Lunacy, Field Notes’ Fall 2016 Special Edition, is what you get when you take a simple concept and go a little crazy on the execution.

Its theme pays homage to Earth’s celestial buddy, the moon, and there’s a lot more than usual going on with these little 3.5″ x 5.5″ pocket notebooks. They contain 60# light gray notebook paper with a reticle grid ruling. They are bound together with black staples that blend into a shimmery, black cover stock, giving it an almost leather-like look. And along with the the embossed Field Notes logo on the front, you’ll find a black moon logo embossed on the back cover.

But, of course, the most noteworthy aspect of the Lunacy edition is their die-cut covers, which open like little windows into a glossy inner photo of the moon.  Each book in the set is cut to represent a different phase of the moon: there’s a waning crescent, a third-quarter (half) moon, and a full-moon. Those who are subscribers to Field Notes’ quarterly additions also received a bonus “new moon” book, which just has a fully-intact black cover.

The glossy inner cover-pages aren’t just for show either, they also include a bunch extra info. In typical Field Notes fashion, some of this information is lightly useful, but most of it is just for fun. Need to know how to say “moon” in German? This notebook has got you covered. Want to know how to kill a werewolf? You’ll have that info in your back pocket too.

It’s a cool edition overall, though I’m not a huge fan of the die-cut covers. While they don’t rip or tear like I initially thought they would, I still find them a little annoying. But beyond that, these books remind me a lot of Field Notes’ Night Sky edition from the summer of 2014. That’s an edition I’ve always wanted to own, but they are now sold out (and much too expensive to buy through eBay). Lunacy, as well, is a little more expensive than usual – $12.95 for a 3-pack – but still worth it for any aspiring astronaut.

Additional Notes

• Of the 30 “Practical Applications” listed in the notebooks’ inside-back cover, my favorites are the following: “2. ‘That’s No Moon'”; “20. Dark Side Theories”; and “22. Tidal Changes.”
• Check out  Ed Jelly’s review for lots of good pictures, and Fountain Pen Follies says that these notebooks are very fountain pen friendly.
• Definitely check out the video that Field Notes produced for this edition. It’s almost as if they were trying to fake the moon landing.

Field Notes creates a lot of specially-branded notebooks for outside companies, but they are usually very simple. Often it will just be a standard Kraft book with a company’s logo stamped on the front – sometimes you’ll see embossing or even a neat new color. But ocassionally something very cool and unique is released, such as this recent collaboration with Nixon, the upscale wristwatch company.

This isn’t the first time Field Notes teamed up with Nixon. Last year they made a pretty cool tri-color pack, but they knocked it out of the park this year by using photographs from Jeff Divine for the notebooks’ covers. Divine, who has been a professional surf photographer since the ’60s, took some great beach shots, each with a very distinct style.

The 3-pack has mixed ruling, meaning that one notebook has standard ruling, one has grid lines, and one has blank pages. So if you only use one style of ruling, you just have to live with (or give away) the other two. Inside is 60# white paper, and the covers are made with 100# glossy stock, each with a different color on the inner-cover. They are also the standard 3.5″ x 5.5″ pocket-notebook size.

These books are currently still available, but as a limited edition of 5,000, they are likely to run out eventually. However, be prepared to pay a bit more. The Nixon books are $15 per 3-pack instead of the usual $10. Luckily, these notebooks pull double duty: during the upcoming winter, they’ll be a good reminder of the warmer times.

Additional Notes

• Of the 30 “Practical Applications” listed in the notebooks’ inside-back cover, my favorites are the following: “03. Shit My Dad Used to Say”; “08. Taco Joints”; and “19. Best Playlist Ever.”
• These Nixon books seem very similar to the America the Beautiful edition (from the Spring of 2013). I haven’t gotten my hands on a pack of those yet, but you can see reviews from The Well Appointed Desk, Three Staples, and MbS-P-B.
• On a side note, Field Notes has released a ton of special/limited editions over the last year. I’m having trouble keeping up, and I think I’m starting to develop “Special Edition Fatigue.”

I’m a die-hard user of 3.5″ x 3.5″ pocket notebooks, especially those made by the ever-creative people at Field Notes. In fact, I subscribe to their Quarterly Edition notebooks just so I can get their latest designs as soon as possible. And though I’m usually excited when I get a new set of pocket notebooks in the mail, when Field Notes announced the new Byline edition earlier this summer, my enthusiasm wasn’t as immediate.

Instead of the standard pocket size, which I’m used to, Byline is a 4.75″ x 7.5″ reporter-style notebook. It flips open vertically and uses wire binding. After ripping open the shrink wrap and looking it over, it’s likely that most Field Notes subscribers like me were forced to ask themselves, “what the heck am I going to use this for?”

Putting that question aside for a moment, I think it’s obvious that the people at Field Notes put a lot of thought into this product. According to their website, they are frequently asked for a reporter-style notebook, but they didn’t commit to producing one until the request came from the host of CBS’ Face the Nation, John Dickerson, who also offered to lend a hand in the project.

Together they came up with this 70-page, wrought iron (gray) book. It has durable, 120# cover stock, and it contains 70#, college-ruled inner paper. The pages are double-sided, and they are wire-bound with precision for easy flipping. The inside of the front and back covers are loaded with information, much of it more interesting than useful, such as an explanation of why the news media is sometimes called “The Fourth Estate.” The back cover also has a little pocket that comes with a promotional chapter from John Dickerson’s latest book printed on a cutesy mini-newspaper.

Where the traditional Field Notes pocket notebook is great for keeping lists or taking down shorter bits of information, the Byline edition is much better when longer notes are required. The obvious application is for in-the-field interviews, as Byline slips nicely into a jacket’s vest pocket, but I found that it works great for things like writing out book references or keeping notes for movie reviews. I tested out that latter use case, taking notes for brief movie reviews (which I’ve published on Rotten Tomatoes).

Still, I don’t currently have much use for this format, though I can’t deny that it’s a good notebook. Many others will certainly love the classic aesthetic of the Byline edition, and Field Notes has produced a limited number of 2-packs, so they may sell out sooner rather than later. So if you think you’ll find it useful, it might be a good idea to order soon. But, sadly, the amazing Byline sticker that came with my subscription cannot be purchased separately.

Additional Notes

• Byline has no practical application list, but it does tell you the proofreading mark to indicate Futura typeface – wf.
• In the Three Staples review for the Field Notes Arts & Sciences edition, Jinnie briefly critiques Field Notes for issuing editions to their subscribers, like Byline, that totally change the format. It’s worth reading.
• Check out the review at Notegeist. It compares Byline against the Write reporter’s notebook.

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In October of 2015, a digital marketing company named Huge hosted a design conference called Brooklyn 1.0 where special 3-packs of Field Notes were given out to attendees. The notebook set, dubbed the “Point Oh!” Edition, was created specifically for the conference and limited to 1,000 packs. When photos of these notebooks were posted online, Field Notes collectors seemed to fall in love with them. But apart from those who attended the conference, it seemed especially difficult for people to find this edition. Afterward, they sold for  ridiculous prices on eBay.

Fortunately, in April of 2016, somebody at Huge must have found a box full of conference leftovers, and the Point Oh Field Notes suddenly became available for purchase on the Brooklyn 1.0 website for $9.95. The orders were limited to one 3-pack per person and standard shipping cost an additional 8 dollars, but they still sold out quickly. And lucky for me, I managed to snag a pack: number 888 out of 1,000.

While it’s often hard to justify the hype that surrounds Field Notes, it’s also hard to deny the appeal of these pretty little Point Oh notebooks. With their pastel colors, embossed print, and polka-dotted inner-covers, they stand out from the rest of my Field Notes collection. Even though the yellow (“banana split”) cover color would later be used with the Spring 2016 Edition, the Point Oh books are especially reminiscent of Spring and the decorations you’ll find during Easter time

In terms of specs, these books are the typical 3.5″ x 5.5″ pocket-size with a hearty 100# cover stock and blank, 50# inner paper. Though I don’t typically use blank sheets of paper, it may be preferable to many designers and artists for whom these notebooks were intended. And for artists on-the-go, these notebook covers not only hold up well to wear and tear, but they also manage to look good in the process.

It’s a cool edition if you can get your hands it. Since it sold on the Point Oh website, packs have come down in price in the secondary market. So it’s possible to find one for a reasonable amount of money, though I never recommend spending too much on these special edition books. The next one is always right around the corner.

Additional Notes

• Of the 30 “Practical Applications” listed in the notebooks’ inside-back cover, my favorites are the following: “12. Polka Dots”; “15. Rap Quotes”; and “17. Why I Miss The Beastie Boys.”
• I really should also mention the cool embossed logo on back cover.
• Man, I’m a bit jealous of the other cool stuff those conference attendees got.

Field Notes is constantly creating new editions. Sometimes it’s done for their subscription service, sometimes it’s done for a conference, and sometimes it’s done just for fun. That’s basically the explanation given when they put out the Chicago Edition notebook this winter. According to their website, “it’s just a little something we whipped up to keep ourselves busy and warm as our temperature drops below zero.”

But the Chicago edition is essentially a clone of the standard Kraft Field Notes, and, really, there’s nothing negative I can say about that. It’s a pocket-sized notebook that uses the “packing brown” cover stock with 50# graph paper innards. There is, however, one main difference; the Chicago flag, in all its municipal glory, is printed on the cover.

Unlike most of the other special edition Field Notes, this one hasn’t been called “limited,” so it’s currently still available on the Field Notes website. It’s a neat edition for anyone who has a personal connection to Chicago, especially if you’re already a Field Notes fan. It would probably make a pretty good gift too, just remember that bringing a pack of these notebooks north of the Wisconsin-Illinois border is probably not a good idea.

Additional Notes:

• The Field Notes Headquarters also resides in Chicago, hence this edition.
• … But even the Field Notes website admits, the Washington D.C. flag is better.
• Of the 30 “Practical Applications” listed in the notebooks’ inside-back cover, my favorites are the following: #03. “CAH Card Ideas”; #17. “Threadless Tee Ideas”; and #27. “Rat Proliferation Documentation.”