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Phones are good at many things, but a quick list, a measurement or a phone number written in ten seconds is still faster on paper. The Field Notes Original Kraft memo book is the small notebook built for that job. It fits a back pocket, it costs little to replace and it has a plain design that has barely changed. If you want one notebook habit to stick, this is a good place to start.
Who makes it
Field Notes is based in Chicago. The company says that when designer Aaron Draplin made the very first Field Notes by hand as a holiday gift for friends, they looked much like these notebooks, and that when the company started it had only one product: a 3-pack of kraft memo books with graph paper inside.
What the Original Kraft is
The Original Kraft memo book comes in graph, ruled or plain paper, or as a mixed 3-pack with one of each. Each book has 48 pages, measures 3-1/2 inches wide by 5-1/2 inches tall and is bound with a three-staple saddle stitch. There is also a left-handed ruled version with the direction reversed and the staples on the other side.
Field Notes lists the details with real pride. The cover is French Dur-O-Tone Packing Brown Wrap stock, the inside pages use Finch Paper Opaque Smooth, and corners are rounded to 3/8 inch. The company uses only the Futura typeface family and says all of its memo books are printed and manufactured in the USA.
- 48 pages in graph, ruled, plain or mixed packs.
- 3-1/2 x 5-1/2 inch pocket size.
- Three-staple saddle-stitch binding.
- Graph grid of 3/16 inch and ruled lines of 1/4 inch.
- Printed and manufactured in the USA.
Why it is cool
The Original Kraft is cool because it is honest. Field Notes calls it an honest notebook, and the design backs that up: brown cover, clear type, staples and paper. Nothing about it is precious, which is exactly why people actually use it rather than saving it for a perfect idea.
It is also cool because the production notes read like a love letter to printing. Listing the presses, the paper and the binding machine makes a cheap notebook feel like a made object with a real supply chain.
Who should buy it
Buy the Original Kraft if you want a pocket notebook for lists, sketches, field notes and quick ideas. It suits people who prefer to fill a notebook and start a new one rather than keep a single journal for a year. If you write with heavy fountain pen ink or want a thick hardcover book, a larger notebook with heavier paper will suit you better.
Living with it
The first week tells you more than the product page. Pay attention to whether you reach for it without negotiating with yourself, whether it creates new friction and whether it still feels like the right size for your actual day. Good gear disappears into routine. Average gear keeps asking for attention.
Also give the setup a fair chance. Charge it, break it in, remap it or condition it before deciding it is wrong. Many of the best everyday objects feel slightly awkward on day one and obvious by week three. That adjustment period is part of owning something built for repeated use rather than a one-time unboxing.
If you already own a cheaper version of the same idea, do not run both forever. Use the better one for a month and store the old one. The comparison becomes honest only when the new object has to carry the whole job.
The practical test is simple. If you reach for the thing without thinking, and if it still feels right after ordinary weeks of use, it belongs in the small group of tools worth keeping. That is the standard behind this recommendation.
Want to compare notebooks and pens? Read our best notebooks worth buying guide, our look at the Hobonichi Techo and our take on the Pentel GraphGear 1000. For more, visit our desk and EDC hub.
