I’ve been carrying a Field Notes with me every where I go. I’ve really enjoyed returning to an analog style of Notes/To-Do Lists. I also got a Stuff Sheath that fits in my back pocket (it came with a limited edition Field Notes). My favorite notebook from them is the Pitch Black Dot Grid version.
@alexandra Working on a pen upgrade. The Signo DX has the best refill in my opinion. I have some machined pens en route that will work with it.
@Mtt pitch black dot grid is my favorite as well. I carry it in a Bellroy cover, made in collaboration with Field Notes. Just took this photo ;-)
@otaviocc I have that cover bookmarked and I keep going back to look at it. Same for the Tactile Turn pen. I have questions! How's it holding up? Is it beg enough to keep the pen inside when closed? Fit in a back jeans pocket? Any other stuff I should know?
@alexandra I have the M-301 (pencil) with me at my desk right now. I used the F-301 all through college. Another good option in my opinion is the F-701. I carried it for a while because it is a little more robust (without being bigger). It's the best budget all metal pen I've ever used for sure.
@Mtt I just slipped a fresh Pitch Black Dot Grid notebook into my cover. As someone who draws just as much as writes, it makes me wish dot grid was the global default for all paper.
@otaviocc That Bellroy cover is so good that I made my own with some leather back before I could hope to afford it.
@gregmoore @otaviocc I have the sheath in the photo. I’ve also ordered a custom sheath with card slots and the Bellroy one to try. I’ve ordered and returned the Field Notes branded (not Bellroy one). And I’m considering one of these. Gotta find the perfect one!
@Mtt That's why I just bought a side of leather and prototyped a bunch of designs for myself instead. The cost is incredibly lower, I get to try weird stuff, and I end up with something my kid might want.
@gregmoore I don’t even know where to begin with that. Qualities and thickness and threads and stitching and all that. Got any photos of what you’ve done?
@Mtt Rereading my last comment, I sound snobbier than I meant to. I love learning to make stuff so a notebook cover was my chance to try lots of weird ideas and learn to leatherwork at the same time. I found a nearby Tandy Leather store and just bought a raw side of their cheapest thin leather, one stitching punch, and a roll of "artificial sinew" with needles to stitch it with. I ended up with this and am still enjoying it many years later. It's quite literally a rip-off of the Bellroy cover design, only I ended up removing the left cover pocket.
@gregmoore That’s really cool. I wish there was a brick and mortar place I could go around here. Maybe there’s something I don’t know about.
@Mtt Yeah, a local source for leather can make it much less expensive. For smaller projects like notebook covers, your leather can also come from less obvious sources like second hand leather clothes and handbags at Salvation Army or Goodwill. It’s amazing how, once you know the dimensions you need, you start to see materials everywhere.