Confession of an Office Supply Junkie and Field Notes

I have a confession to make. I am an office supply junkie. It started when I was a mere pup. I loved the beginning of the school year with the laundry list of items my parents needed to purchase for me in hand as we headed to the store to buy pencils, pens, paper, Kleenex, scissors (left-handed mind you). It was toolbox of school supplies that I would cherish. What was even better is that my youth saw the introduction of new school supplies and the epic Trapper Keeper.

To this day, I still make a stop down the office supply aisle perusing folders, spiral notebooks and the latest accessories. You can imagine how my wife, a born accountant, upon finding “perfectly good” pens in the trash rolling her eyes as I tell her “but those didn’t write very well”. Yes, I am one of those people who are very picky about the pen I use (surprisingly, I am not one of those folks who buy $1,000 pens with specialized mechanisms inside it, I love the simple Bic). I get giddy when I approach a Staples or Office Depot.

If you are like me, then I want to show you what I have been turned on to. Field Notes.

I love the simplicity and functionality of Field Notes. They were “inspired by the vanishing subgenre of agricultural memo books, ornate pocket ledgers and the simple unassuming beauty of a well-crafted grocery list…”. You can decide between graph, ruled or plain paper. At their online store you can also order pens and pencils. 

I have been through tons of journals and what I like is the size (fits in the pocket of my jackets) and its durability. I am one of those types that when it gets worn or bent, I tend to want to replace it. Even though I have been dragging mine around for a while, I haven’t noticed any deterioration and it seems to do well with the oil on my hands by not having “smudges”. My current one has graph paper which I like and it really picks up the ink of my pen with no smudges.

It is great for notes, sketches, lists, project management and more. The stitching/stapling holds up as well. The only downside is that as I chronicle my life in these, there is not a binding to write on, but it is a minor inconvenience.

I am definitely stoked about Field Notes. Do you have Field Notes? What do you use yours for? Please leave a comment, it would be great to hear about your experience. You can also check them out on Twitter. You can also follow my random musings on Twitter too.