I’ve tried, over the years, to get into the habit of carrying a small notebook with me. I’ve tried lots: a couple of variants of the Levenger pocket briefcase, blank business cards in my wallet, pocket Moleskines, pocket Leuchtturm1917 notebooks. Nothing really stuck though. The 3x5 card solutions didn’t contain any sense of narrative continuity, and the notebooks were worn out long before they were full.

Something (The Pen Addict Podcast maybe?) reminded me of Field Notes memo books. I thought I’d give them a try.

Given that one of my main concerns is durability, I bought the Field Notes Gentlemen’s Memo Book Cover, along with a Colors subscription. I wanted to carry and use them in a work context where the rural, folksy charm of the notebooks might not quite fit in, and the leather cover will.

The cover feels very nice. It’s slightly thinner than wallet leather, but an excellent match for the use case. Any thicker and the inner flap would make writing on the backs of the first few pages unworkable.

The design of the flaps makes it perfect to sneak little bits of paper in there. I keep a 3x5 card with actions in the front flap and receipts in the back (which is helping me avoid swollen wallet syndrome).

The cover helps the notebooks last longer and stand up better. It’s a great fit in both the inner pocket in my jacket, or the back pocket of my jeans.

My only (tiny) gripe is that the cover is slightly wider than an open notebook; this means that when it’s closed, the edges don’t quite line up perfectly.

All in all, I’m very happy with the purchase.