Field Notes Steno Pad

[Brerarnold]

As a long-time Field Notes user, I follow their product line pretty closely. For instance, I was disappointed that they did not produce the Workstation Calendar (monthly tear-off pages) for 2011, as I have enjoyed using one for the last two years. I use the original Field Notes pads on a daily basis, and collect the seasonal Colors editions just for the fun of it.

 

So when they announced the new Steno Pad, I was very interested. I carry a Maxpedition Versipack for my daily gear and, while a large Moleskine fits perfectly, it is not necessarily what I want for daily carry. Neither does the small Field Note pad, versatile as it is, serve all my daily note-taking needs. I thought I would check out the FN Steno Pad.

 

The Steno Pad is 9x6, with the typical FN colors of brown cover and black ink. It has a sturdy chipboard cover with black plastic double o-ring binding at the top so it will lay flat. Inside the covers are the usual combination of useful and whimsical information -- a history of shorthand, a list of commonly misspelled words, a list of uncommonly misspelled words, rulers in both inches and millimeters, etc. There are 80 pages, Gregg-ruled as a steno pad ought to be (in N. America anyway.)

 

Mine arrived a couple of days ago and I've been giving it a workout. It fits my Versipack very well, an important consideration. It has a nice feel and look to it. The paper is FP friendly with every pen I've tried so far -- but then, I don't have the problem with Moleskine with any of my pens that a lot of people report.)

 

I am currently preparing a sermon for the local UU church called "Does God Exist? (Tractatus Theologico-Poeticus)". It is a sonnet cycle which will have about 15 sonnets when finished, tracing the arguments for and against the existence of God since the time of Descartes. This pad has been a god-send. I use my Moleskine for a journal, and did not want to use it to write this piece. The small FN notebook, usually riding in my Levenger Pocket Briefcase, was too small -- I could not get a line of verse onto a single line of the pad. The FN Steno Pad is a perfect size. No bleeding or show-through, and I like the feel of nib against paper -- not true with all papers, even with my nicest nibs.

 

I like the Steno Pad so well, and it fits a niche in my paper-and-pen ecosystem so well, that I dashed off an email to Jim Coudal after the first day's use. I wanted to know if this is going to be a limited-time edition or a regular part of the inventory. Because if it was to be limited, then I wanted to buy several right away. He assured me that they plan to keep the Steno Pad in the line-up. Good news.

 

Field Notes Steno Pad

[inkypete]

Can't agree with this review in part.Love everything about Field Notes except the paper. It bleeds with many of my pens. If they would go back to their original paper I would buy them again. But in the meantime I will keep away. Buyer beware!

Edited January 15, 2011 by inkypete

[kiavonne]

If they would go back to their original paper I would buy them again.

 

Ok, when did Field Notes change their paper? It's been a little while since I've bought them, so was this recent? I hate when a good product goes and messes with a good thing.

[dennis_f]

If they would go back to their original paper I would buy them again.

 

Ok, when did Field Notes change their paper? It's been a little while since I've bought them, so was this recent? I hate when a good product goes and messes with a good thing.

 

 

If I remember correctly, complaints regarding their paper quality started to appear on FPN during the spring of last year.

[Beechwood]

If they would go back to their original paper I would buy them again.

 

Ok, when did Field Notes change their paper? It's been a little while since I've bought them, so was this recent? I hate when a good product goes and messes with a good thing.

 

 

If I remember correctly, complaints regarding their paper quality started to appear on FPN during the spring of last year.

 

At the time I called the manufacturers, based not far from Glasgow, I spoke to the CEO who uses a Parker FP in his and has no problems, with Quink. Not being a user of Field Notes I couldnt comment on feathering or bleed but said that others were having problems. I would be happy to take this up with them again if someone can scan some samples of the problems.

 

Are we talking about a problem with the coating to the paper?

 

Edit

 

Whilst I was looking for the name of the Field Notes printers I can across this site which you might find interesting:

 

http://designshack.co.uk/articles/inspiration/5-fantastic-notebooks-and-sketchbooks-for-designers

Edited January 16, 2011 by Arthur

[inkypete]

The change seemed to come a few months after the launch. Can't remember exactly but there was a fair bit of discussion at the time.

[fieldnotes]

Hi, Bryan from Field Notes here…

 

Here's more info than you wanted on our paper, ha…

 

We'd been using the same paper since we moved production here (Chicago) from Portland a few years ago (8th printing IIRC), Boise Offset Smooth 50#T "White." That was the paper tested back in the original FPN posts when we won over a lot of FP users (and we appreciate your support, you've really been great to us). We are positive our Chicago printer has used the correct paper since we brought production here. There are very subtle variations between any two batches of paper, which typical users would never notice, but I know you guys are super observant, so that may explain the variation. I also suspect that the 'Plain' paper may bleed/show more than the others just because it isn't run through a printing press/dryer/etc, that could conceivably change the properties of the paper to some degree.

 

We WERE forced to change our paper VERY recently, starting with the Winter "COLORS" edition ("Balsam Fir") and also with the Steno Pads and recent custom editions. It was a supply issue, our printer was unable to get the Boise in the quantity and size we wanted anymore. We tested several new papers (and sent samples to FP users for testing) and chose Finch Opaque Smooth "Bright White." It's very similar in all ways to the Boise, and FP tests gave very similar results. We will use this paper for the foreseeable future, including the 11th printing going into production soon.

 

Thanks again for your support!

 

Bryan

Field Notes Brand

 

Email me anytime, bryan(at)coudal(dot)com

[inkypete]

Hi, Bryan from Field Notes here…

 

Here's more info than you wanted on our paper, ha…

 

We'd been using the same paper since we moved production here (Chicago) from Portland a few years ago (8th printing IIRC), Boise Offset Smooth 50#T "White." That was the paper tested back in the original FPN posts when we won over a lot of FP users (and we appreciate your support, you've really been great to us). We are positive our Chicago printer has used the correct paper since we brought production here. There are very subtle variations between any two batches of paper, which typical users would never notice, but I know you guys are super observant, so that may explain the variation. I also suspect that the 'Plain' paper may bleed/show more than the others just because it isn't run through a printing press/dryer/etc, that could conceivably change the properties of the paper to some degree.

 

We WERE forced to change our paper VERY recently, starting with the Winter "COLORS" edition ("Balsam Fir") and also with the Steno Pads and recent custom editions. It was a supply issue, our printer was unable to get the Boise in the quantity and size we wanted anymore. We tested several new papers (and sent samples to FP users for testing) and chose Finch Opaque Smooth "Bright White." It's very similar in all ways to the Boise, and FP tests gave very similar results. We will use this paper for the foreseeable future, including the 11th printing going into production soon.

 

Thanks again for your support!

 

Bryan

Field Notes Brand

 

Email me anytime, bryan(at)coudal(dot)com

 

 

Thanks for the response Bryan. What is confirms is that in the few years you have been producing Field Notes you have had three paper grades and I suppose from my point of view that is the problem in terms of a lack of consistency with your product. I like the look of the steno and will order a few to try the new paper grade.

[Jimmy James]

While it is certainly true that Field Notes obviously does not own a paper mill and does not have the control that the French overlords of Rhodia/Clairefontaine might have over the paper in their products, I appreciate very much the effort to keep us aware of the issues that exist with the paper. As we have seen with Exaclair's dealings with the French parent company of the products they distribute (particulary with the paper change in the Habana), these sorts of things can be a challenge for any company. All I personally think I can expect as a customer is a focus on what I want in the product and plenty of transparent communication. It seems to me Field Notes has done well in this regard (as does Exaclair for the record).

[Brerarnold]

May I please say that I do not appreciate this thread being hijacked. It is about the Steno Pad, not about the shirt-pocket sized Field Notes pad. I wish the moderators would remove all the comments related to the original Field Notes pad, or move them to another thread entirely. How can someone say "I disagree with this review" and then talk about a completely different product?

 

I would not like to lose Bryan's explanation of the Field Notes team's experience with the paper used in the Field Notes notebook; there must be a place for that somewhere, and it is OK with me if it stays here. I wish the other responses related specifically to the other note pad could be removed though.

 

BTW, if the same paper used for the Steno Pad is going to be used in the Field Notes pad, that should be very good news to all FPNers. I really like this paper.

[inkypete]

My apologies for hijacking your thread. I suppose what I was trying to point out was that the paper in this company's products does change so buyer beware. I should have explained that a little better. No offence intended.

[Beechwood]

My apologies for hijacking your thread. I suppose what I was trying to point out was that the paper in this company's products does change so buyer beware. I should have explained that a little better. No offence intended.

 

 

I think I should apologise too, I understood that the Field Notes stationery were produced in Glasgow in Scotland, but I got it wrong anyway, that was the Alwych Notebook. http://www.alwych.co.uk/index.html

 

Sometimes threads simply go off at an angle, always be brought back with a gentle prod but if my post offended the OP then I apologise.

Edited January 25, 2011 by Arthur

[reprieve]

I didn't know about the addition of a steno pad to the Field Notes lineup. Their small notebooks don't work for me--the size is too tiny--but the steno pad would be very useful.

[fiberdrunk]

The FN Steno Pad is a perfect size. No bleeding or show-through, and I like the feel of nib against paper -- not true with all papers, even with my nicest nibs.

 

Field Notes Steno Pad

 

What kind of inks did you use? That's reassuring that there was no bleeding or show-through. I bought some cheap steno pads for shorthand from Office Depot (Docket brand) and they can't handle fountain pen inks at all. Only found one that didn't bleed and feather like crazy, and that was Noodler's Lermontov.

 

ETA: inks tested on the Docket orchid steno pad, which feathered badly: Noodler's Black Swan in the Australian Roses, Montblanc Blue-Black, Chesterfield Archival Vault, Noodler's Kung Te-cheng, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown, Noodler's Scott Brown #41. I haven't tested their other colored pads yet.

 

So, if these Field Notes Steno Pads don't bleed with fountain pen ink, I'd definitely like to make its acquaintance!

Edited January 25, 2011 by fiberdrunk

[Brerarnold]

The FN Steno Pad is a perfect size. No bleeding or show-through, and I like the feel of nib against paper -- not true with all papers, even with my nicest nibs.

 

Field Notes Steno Pad

 

What kind of inks did you use? That's reassuring that there was no bleeding or show-through. I bought some cheap steno pads for shorthand from Office Depot (Docket brand) and they can't handle fountain pen inks at all. Only found one that didn't bleed and feather like crazy, and that was Noodler's Lermontov.

 

ETA: inks tested on the Docket orchid steno pad, which feathered badly: Noodler's Black Swan in the Australian Roses, Montblanc Blue-Black, Chesterfield Archival Vault, Noodler's Kung Te-cheng, Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown, Noodler's Scott Brown #41. I haven't tested their other colored pads yet.

 

So, if these Field Notes Steno Pads don't bleed with fountain pen ink, I'd definitely like to make its acquaintance!

 

Let's see: Diamine Majestic Blue in a M nib Pelikan M205, a very wet writer; Noodler's Legal Lapis in a F nib Waterman Maestro; Private Reserve Velvet in a F nib Platinum; Quink Black in a M nib Lamy Safari; Cross Blue-Black cartridge in a M nib Cross Century II; and a selection of Pilot Varsity in various colors. No problem with any of them. This feels like a durable stock, thicker than in the shirt-pocket Field Notes I've used, and with a good balance of the coating: enough coating so it does not bleed or feather, but not so much that ink takes forever to dry.