I know, it’s hard to believe that I’ve never used this product before now, but Field Notes’ contemporary take on a classic piece of stationery - the lined chipboard steno pad - has somehow stayed off my radar until I received a couple of them in a retail display assortment that arrived a few weeks ago. You know what? These are surprisingly good, even with fountain pens, and definitely should be on your radar as a durable everyday writing pad that’s made in the USA (something many may be paying more attention to these days as there’s increased uncertainty surrounding potential increases in the cost of imports).
The Field Notes Steno Pad features a classic Gregg ruling with brown ink on bright white paper. Note the elegant rounded corners.
Specifications and writing experience
The Field Notes Steno Pad isn’t fancy, and that’s by design. It’s a 6”x9”, 80-page, Gregg-ruled classic steno book with a brown chipboard cover and a black double-O wired binding. The paper is white Finch 70# stock, which exhibits some show-through with fountain pens but honestly is pretty good. I’ve had no issues using both sides of the paper, especially given that I generally use steno pads such as this one as a general catch-all below or to the side of my computer keyboard at work. Nearly everything I jot down on it gets incorporated into something that I’m immediately working on, such as a brief, letter, or e-mail. It’s effectively scratch paper.
This 70# paper shows no very little to no feathering with fine and medium nibs, and even one architect.
The reverse of the page photographed above. I would call this more “show-through” than bleed-through and perfectly fine for how I use this pad.
A lot of the Field Notes appeal is in the design, and there are slightly less expensive options, but from a practical perspective, I do enjoy how sturdy this steno pad is. The chipboard cover is quite stiff, and the pad itself is large enough to cover a folded letter-size piece of paper. I’ve found myself tucking notes inside the cover and then slipping the entire pad into my bag as a makeshift mini portfolio. (You can even wrap a larger rubber band around it and the chipboard will hold up without bending.) As I wrote long ago in this early post on the original Kraft paper Field Notes pocket notebook, Field Notes excels at balancing classic design with usability, and their take on the classic steno pad is no exception.
Just to give an indication of size.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
You can always rely on Field Notes for a fresh take on the basics, and if you’re looking for a classic, vintage-style Steno pad with good paper that will stand-up to heavy use in a bag, give this one a try. A huge benefit to these is that they are relatively easy to find, both online and in local stores, as Field Notes has broad distribution. We’ve started carrying the Field Notes Steno Pads in our own shop, both online and brick-and-mortar, alongside the rest of the Field Notes line. These notepads/notebooks retail for $12.95 and are sold individually.
Come visit us in person! Public hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-2pm (closing early on 2/1), and otherwise by appointment. We look forward to seeing you this week! We’ve just received a large restock of paper from brands such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Field Notes, and more, so be sure to check it out.
You even get a free short course in Gregg shorthand.