleskines too. My initial impression is these Field Notes books should be the perfect solution for me.

I also bought some of the pencils, but I don’t have a sharpener so I will post my thoughts on those along with any follow up notes in the next few days.

Grab It: Field Notes

Tags: Notebooks

This entry was posted on Monday, October 27th, 2008 at 7:15 AM and is filed under Field. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.