Field Notebooks

Thanks to John for pointing out these Field Notes books, designed by Draplin Design Company of Portland, OR. Other well-designed products include calendars, pens and pencils, all looking like they are from a retro shipping warehouse or perhaps the island from LOST.


If you actually want to take some notes in the field, the old Rite-in-the-Rain company makes some nice kits for all sorts of scientific, military and hunting uses. Below is the Field Book Kit and the Upland Bird Journal Kit. Both include cordura covers and all-weather pens for serious work.

MagTack by OXO

The MagTack from OXO lets you tack things up without puncturing them by using two halves with magnets. A neat concept and one that actually works better than pinning right above the photo and denting the paper. Though I wonder where they got their inspiration for that logo.

Bear-Aide Crime Scene Template

Though slightly macabre, the Crime Scene Template from Bear-Aide recalls the green templates we all used as kids but for a much more serious purpose. The template includes scaled typical furniture and measurements for sketching the layouts of crime scenes. Bear-Aide makes a bunch of different templates worth checking out including traffic, railroad, boat and sniper templates.

Swingline Saddle Stapler

The Swingline Saddle Stapler solves the basic problem of stapling a large booklet or zine. If you have ever tried to put one together, finding a stapler that will work is a big problem. The long arm staplers do work, but this little Swingline makes it very hard to mess up the spine placement.

Itoya Pointkeeper Mechanical Pencil

The Pointkeeper Mechanical Pencil by Itoya is a curious little item. The mechanical pencil is housed in a real-wood casing, just like an old-fashioned No.2 pencil. And by clicking the eraser, you advance the lead. Weird.

Gift Guide - Paper Goods: Ordning & Reda

Ordning & Reda is the paper goods branch of Bodum. They have a huge selection of planners and diaries available for 2007. The journals are available in a range of colors and fabric or leather and are designed with the same simplicity as the Bodum glassware and kitchenware.

Parket Sonnet

The Sonnet, made by Parker, is a fountain pen that has all the old school detailing of a classic pen. The black lacquer finish has a deep shine to it and the weight of the pen feels great in hand.

Fisher Space Pen

This is the Fisher Space Pen, designed by Paul Fisher in 1965 with NASA astronauts in mind. It allows for writing in a weightless environment and in extreme temperatures due to a pressurized ink cartridge (and the ink never leaks!) - you can even use the pen underwater. Besides all that, it's the Seinfeld pen! Available online at Canoe.

Different Strokes for Different Folks

Everyone who went to architecture school is familiar with leadholders, and almost everyone had one of the Caran D'Ache fixpencils (above) at one time or another. It is just a sexy pencil. Understated and simple, the Caran D'Ache fixpencil is a classic sketching pencil. Unfortunately, because of its hexagonal shape, it does not work as well for final drawings as it doesn't roll/twirl very well. The red-capped black fixpencil 77 I've had since college will always have a reserved spot in my bag.

Caran D'Ache took the classic hexagonal fixpencil and fancied it up a bit into the Ecridor XS series (below). The Ecridor XS shown has a ruby laid into the clip and an 'ammonite' pattern engraved silver body.

I appreciate that a few of the Caran D'Ache designs can be both very austere and utilitarian and others of the same design can be flamboyant and extravagant, while still preserving the same ease of use and function.

Lamy Smile

Lamy is a German company that makes great modern pens. The pen shown is the new Lamy Smile, designed by German design firm Phoenix Design.

Lamy has always made very clean and modern writing instruments. The Smile is a more playful take on the fountain pen and uses a series of emoticon rings to relay personal codes and messages.