Posts filed under Field Notes

Field Notes Pitch Black Note Books Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

The Field Notes Pitch Black Note Books are so simple and so plain. There is absolutely no logical reason for why these delight me as much as they do, but I love these notebooks. They are one of my staples--I used one for my first ever writer's conference notes, and now they're a conference tradition. I have to have one with me for my notes and diary for such events. I associate them with adventure, enrichment, and bonding with distant friends. And now--I can have them in the larger 7.5" x 4.75" size, which I adore and my life feels so complete now.

The notebooks sport a soft cover of duplexed black and kraft cardstock, so they're flexible but sturdy. They have the dusty charcoal outer cover with the Field Notes logo in matte silver, and the inside covers have all the delightful cheekiness that Field Notes specializes in. Reading through them is one of the highlights of cracking a new notebook. I mean, there are gender neutral labels and Ray Bradbury references. There are tips for getting better sleep...or staying up all night. I open this book and know that the people who made it are my people, and I feel their influence on the work--they're bridging a connection between the designer and the user that feels like friendship.

I think that's one of the things that sets Field Notes apart--I don't feel like I've received a product, I feel like I've been passed a lovely note.

But I digress, because notebooks have to be useful, too. And huzzah, it is.

Between those fabulous covers are 32 sheets of 60 lb acid-free paper. They're printed with unobtrusive 6.5 mm lines in light grey. It is all held together with staple binding--the staples are a lovely shiny black.

As with many Field Notes, the paper isn't the best for fountain pens, but it really didn't do too badly. Broader pens and darker inks showed through, and one particularly wet ink bled a slight bit. There is some faint feathering. But overall, it performed well enough that I'll have no qualms using fountain pens in it. I don't mind show-through, or even slight bleeding, so long as I can still read the text. And of course it works wonderfully for pencils, ballpoints, rollerballs, fineliners, and gel pens.

So, while it isn't flawless, it's still perfect. And I'm so glad this is a part of the signature line--that way I can stock up over time instead of ordering an unseemly amount immediately. Which I am tempted to do anyway, frankly.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


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Posted on July 5, 2018 and filed under Field Notes, Notebook Reviews.

Field Notes Lunacy Sealed 3-Pack Giveaway

In honor of the latest Field Notes Three Missions launch I have a very cool three-pack of notebooks to give away. The Fall 2016 limited edition was titled “Lunacy”, and was a hot seller, as I expect this one will be too.

I have one sealed, three-pack to give away this week, which I will be shipping directly to the winner. Read the rules below and enter away. Good luck!

Posted on June 26, 2018 and filed under Field Notes, Giveaways.

Field Notes Signature Sketch Book Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

When the Field Notes Dime Novel edition released last year, I went a little cuckoo-bananas. It's the first edition that I'd say I stockpiled. I happened to be at the HQ in Chicago just after the release, and I purchased enough of them that I made a bit of a spectacle. Now, I didn't hoard them all--I gave them away as gifts to writer's workshop partners and writing students and co-workers. I gave away so many that I recently noticed I only have one pack left for myself. And I was a little sad. Because I LOVE that edition.

Well, I'm happy now--because Field Notes has released very similar books in their always-available Signature line. Both lined notebooks and blank sketchbooks are available in unlimited quantities, which is my favorite quantity of notebooks.

The new Signature line sketch books are 6.5" by 4.25", just like the Dime Novel edition. Slightly larger than a standard pocket notebook, but still well within the bounds of a comfortably portable book. It's bound with Smyth-sewn binding in three signatures, ideally so that it will lay flat. The book didn't ever lay flat for me, even after some training, but it does at least open fully so that the whole page is useful.

The cover is a blue-grey French cardstock debossed with the logo and branding. The color is very pretty--in some lights it looks like a soft ash grey, and at other times it looks blue. It's the perfect slate sky or winter concrete color. The corners are rounded to prevent wear. Inside, there are 36 sheets of 70 lb bright white, premium woven Strathmore paper. The pages are completely blank--no page numbers, and a much brighter white than the creamy Dime Novel edition paper.

The paper itself feels heavy-duty, and it does stand up to a lot of different media. It's fairly fibrous and toothy. Fine-pointed pens tended to catch in the paper fibers or feel scratchy. Fine-point markers and felt-tip fineliners may get chewed up a little faster on this paper than they would on smoother paper. Very wet inks did feather a bit, also. The only thing that bled through the paper, however, was Sharpie marker. Everything else was nearly invisible on the back side of the sheet.

The paper did stand up well to a light wash. There was some rippling, but less than I expected. It is downright dreamy paper for pencils and colored pencils. The paper has just the right tooth for shading and layering. Ultimately, it serves its purpose as a sketch book very well, while also being useful as a notebook itself. It would be well suited to combination journaling and sketch + text projects, like travel journals or daily reflections.

These are a wonderful and practical addition to the Field Notes Signature line. As much as I love the rare beauty of the limited editions, it's a comfort to know that a good product will always be close at hand--and it's rare for a brand to stay both exciting and reliable at the same time.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)


Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on April 19, 2018 and filed under Field Notes, Notebook Reviews.