Field Notes Original Kraft Review (Plain Paper, 3-Pack)

Almost as basic as it gets, but with thought behind it.

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Bottom line: Field Notes Original Kraft plain paper memo books are precisely what they look like: compact, durable, unpretentious pocket notebooks designed to go everywhere you go and hold whatever you throw at them. The paper handles ballpoint, gel, and pencil beautifully, and the blank pages give you total layout freedom for brainstorming, freehand notes, and quick sketches. Fountain pen users need to go in with eyes open — wetter nibs will cause feathering and ghosting on this paper. The design is genuinely good, not just aesthetically considered. At three notebooks per pack, the price-per-page math is hard to argue with, and for writers who capture ideas longhand before moving to a keyboard, there’s a reason these have been in the same back pockets for fifteen years.

Scribbright rating: 4 out of 5

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The notebook that put pocket notebooks on the map

Field Notes started in 2007 when graphic designer Aaron Draplin made the first ones by hand as holiday gifts for friends, inspired by the small promotional memo books that American agricultural companies distributed to farmers for decades. The kraft brown cover, the Futura typeface throughout, the tongue-in-cheek “Practical Applications” list on the inside back cover (alongside the paper stock, press specs, and ink type) — all of it is evidence of solid design thinking, even if it’s in a modest package. Field Notes is a design project that happens to be a memo book, or maybe it’s a memo book that happens to be a design project, depending on how seriously we take that sort of thing. Either way, it works.

What Draplin started with is still essentially what you get today: a 3.5″ x 5.5″ saddle-stitched booklet with a kraft cover and 48 pages of bright white Finch paper inside. The plain paper variant reviewed here (ASIN B0034KD9EW) is the blank version of the trio — no ruling, no grid, just white pages and whatever you bring to them. It’s the most format-agnostic of the three options and, depending on how your brain works, either the most freeing or the most paralyzing.

The three-staple binding lies flat from the first page without any breaking-in. The rounded corners mean it doesn’t dig into your pocket. At 0.19 inches thin, it disappears into a shirt pocket or jeans pocket without protest. None of this is accidental.

These are, in the best sense, working notebooks. Not precious ones. The expectation is that you’ll write in them, stuff them in a bag, pull them out in a parking lot, and eventually fill them up. That’s the whole point, and it informs every design decision.

→ Grab the Field Notes Original Kraft 3-pack on Amazon

The paper: excellent, but just one thing…

The 60 lb Finch Opaque Smooth paper is bright white, acid-free, and printed with soy-based Toyo inks. Field Notes lists it all on the back cover because they want you to know what you’re writing on, which is endearing brand behavior, at least to my sensibilities. The real news? Ballpoint, gel, and pencil all perform exceptionally well. No bleedthrough, clean lines, cooperative surface. If you write with a pencil or a standard ballpoint, this paper is a pleasure.

The fountain pen issue is real and worth considering. The 60 lb Finch paper is porous enough that wet nibs cause visible feathering, with ink spreading along the paper fibers and blurring your lines. A fine or extra-fine nib with a drier ink is workable; expect some spread and ghosting on the reverse side, but nothing that makes the page unreadable. A medium or broad nib running wet ink is a different story. If you’re using a Pilot Varsity (which delivers a controlled, moderate flow) you’ll get through it reasonably well on an EF or F setting. If you’re running a LAMY Safari with a broad nib and a saturated ink, expect inky tentacles. The paper dries fast; ten seconds is realistic. So bleedthrough is limited, but feathering with wet setups is just part of the deal.

For writers who default to ballpoint or pencil for capture work and save the fountain pen for longer sessions at the desk, this is a non-issue. It only matters if you carry one pen and it’s a wet fountain pen.

Plain, ruled, or graph: which to buy

This review covers the plain/blank variant (FN-03, ASIN B0034KD9EW). Field Notes sells the same notebook in three paper styles, and the right choice depends entirely on how you work.

Plain is for writers who brainstorm in a nonlinear way, sketch alongside notes, want to draw quick diagrams, or simply find ruling distracting. There’s nothing to push back against, which is either liberating or unhelpful. If you’ve never tried blank pages for notes, this 3-pack is a cheap way to find out which camp you’re in.

Ruled (FN-02) is for writers who want a horizontal structure and write in conventional lines. The ruling is printed in a warm “Double Knee Duck Canvas” brown at 1/4-inch (6.4mm) spacing, light enough to stay out of your way but visible enough to write against comfortably.

Graph (FN-01) is for writers who think in grids: quick diagrams, column-style notes, layout sketches, or anyone who just prefers a visual structure that goes both directions. The 3/16-inch (4.7mm) grid is fine enough to feel precise without dominating the page.

The Mixed 3-pack (one of each paper type) is the obvious starting point if you genuinely don’t know your preference yet, or if you want to run all three in rotation and keep specific notebooks for specific purposes.

A seriously smart design

The back cover of a Field Notes memo book lists the cover stock, the body paper, the printing press model, the ink manufacturer, the typeface family, and the grid dimensions. It’s a lot. And yet it works, partly because the specifications are accurate and the design decisions are defensible, and because the tone is wry rather than self-important. The “Practical Applications” list includes things like “Grocery Lists,” “Haiku,” and “Freelance invoice numbers to chase down.” They know what they’re about.

The Futura typeface choice (Paul Renner, 1927) is used consistently throughout all Field Notes products. The ruling color across all three paper variants is the same warm brown as the cover. The three-staple saddle stitch is overbuilt for a notebook this size, and that’s the point. These are tiny details that add up to a product that feels like there’s been real thought put into it.

At 3.5″ x 5.5″, the notebook fits a shirt pocket without adding visible bulk and a jeans pocket without the corner creating a pressure point. Both matter when you’re carrying it every day.

Who it’s for

The Field Notes Original Kraft plain paper 3-pack is a strong fit for writers who think longhand before they type, who need a reliable capture system they’ll actually carry, and who aren’t precious about using up a notebook. The low price-per-notebook removes the “I don’t want to waste it” resistance that kills the usefulness of more expensive notebooks. You’ll write in it because there’s no reason not to.

It’s specifically good for brainstorming sessions that mix text and quick visual thinking, for writers who carry one notebook as an EDC capture tool alongside their main journal or planner, and for anyone who wants a pocket notebook that looks intentional without looking expensive.

Fountain pen writers with wet setups should shop elsewhere for their main writing notebook — Leuchtturm1917, Midori MD, or a Tomoe River-paper option will serve them better. The plain Field Notes is still worth carrying as a secondary capture tool for the majority of writing situations where a ballpoint or pencil does the job fine.

Pros

• Ballpoint, gel, and pencil performance is excellent; no bleedthrough, clean lines, cooperative surface
• Blank pages give total layout freedom for nonlinear thinkers and writers who sketch alongside notes
• Three-staple saddle stitch lies flat from page one, no breaking-in required
• Pocket dimensions (3.5″ x 5.5″) are genuinely carry-friendly — shirt pocket, jeans pocket, no drama
• Rounded corners, no sharp edges to catch on pocket linings or bag seams
• Low per-notebook cost removes the resistance to actually writing in it
• Made in the USA with consistent quality across the range
• Available in ruled, graph, and mixed 3-pack variants for the same price

Cons

• 60 lb Finch paper feathers and shows ghosting with wet fountain pen nibs — not a fountain-pen-first notebook
• 48 pages fill up pretty fast for heavy daily writers; you’ll burn through a 3-pack faster than you expect
• Cover is flexible, not rigid — not a great writing surface on its own without something firm underneath
• Plain pages will frustrate writers who need ruling or a grid to write comfortably
• No perforations for easy page removal

The verdict

The Field Notes Original Kraft plain paper memo book is not trying to be a premium notebook. It’s trying to be the notebook you actually have on you: small enough to forget it’s there, sturdy enough to survive the day, and blank enough to hold whatever that day demands. On those terms, it succeeds. The paper handles every non-fountain-pen writing instrument well, the design feels intentional, and the price per notebook is low enough that using it freely doesn’t make you wince.

The fountain pen limitation is real and good to know before you buy, particularly for writers who’ve invested in a good pen. For ballpoint-and-pencil writers, or for fountain pen writers who treat pocket notebooks as a capture tool rather than a showcase for their ink collection, it’s a near-ideal solution. Fill it up, flip through it, start the next one.

→ Pick up the Field Notes Original Kraft 3-pack on Amazon

Michael Semer is a professional writer and editor with 40 years of experience in advertising, B2B content marketing, and digital publishing. He’s filled enough pocket notebooks to know that the one you have on you is always more useful than the one you left at home.

Frequently asked questions

Are Field Notes Original Kraft notebooks good for fountain pens?

Not particularly, at least not with wet setups. The 60 lb Finch Opaque paper causes feathering and ghosting with wetter fountain pen nibs and saturated inks. A fine or extra-fine nib with a drier ink is workable — you’ll see some spread and show-through on the reverse side, but it won’t ruin your day. Broad nibs or wet inks are better kept for notebooks with purpose-made fountain pen paper, like Leuchtturm1917 or Midori MD. For ballpoint, gel, and pencil, the paper is excellent.

What’s the difference between the plain, ruled, and graph versions?

Same notebook, same paper, different interior ruling. Plain (FN-03) is completely blank. Ruled (FN-02) has horizontal lines at 1/4-inch (6.4mm) spacing in a warm brown ink. Graph (FN-01) has a 3/16-inch (4.7mm) grid, also in brown. There’s also a Mixed 3-pack (FN-04) that includes one of each paper style, which is the obvious starting point if you’re not sure which you prefer.

How does Field Notes compare to a Moleskine pocket notebook?

Both are 3.5″ x 5.5″ pocket notebooks, but they’re different objects. Moleskine uses a hardcover with an elastic closure and a ribbon bookmark; Field Notes uses a flexible kraft cover with a staple binding and no closure. Moleskine’s paper is slightly heavier and the notebooks run larger in page count. Field Notes is thinner, less precious, and cheaper per notebook — deliberately so. If you want a notebook you’ll fill and replace without ceremony, Field Notes. If you want a single notebook that feels more permanent and travels in a cover, Moleskine.

Can you buy Field Notes notebooks individually, or only in 3-packs?

The Original Kraft is sold exclusively in 3-packs on Amazon and through most retailers. Field Notes does occasionally sell single notebooks through their own site for certain special editions, but the core Original Kraft line comes in packs of three. That’s actually by design: Field Notes originally released everything in 3-packs, and the format has stuck. At the per-notebook price, there’s not much reason to want a single anyway.

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