I just cracked into the last of my Field Notes COLORS editions. I’ve amassed a collection of all COLORS editions back to Winter 2012 Expedition edition save for the ever-elusive Summer 2013 Night Sky edition.[1] I also have a couple generic editions that I've fallen in love with.
Like many of my pen and paper colleagues, I figured I would outline where each of these fall in a ranking of my favourite Field Notes editions.
Describing how the list is made is more difficult than I would like. After some thought, I determined the list is reflective of the editions that excited and/or inspired me to sit down and write. Therefore, it’s not a specific type of paper, a specific size or a specific colour that tops my list. Rather, it’s a combination of those things.
Without further ado:
- Kraft
- Drink Local
- Arts & Sciences
- America the Beautiful
- Pitch Black
- Cold Horizon
- Shelterwood
- County Fair
- Expedition
Perhaps by chance, my favourite Field Notes version is also the most plentiful. Nothing beats the simple colour, the generic cover stock and the generic coloured grid inside all Kraft books.
And Expedition? Well, it’s super unique and incredibly well designed. But it’s the only book I didn’t fill to the brim — my pens yearned for real paper at about the 22 page mark. Thankfully, I’ve moved on.
Hopefully this list can lengthen as time goes by. I’ve got my eyes set on a National Crop package, but I have yet to stomach the price tag.
Happy Independence Day to my American friends!
Speaking of which, if you have an extra pack of an edition not on my list, please get in touch. I’d be more than willing to pay a respectable price for your extra three-packs. ↩