October 2, 2009

• THE PERFECT NOTEBOOK COMBO?

  
  OK, I have to admit, I have a weird thing for notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, etc.  Which is strange because I totally take all my notes in my Palm Centro.  I have been keeping my calender, to do list, address book, and meeting notes in some sort of PalmOS powered device since 1997.  BUT, as a design engineer, its hard to talk or explain myself sometimes without making sketches.  Sometimes I just want to scribble down some rough notes quickly and then I will rearrange and clean them up on my computer or Palm device later.  Regardless of technology there are plenty of times I just want to jot down something quick on paper.  Also, there is just something really cool about a practical notebook and pen combo, it seems to help stimulate the thinking process.  Enter Field Notes Brand pocket notebooks. 

  THE NOTEBOOK
  Field Notes Brand notebooks are “pocket sized” (3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″).  They have about 48 pages (24 sheets) and I prefer the “graph” paper version but they also come in “plain” (blank) pages or in “ruled” (lined) pages.  The graph paper is nice because the grid lines do not overpower the page.  The lines are clearly legible but they are more faint than the grid lines in, for example, a Moleskine Cahier.  Speaking of Moleskine, I like Moleskine “Large Squared” journals ($16 ea) and have purchased many, but the Field Note size means its easy to keep on you at ALL times, plus they are affordable (10 bucks for 3 notebooks).  So I find myself more willing to write in them all the time instead of wondering if it is “worth wasting a page on”, like I used to do with my Moleskines.

  In addition to good paper with nice subtle graph lines, the cover is also solid.  Its a heavy card stock and offers the standard place to enter your name and address inside the front cover, as well as a check box for if there “is” or “is not”, “a handsome reward” being offered.  The back inside cover is also neat.  It features a 5 inch ruler printed on the edge but also gives useful suggestions of what you could use the notebook for, such as: “inspired ramblings”, “”poignant quotes”, “shoddy sketches”, “treasure maps”, and my personal favorite “escape routes”.  The whole notebook is held together with 3 sturdy staples.
  
  And if all that doesn’t make them super cool, then the icing on the cake is that they are completely, 100%, printed and manufactured in the USA!!!  After using these quality little notebooks I won’t be buying any of those other Chinese made notebooks again.

  THE LEATHER COVER
  If you are worried that the brown paper looking cover emblazoned with the words “FIELD NOTES” doesn’t look classy enough for a business meeting then there is a nice solution for that too.  A company called “Renaissance Art” makes an amazing leather cover for this little booklet.  Their leather cover is of the highest quality, they come in a variety of colors, and the best part is that the leather is soft, supple, and thin so it doesn’t add any bulk to the slim Field Notes size.  They will also emboss your name or slogan on it for an extra few bucks.  This cover both looks great and helps your notebook survive in your back pocket.  Several friends and colleagues have already noticed and complimented me on its quality.  Its not cheap at $25 bucks, but it fits so perfectly, looks so good, and since I suspect it will last a lifetime, I think its well worth the investment.  The one shown in the picture is the “Molasses Brown”.

  THE PEN
  The pen is an Autopoint 4-way multi-pen.  Essentially in one pen I have a plastic stylus for my touchscreen phone, a mechanical pencil, a red pen, and a blue pen.  This allows me to point, draw, write, and highlight all with one pen so I get to escape the poindexter ridicule of carrying 4 different pens in my pocket (I also try to avoid the pocket protector and slide rule for th same reason).  This pen writes well and with all the functionality it offers, its a steal at $13.50.

  If you are a fountain pen type of person, I highly recommend the Pelikan M200 fine nib fountain pen.  Although not as functional as a 4-way stylus, pencil, pen combo, the Pelikan writes sooo smooothly and you just can’t beat the “cool factor”.

  CONCLUSION
  If you like little notebooks that are sized just right for your pocket, has nice paper, and nice light graph lines, AND is American made, then this is what you have been looking for.  Add to that an exquisite leather cover to dress it up for the board room, and an extremely useful and versatile pen and you have what just might be the perfect notebook combination.

  PS: If you ask, Field Notes will also sell the notebooks in a bulk case of 15 packs (45 notebooks) which saves you a couple of bucks per pack… sweeeet!

  REFERENCES:
  http://fieldnotesbrand.com/
  http://www.renaissance-art.com
  http://autopointinc.com
  
  
  
  

  • 5:36 pm
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