Fold. Staple. Cut.

oboreruhito

MUJI has the best modular notebooks.

Mr.Purple

I like my old Levenger Pocket Chapters. Too bad they've been discontinued.

Deprong Mori

Moleskine - I couldn't use anything else.

trumpetfalcon

Trapper-Keeper.

ShabazOSU

I love my Moleskine. It's not so much about pretention as I like the feeling of the paper and the lines are arranged right for my handwriting. Love those notebooks.

lacrimaeveneris

Circa - love it to death, don't go anywhere without one.

misanthropic777

I don't know and don't really want to know what any of those options are.

ceviche

I don't use a paper planner (Google Calendar for me), but if I did it would be a Moleskine.

Aanidaani

I use muji notebooks. They are cheap so I don't feel bad when I waste pages. They have a lot of pages, so they last a long time. And they are clean and simple, which is the best thing about them.

Iqqy

I guess i'm a fan of the olde Dayplanner mind you it's more like a murse and its in my go bag so i dunno...

B1663R

I'm a big Moleskine fan, and I do use their Pocket reporters as my general UCD. However I voted for Other as I am a big fan of paperblanks. I use one as my jotter and madbook and it is really nice.

I keep a hipster pad in the car though - easier for jotting down notes for other people.

labete

rhodia advanced. nice paper, gridded, and perforated. Still too expensive, but a better value than moleskine.

sciencedude

I use a 5x8 cambridge limited notebook from Target. It's got 2 nice sturdy plastic covers and it is spiral bound so it lays flat on the desk and I can fold it completely over if I have nothing to write on. The paper isn't as nice as a moleskine but it holds up fine and it's way cheaper.

jtango

I got fed up with trying to keep two Outlook programs synced on a desktop and a laptop. In the end I use a Moleskine, a weekly calendar, and a address book kept in a d-ring binder. The nicest part of the whole is that everything can be opened up and referred to during any phone conversation or meeting.

quail

russell+hazel: [www.russellandhazel.com]

Works better to jot things down in their notebooks than for me to try to keep up with lists online.

brookenovak

I lied before. I use PocketMods extensively too.

trumpetfalcon

I'm also partial to Clairefontaine notebooks-- I like the feel of the paper better than moleskins. I'm using one right now for to do lists.

I LOVE the paperchase spiral bound notebook ([www.paperchase.co.uk]) with sections of different colored pages (only colored on the edge) but I can only ever find them at Borders and I don't go there much.

geekgrrl77

I've only recently heard of Moleskine, what makes them so good/popular?

Ruiz

I write on my palm 'til I can transfer it to my Palm.

Except that's dying and noone loves me enough to've bought my an iTouch, yet.

BUT, back when I still used fountain pens for my note taking, I was a Circa kinda guy.

gyffes

I use Field Books for my notes on job sites

superbryant88

Clairefontaine makes beautiful, durable, and wonderfully simple notebooks, which I love a whole lot.

taber

I can't stand to write on cheap paper, so an .89 notebook won't work. I hate spiral notebooks. I live in an area where there's not much choice, but we have Moleskine, and I have to hold it in my hands before I buy, so Moleskine is it. Although, our local bookstore has a moleskine-like notebook by Naturals, that would do fine. But I still like Moleskine better.

leighannh2

BTW. I've got a couple of street maps but for the most part avoid all the fancy-dandy printed paper and stick with a week-per-view Filofax diary and plain lined pages along with the page dividers. I just write address information and to do lists on the plain sheets.

I write everything in pencil -- that way I can sometimes erase stuff.

Billby

I use cheap Mead notebooks or similar. College ruled, spiral, lots of pages. At least for anything work related. It goes into the notebook(s), then eventually gets put into the tiddlywiki I have on my laptop during my weekly review.

jtimberman

Clairefontaine, it handles fountain pen ink properly, unlike Moleskines that are made with substandard paper. That's because schoolkids in France are required to use fountain pens for schoolwork. Miquelrius is good too.

That said, the best notebook I have used is the Behance ActionBook.

Too bad Crane & Co don't make notebooks in their 100% cotton rag paper.

Fazal Majid

My Filefax is 25 years old and still in daily use. It's outlasted at least four handheld devices. I'll probably take it to the grave with me.

Billby

Mead Five-Star Fat Lil' Zipper Planner with the guts removed, replaced with a normal Mead Fat Lil' Notebook because I hate planners.

Crashproof

I buy whatever's cheapest and go with it. I got a DayPlanner one that allowed me to pick a picture for the cover for my appointments, and scheduling of that stuff, and got a homework assignment book for my daily items, things that I need to do on a week-to-week basis, since that can fluctuate week-to-week.

tm2ts

Clairefontaine; they're durable, but they come in more than two colors and so are great for categorizing 'n' shit.

kisskisskiss

ummm i do not like notebooks :S i always forget where i put them :S :)

ChambrasWeed

Digital voice recorder... Writing is so logocentric, hipster scum, its so last 2 millenium.

q335r49

I wonder how many people that use a moleskine actually pronounce it correctly.

avantreese

Rite In The Rain 390NF. It's water/spill resistant (you could even use it in the shower), stitched and pre-numbered pages are legally defensible in patent and other legal matters.

davidron

I've started using mini composition books. I carry one with me everywhere in my pocket. This way, when that moment of inspiration strikes, or I have and thought I really don't wanna lose, I can write it down in an instant.

tlm2021

M O L E S K I N E (i use 'em everywhere all the time)

cheesebubble

I have a Blackberry, a Kindle, a digital camera, a regular laptop, a small laptop with broadband wireless. You're saying I need paper too?

theoa

I use a Corban Blair A5 leather binder wrap filled with printed organizer pages from davidseah.com.

I love this setup as:
- I never have to carry a heavy year's worth of pages around with me. I print out a month at a time and archive old notes at the end of each month.

- David Seah's organizer templates are not dated, so if I miss a day of work, annual leave etc I don't have all this wasted dated paper to feel guilty about.

- Being a binder, I can slip other pages in the binder too, like todo lists, graphs, timetables and sketchpaper.

- I can clip my pen into the binder rings for storage.

wufflebunny

Circa, Circa, Circa, Circa! I love the way I can carry a small one in my purse, then take the pages out and snap them into my big all-in-one "ideas" notebook when I get home. No need for handwriting recogniztion, transfer cables, hole punchers or anything else.

infmom

Rhodia
I get mine at a stationary store that thinks a couple scratches makes it 'irregular.' 2 bucks, thin with a durable and even attractive cover.

[farm2.static.flickr.com]

lesbiansayswhat

@avantreese: Mole-uh-skeen-uh? Nobody. I *know* how to say it and I use "mole-skeen" to avoid sounding overly pretentious (also because I'm a French speaker, but that's neither here nor there).

eleraama

But... But I like my Moleskine *and* my Circa! Two completely different notebooks for two completely different styles of writing!

(I write novels, random bits and bobs, and sketches in my three Moleskines [two lined and one unlined] and actual full-length things I might want to take out in my Circa.)

eleraama

I love my Myndology notebook. Not the ring one, but the disc ones, where you can easily shuffle around pages. Inspired by the people at DIY planner, I designed my own planner sheets and print them on blank Myndology notebook sheets. The perfect planner.

Irian

Two years or so ago I bought a refillable envelope journal from Aspinal of London and have never looked back.

The minimalist style and the fact that you can refill it with any paper you like is great, but what I truly love about it is the feel in your hands.

It is soft and supple, not rigid, square and industrially boring.

Cannot convey this through some words, you have to actually hold one.

riefnu

I go to stationary stores and salivate over all the systems, books, papers, pens.

Then I head to the school supplies aisle and pick up a circa-style smallish book with grid paper and use that. (and whatever cheap pen looks appealing at the time) The lime green cover makes it easy to find on my desk or in my pack. Pens disappear into some black hole, so I can't afford to keep nice ones.

And I'm a school teacher, so expensive systems are out in any case.

btw, I'm now also hooked on pocket mods, thanks to this site.

karlawithak

Paperblanks

I actually went out with the intention of buying a Moleskin however I noticed these instead.

Beautifully crafted,elegant and utterly unique. To own one is to love one.

I only use mine for jotting down random to-dos, thoughts, observations and the like.
I am not sure how it would stand up to proper GTD activity.

[www.paperblanks.com]

WillLynch

Dead trees are so passé! Palm Treo/Centro FTW!

NotDone

Moleskine. Almost all my life.

I coveted my parent's little black notebooks as a kid, I even blame those early Moleskine encounters for kick starting my own stationary fetish.

Tomu

@Fitwit: hey, me to! The ultimate in personalized, customized notebooks.

I use blank 3x5 index cards. The front half for my to do's, notes and sketches, the back half for reference like a patient's usual vital signs and therapy parameters.

eilu

Index cards held with one book ring. Dead trees rule.

Fitwit

I use the 8.25"x5.875" (A5) sized spiral bound Black N Red [www.blacknred.com] notebooks. The covers are really stiff, so you don't need a desk to use them on, and the size is a nice one. Our admin asst. orders them for me, but you can buy them at Office Depot.

I only use that for actual notes. My calendar, tasks, contacts, etc. are in my Exchange account (Outlook on two PCs, Entourage on my MacBook, and WM phone.)

Rick Lobrecht

None of the above, a plain, ol' bog-standar reporter's notebook does it for me =)

Sendaii

Pfft, you guy sare so analog.

I do all my note taking on the iRex iLiad.

Adam B.

Well, I can't afford moleskine or any other fancy notebook, so I use everything I can write on ;)

Graveer

Staples 5x8 Perforated Writing Pads Wide Rule

Usually have these all over the house/car for quick notes. I carry one slipped into a nice leather holder in my Urban Assault Bag.

Bodybybuddha

DIYplanner.com gives me Covey style daily planning sheets for free, which is then placed into my battered cardboard planning file. It also provides me with year planners too. Useful on $10million+ projects.

symo

If the Modo e Modo moleskines had better, more consistent paper quality, that's what I would have answered. As it is, there are better moleskines made by other companies (Quo Vadis, Brunner, etc.) so I use those. However, I also use a Circa agenda and I carry a circafied pack of index cards, so clearly Circa wins.

tournevis

@ownt: You don't need to, because it doesn't crash.

AvaTari

I grew up on Moleskines (artist parents) and still have some kicking around, but the Circa is way more functional. I need the ability to move pages around, and I can always have small cards to give to other people.

I'm old skool, though - I still use my Levenger pocket briefcase WAY more than my Palm.

AvaTari

HEMA

Why? Because its cheap (€2.25 for 5 of them) and it works. I never understood al the fuss about paying a ridiculous amount of money so you can take notes. it's just paper!

ok, so i said it. now you can flame me.

Pzler

How do you backup the contents of the notebook?

ownt

REALSIMPLE from Target. WHY? "4X6",medium stock (40lb.?) rule-lined paper on one side, blank on the other, 4 colored edged sections,perforated AND corner-hole punched with a simple screw clasp which is sandwiched by linen textured covers with an elastic binder. 100 sheets, several colors, "fan style" viewing, and well, Target's competitive price point.

ApeLUZR

Its all about the Sokkia field book. Its cover is bright yellow, so its easy to find if you've left it somewhere, and its pages are all very water-resistant. Even if you spill your coffee on it, you just dry it off and you're good to go - no more stained and warped pages because you're clumsy.

rustyjar

Moleskines are beautiful for three things: elegance in design/functionality and durability. The only thing better is a pad of graph paper on a clipboard.

nat lyon

I'm generally a Moleskine guy, but have also been trying out some others, some recent reviews I've done:

Review: Miquelrius Notebooks and Journals
"Earlier this week I was happy to receive a large and slightly odd package in the mail."
[amateureconblog.blogspot.com]

Review: The Stifflexible Notebook
"Just a few days after receiving my Field Notes notebook in the mail, I received my Stifflexible notebook in the mail from Italy! The Stifflexible is made by the Mazzuoli company in Italy."
[amateureconblog.blogspot.com]

Field Notes Brand Notebooks
"As a lover of fountain pens and journals, I'm always happy to get either in the mail."
[amateureconblog.blogspot.com]

Speedmaster

Black n' Red A5 spiral bound PVC covered note book, 90gsm paper that feels great and works well with fountain pens. Having said that, I almost exclusively use a Uni-Ball Vision Elite pen these days.

I've been using A5 notebooks for years for notes, designs, general doodling but I moved to Black n' Red a couple of years ago and never looked back. When I see the A5 notebooks on sale, I usually buy a couple and keep them locked away.

I do have a lined Moleskine though, usually for travel details and stuff like that, I like I can stick it in my jacket pocket with little problems.

Teclo

>> How do you backup the contents of the notebook? <<

How do you lug a laptop everywhere you might need to refer or wrote down notes? I'd say 80% of the things I jot down don't need to be backed up, and if I did that my hard drive would be filled with lots of superfluous data I don't need. (I also have visual memory and write things down simply to help remember them without actually referring back to what I've written down. Anyone else have this?)

It's getting to a point in my life where my personal data is something I prefer to keep trimmed down to the necessities. Everything else goes on Post-It notes and most of that eventually gets thrown away.

For general note-taking I most often defer to my small clip-board (about 5X10, which fits those smaller yellow legal pads) and sometimes heavier stock paper I've cut to fit (standard A4 cut in half) or the smaller yellow legal pads. Small clip boards, oddly enough, aren't as easy to find as the standard ones. It really works great at meetings or anywhere you don't have a tabletop to write on -- but it's small enough to fit in shoulder-bag pockets for easy access, unlike standards clip boards.

I have several of Moleskines, but they're so expensive that I really budget what I use them for -- mainly for idea-jotting rather than general note taking -- stuff I might keep and accumulate over time. You'd have to be rich or silly to use $12 pocket pads for most kinds of note-taking.

There is however, a $3 non-branded Chinese made "Moleskine" that I've seen some places (hard to find) that is IDENTICAL to the pocket-sized book-bound blank-page Moleskine -- it even has the back pocket and the elastic band. They're so cheap that I use those a lot for general note taking (grocery lists, to-do lists), tearing pages out as I use them. The great thing about those is that once you've torn out all the pages, you have this nifty pocket sized folder with a inside pocket and an elastic band. I use one as a portable blank-index-card wallet, another for index cards with notes (for studying), one for receipts and another for business cards.

olegna

Fabriano books from Italy are fantastic.

virgil22

My 20 year-old cheapo filofax ripoff. I holepunch lots of gridded paper for notes, it has my entire GTD system in it, with all action lists, projects etc etc and has plenty of room for notes and ideas (which can be put already into the perfect, organised place). Most important to me is that it's enclosed by a zip so I can quickly throw things in it and never risk losing them on the way. And it's still in great condition proving that you don't need the most expensive to get one that lasts.

alien.ted

After years of Muji and Moleskine notebooks, I find them staying more and more at home since I carry my EEE PC everywhere.

signalsurf

3x5 index cards here. Cheap, Pocket size, easy to give away, and one side is blank for drawing the other ruled for writing.

sperotium

Moleskines. I love all of them, every configuration, every paper, every color (I have the complete set of silk covered ones from the Van Gogh museum.) I play around with others kinds just for fun, but I always comeback to Moleskines.

MorgaineSwann

Filofax with all the trimmings but it weights more than my Fujitsu notebook so I don't take it out much. (I love 80s music too and very tempted to drag out the shoulder pads;-)

quantie

Mead 3 subject, 120 page, college ruled, assorted colors. Fast, cheap, & gets the job done. Plus the spiral binding doubles as a pen holder.

I have one Moleskine notebook which I received for Christmas & have been too intimidated to write in it.

ForkedTongue

Behance Dot Grid book is my favorite... and a standard Hipster PDA, of course.

kgwilso

Oh man, LifeHacker is doing its fellow Office Supply Fetishists a disservice by not putting the Rhodia pads on the survey. Many online outlets offer a sample set that contains many different sizes. If you love your moleskines, do yourself a favor and get your hands on a Rhodia pad and see what you think.

reverendreasons

I prefer Moleskine for my more "professional" stuff.
However, for general purposes, I like to art-hack my medium-weight paper notebook and sketch book covers using spiffy patterned paper and mod podge. The idea is basically the same as that found on [Emily Giovanni's] tutorial site.

Honestly, I'm not as picky about my notebooks as I am about my pens/pencils. I'm addicted to Pilots and Spectracolors/Prismacolors. :(

vid88

I personally enjoy the laser engraved Moleskins :)

[www.engraveyourbook.com]

widefido

I've tried a number of journals and styles, but most of them just get in my way. The moleskine with the grid is the only one that I can write and draw anything I want in, and it fits in my backpack, or most of my pants pockets. Its also easy to open and easy to close/keep shut with that elastic ribbon thing. I couldn't use anything else.

malimbar04

I have different notebooks for different things:

daily capture/"to do today": Levenger pocket briefcase and index cards

work journal: a Paperchase notebook I picked up at Barnes and Noble -- nice paper, sturdy, and more economical than a Moleskine

calendar/organizer: I designed my own planner pages using templates from DIY Planner and Open Office Draw.

edosan

Google calendar + Blackberry Pearl + Tbird/Lightning for PIM and shopping lists, a stack of post-its for random tasks and jotting, and a Rhodia A5 graph pad for serious note-taking and/or diagramming.

I used to carry around a Moleskine, among other pretensions, but I ditched all that in favor of the Blackberry. I'll probably move to some cheaper form of graph paper once I polish off my stack of Rhodias - so much of what I write is just random lists and quickly-disposed-of meeting notes, I can't really justify my notebook snobbery any more.

black_rabbit

OK, our Field Notes are getting smoked in the voting. We can deal with that, but please give us a chance to change your mind. The first 20 orders that use the coupon code LHBRIBE will save five bucks.

[fieldnotesbrand.com]

Thanks

Coudal

I like the moleskine sketch notebook mostly because it is the perfect size for my front pocket. Much to my chagrin, my local Barnes and Noble and Borders have Moleskines, but lack the skechbook ones.

surfwizz

pocketmod FTW!!!

whyn0t

I use a Slingshot Organizer from [slingshot.tao.ca] It's handmade and literally made with cut and paste (zine style - not Microsoft Word style). The proceeds support their grassroots radical paper and the organizer itself has paper in the back for notes, important radical dates on most days, and tips on activism. Love this organizer.

themissiah

I have a bunch of Moleskines; lined, Japanese album, sketch. Now I also use Midori's Traveler's Notebook. Acid-free pages for a great drawing surface and leather cover from Chiang Mai in Thailand which looks better with age. A new love affair has begun!

marc-hk

I'm a huge fan of the 6X9 Mead 5 star notebooks. I've tried Moleskines, but I like being able to fold my notebook around to effectively half its size, which I couldn't do with Moleskines. And book style notebooks get that arch in middle that's difficult to write on. Not so with spirals. And $3-$5 is a lot less than the $14 or so I see for Moleskines.

fadecomic

BWAHAHAHAHA...paper...AHAHAHAHAHAHAH...pens... OMG!! Business class cellphone FTW.

Kiamat

I just got turned on to the Traveler's Notebook from Midori in Japan. Thai leather and acid free pages. Great for drawing!

marc-hk

I guess that you could say that I'm indecisive, but I use a Moleskine and a few Circa notebooks. The Moleskine is a pocket-size soft cover that I can carry all the time. This is more of a journal and collection of thoughts and notes. It's got information from all facets of my life, and I think that the juxtaposition helps to inspire new ideas. The Circa's are used at work. A compact Circa to bring to meetings, and both a compact and a letter for storing miscellaneous pages. I love that I can print an e-mail, fold it in half, and bring it to a meeting, take notes, and then group the pages with a project. The grouping may impact my inspiration, but it keeps my projects organized. I also carry my BlackBerry, which manages my calendar and e-mail, and some reference materials.

gerbercj

I have been digging the Moleskine Pocket Info notebook since it comes with pre-loaded tabs that I simply customize with a p-touch.

I really like the Circa Modular in principle, but their smallest size is an inch or so bigger than the Moleskine pocket size in either direction and seems just a hair too big.

Troy F.

I keep a Classic Size Franklin Covey Organizer with me at all times, and I also have an assortment of Moleskine notebooks (Large Journal, Pocket Journal, Pocket Reporter) Most of my stuff goes in my planner (cut to size and hole punched) So it keeps most of my stuff.

jgodden

I like the modularity of some of the other designs, but for me the Moleskine is the winner. The integrated binding is the killer. All the modular designs are cool, but I don't like the binding that sticks out beyond the footprint of the pages just waiting to get hung on something or ripped off.

lhoward

moleskine's are annoyingly popular amongst hipster's, but they make a great notebook. the circa is just a huge ripoff. and the field notes are just repackaged moleskine's (the small ones). I know creative types, mostl writers who carry around keyring pads like the Myndology Keyring Notebook. That thing would last 2 days intact in my pocket, though.

someone above mentioned Muji. They do have pretty good notebooks for the price. I especially like their steno style paperbound notebooks. their biggest flaw, though is that the binding is as frail as the paper. they just don't last.

Claystil

Unless I need something I can carry in my pocket, I just use a standard 3 ring binder. 1/2" ones I get from office max for a couple bucks. Survived me all of High School and College, and still serving me well in the working world. It's nice being able to reorganize notes and remove pages without tearing them (and still being able to put them back in). Plus with a three-hole punch I can put whatever paper I want in it.

For on the go, I tend towards moleskine but only because it's the only decent thing I can find for sale around here. The smaller ones tend not to survive in my pocket very well for very long.

CrunchBite

Another shout for DIY Planner - it's perfect because it's exactly what I want, nothing more, nothing less. Throw it in your favorite binder (Mine is a Day Timer Jr Desk with full zip) and print out your Outlook one day at a time and it's perfect.

jrsheafer

Paperblanks ([www.paperblanks.com]) without a shadow of a doubt. Shiny, PRETTY, and that little magnetic strip that holds it shut... beautiful. And there's a wee pocket at the back too to put stuff in. What more could you want? I too went out with the intention of buying a Moleskine but when I reached the notebook section in the stationers, the Moleskines just seemed so drab compared to the lovely shiny colours of Paperblanks. What, shallow, ME??

Croila

@misanthropic777: Yes. Circa. Love it.

PotKettleBlack

I have a circa and never use it.
I am about to try using Start Here notebooks (www.starthereny.com). My job suddenly has gotten more complex, and I need to be more careful about keeping notes and phone calls organized. I plan to put everything into one notebook and archive them when full.

esappenfield

I love Rite in the Rain. Living in Portland, there is nothing better than waterproof notebooks with a drafting pencil.

xam247

I love my Circas. And I got the puncher to go with it, so I can pop in business cards or coupons or whatever.

INTPLibrarian

I use the hardcover Moleskine planner with the weekly calendar on the left hand page and the lined page for notes and to-do lists on the right. It's bright red so I can see it in the recesses of my black bag, and it even came with stickers!

khg

@ForkedTongue: I totally identify with being too intimidated to write in something. I absolutely have an office supply fetish, but there are some notebooks that I can jot in freely/without intimidation (usually the cheap ones), but others that are very nice or very expensive have that intimidation factor... but I do like the feel of nice paper and sturdy binding and all!

I'd really love to have a Circa system, but they're so expensive that I haven't justified the purchase yet. However, the Myndology products mentioned by Irian seem similar and may be cheaper. I'll have to do a price comparison later....

KMT

I make my own PocketMod, resized to fit inside one of those clear, hard plastic protective driver's license covers.
Plus a SpacePen (but I buy Rite In The Rain refills 'cos they're cheaper).
Then I binder-clip cards & cash to it and I'm ready to go.

longbourne

Post it Notes.

losergeekneil

@black_rabbit: "so much of what I write is just random lists and quickly-disposed-of meeting notes, I can't really justify my notebook snobbery any more"

That pretty much sums up how I feel!

KMT

I use a regular green engineering pad for daily use. Being left handed, it's the easiest way to write without having to deal with bindings or ringed notebooks. I archive the pages into binders for reference later. I use a Moleskine large reporter style notebook for meetings. It doesn't necessarily do anything a regular notebook couldn't, it's just convenient to have meeting actions/notes in one place to not get lost. It also stands up a little better against wear with the hard bound cover.

drjson

Reporter's notebooks, spiral-bound.

Basically a half-width steno pad. $1 each (or less) bought in bulk.

enrevanche

At the moment, I use a PaperBlanks book about the size of a Moleskine. Plus, I make a PocketMod every now and then.

I have used a Moleskine in the past, though.... as my travel diary.

lavidamd

herebedragons

@ownt: Lay the pages on a copy machine or scanner, of course.

infmom

Staples sells a great steno style notebook with a very durable cover. i keep mine shut with a binder clip so i can use it as a folder, as well.

Claystil

I use the Red & Black notebooks, graphically ruled, spiral bound. Everyone comments on them. For some reason, women really love them.

Jacknut

I love each and every Moleskine I buy. Pretty much every one gets modified in some way...whether it's GTD or as a form of writing notebook.

collinturner.com

OK, our Field Notes are getting smoked in the voting. We can deal with that, but please give us a chance to change your mind. The orders first twenty orders that use the coupon code LHBRIBE will save five bucks.

NOTE: only 5 left.

[fieldnotesbrand.com]

Coudal

I like the Circa PDA size with the correct punch since it can take 3 by 5 index cards making it both a notebook and a hipster PDA in one

owenl1998

Moleskine all the way

Reasons:
1) Cheap papers make pencils squeak...I detest squeakiness in my paper.

2) Gridded paper is the best way for me to take notes.

3) Elastic Coverkeeper Thingie (FTW!)

4) Neat little pocket in the back for a dollar or business card

5) Book-keeper ribbon

6) Makes a weighty little *thump thump* when you bop your thumb against it....just plain satisfying.

:P

DWeaver

@drjson:

ahhhh....Reporter notebooks for left handers...hmm

Have to try that

DWeaver

@DWeaver:

You know it dawned on me...anyone else a southpaw around here?

What do you do to maximize your writing capability?

We're obviously out performed by our right-handed tormentors and their ability to write right to left without skimming ink/graphite onto their hands, but what do YOU do to make it feel less awkward to write in a notebook in the air?

DWeaver

@DWeaver: In general I find anything that flips over the top to work better for notebooks. There are large metal ring notebooks that flip over the top if you need a full sheet or regular notepads on a clipboard/portfolio.

[vickerey.com] is the first example I could find of one that I find to be more 'lefty' friendly. After that it's just finding a good pen and pencil that won't dirty up your hand.

drjson

Not any Moleskine; THIS Moleskine: [www.moleskines.com]

dedalusjmmr

still vacillating:

1. composition book (prefer the penway brand, found at walgreen's) or
2. small 4 x 6" "brag book" photo album with index cards (rather than photos) as hipster pda

pair with cheapest small paper calendar

SnarfThundercat

Myndology without a doubt. Circa wasn't all it was cracked up to be, didn't even use it more than a day. The whole family uses a variety of Myndology products.

inetken

I alternate between 3 x 5 cards and Field Notes but love this little pencil clip from the Circa people. Looks designed to clip on covers only but it will hold 8-10 index cards comfortably....it seems 'sprung' with more cards or all of a Field Notes booklet for example. Probably still need to keep binder clips around.

the_rattail

I've tried so many, including all of these, and liked them well enough, but now MUST have unlined paper that I can use watercolor on. So I just stocked up on the Handbook Artist Journal as the best combo of cost/paper/size for my "illustrated life" journal keeping.

Nitavz

Only the truly "hip" can appreciate Field Notes. Don't get me wrong, I love Moleskine products and I really enjoy their rich history. However, now that it's a reincarnated "Made In China" replica, it just doesn't do it for me.

The Field Notes story is awesome and the product is so cool. Anyone would love them.

However, I also just ordered a "Roterfaden" and was told by the company I'm their first U.S. customer. I will report when I receive it next week.

scovington

Mead Ringdex cards, slightly modified/optimized.

I've written about it here:
[blarg.aaronpropst.com]

snarkyFish

I use a Pierre Belvedere (love the thicker paper, and the fact that it is refillable) for personal notes, and a Blueline for work related notes (company provides them for everyone).

chrispowell

Clairefontaine for me too!

happy_stomach

I really like moleskine because of the great variety of notebooks available by them at my local Barnes & Noble, but I have hever heard of the other companies before. Field Notes sounds a lot like Moleskine's little 3-packs, but it is an interesting idea to just use graph paper for everything. I also like circa's idea, but I really don't like the price. My favorite thing about Moleskine, though, is that handy little pocket in the back of the newer edition. I love the leather too. Just a great handy design. I have to get myself a new one.

cathos

Maybe it doesn't count because it is not a pocket-sized book, but I use a Canson Basic Sketch book.

([www.canson-us.com])

Black cardboard cover with a faux-vinyl texture. When I was in art school, I used the 9 x 12. Now, I use the 8 x 5. Blank pages allow for notes, sketching, whatever. I have gone through a dozen of these at this point. They are plentiful and durable enough to take ABUSE, while cheap enough that I don't mind abusing them. My life is currently simple enough to use a month-at-a-glance (Mead) for appointments.

jsnglbrt

[www.diyplanner.com]

seaellem

I mostly use more high-tech solutions, but I did start keeping a 3"x5" spiral notebook next to my bed, and I use it to jot down notes (like the errands I need to run - I can rip out a page and take it with me). I bought a pack of 5 notebooks (75 pages each) for a couple of dollars. When I don't have any paper on me, I write a text message and save it as a draft. Sometimes I send SMS to GCal.

chaitov

Atoma is the one for me (though I think it's only available in Europe)

Schanul

@tommertron: That should read "easy organizing"

tommertron

I love my spiral-bound standard issue work notebook, mainly because it's easy to lay flat open, and also easy to switch sides for left-handed writing.

Mainly just use it for meeting notes, but have a bit of a system of notation for each note:

T in a circle = task
i in a circle = information
? or Q in a circle = question to ask
! in a circle = important item

I usually end up ingesting the hand-written notes into my computer for easy-ingesting.

tommertron

99 cents composition. I can't think using anything else, the paper is perfect (some notebooks I've seen have glossy magazine-ish pages... what's the use of that?), the black and white allow me to think.

Or I just get a strip of fabric and hot glue the sides to the inside and create my own <3

kunoichichicky

I was lucky enough to find awagami+1's "syuro" journal on a recent trip overseas and love their attention to detail and the eco-modern black rice-straw paper cover. Since I use a variety of pens, markers, fountain pens, and pencils for my mark-making I found their interior pages to be far superior to almost any other book out there under $25 www.awagami.or.jp

Bagelboy

Give me a designer notebook and I won't use it.

Spiral bound notebooks do not interest me. I prefer to use a small binder with lined filler paper, that way I can remove and add and resort the pages any way I want and keep it neat.

Josie

I'm casting my vote for moleskine for an all purpose notebook; however for a larger format spiral bound (which I like for some reason) Urban Outfitters sells one that's about 8x10 and has really smooth paper. It's thick and perforated so it tears out easily, and the cover is stronger than regular cardboard. I can't figure out who makes them though.

indemnitypop

I use an 80 sheet mini pocketsized $0.80 marble memo pad from mead as my disposable Moleskine. It also doubles as my wallet and rolodex (I keep my places with my drivers license, my 1 credit/debit card and my insurance card.)

lazfsh

Stenopad by Rediform Inc. Metal Bound, sixty sheet, 6''x9'' two column. Everything else is pointlessly extravagant. A metal bound legal pad would work just as well if you have more space for it and/or need more space to write.

Paintbait

miquelrius A4

credford

@Coudal:
thanks!

hlkljgk

Anything pocket-size plain paper spiral-bound that I can find in the closest office supply store under 5 bucks. Period.

cst

Circa Notebook by far.......it is truly the tool that got me on track in getting my personal life organized.

It goes with me to work everyday, as does my Circa address book. That address book is one of the smartest around with the ability to just tear out contact information that is no longer permanent.

I actually did a review of of my Circa, complete with pictures, on my blog. You can see my review here.

WordsWithin

My job involves TONS of notetaking, and for years I relied on large Rhodia notebooks. But the inability to reshuffle pages got to me.

I looked at all the planners and systems out there, and surrendered to the need for a classic 3-ring binder. A bit of a monster, not exactly pocketable, but I need everything in one place, including printouts, and that's been the best solution for me.

Then I started going nuts with what went inside the binder, and made my own custom graph paper. Double-column sheets, with a grey margin area on each column for making to-do checkboxes.

This has almost worked too well, and now I find that digestible information overload is an overload nonetheless.

sherwoodseo

Another vote for Clairefontaine.
[www.exaclair.com]
Either cloth or staple-bound.

mark1000

Hipster PDA

steve.crane

Clairefontaine and Rhodia for working in, Semikolon for journaling, Circa built with my own layout on good paper for the diary.

I am one sad case...

marramgrass

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Pina Zangaro yet. I use nothing but their binders as they are made of aluminum, thus infinitely durable.

bryanoak

When directed to this site via fieldnotesbrand.com I wept a bit when I saw that Field Notes were being dominated by their lesser counterparts. After wiping away the tears and placing my vote, I asked myself, why? I then recalled something a very wise man told me a while back, "Not everybody is going to get your work, and if they don't, fuck 'em!" If you can pick up a Field Notes brand memo book without an emotive response, these probably aren't the notebooks for you. If you cannot appreciate the brilliance of these suckers, please continue using your Moleskine or whatever brand it is that you favor. You don't "Get it." Sorry.

My love affair with the DDC began a year or two back as I was thumbing through an issue of Snowboard Magazine. I had been reading the mag for a while, but it had never really dawned on me how brilliant the layout was. I was young and naive. The simplicity and function was lost on me for period of time that is embarrassing. I wised up. I was soon searching for the person responsible for the beautiful design, and found a name in the credits section of the mag. I Googled Mr. Aaron Draplin, and was rewarded with a link to draplin.com. I voraciously read through the site. Not long after I was telling myself, I want to be Aaron Draplin when I grow up. I was just starting out at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, and decided that I would pursue an education and career in magazine design. I later realized that I was better suited for copywriting, but my love and appreciation for design and the DDC remained intact.

I then discovered Coudal Partners and Layer Tennis. I again found myself developing a man crush on a brilliant group of design folks. If you aren't down with Layer Tennis, I don't want to know you.

When Field Notes dropped I immediately placed an order. A collaboration of these brilliant minds couldn't produce anything short of epic. A few short days later I was rewarded with a pack of Field Notes and wonderful accessories. I retired my Moleskine, and started doing my plotting and jotting in my Field Notes. I will never go back.

Why I love my Field Notes:

1. They are produced by good, hard-working folks that are cooler and smarter than you (and me).

2. Thoughtful design, for thoughtful folks. Futura is the stuff.

3. Subcultural capital.

I heart Field Notes, and I don't care who knows it.

jake.gunderson

I only use ATOMA Notebooks, I really like their binding system : [www.atoma.be]

xstephx

I've tried spiral notebooks for a while, but have found that a printed "daily planner" form, 3-hold-punched, and placed into a plain black 1/2 inch binder works the best for me. I prefer the very simple look. My form is available at [www.geocities.com] and has to be printed on a color printer. Two sided allows for one day to be on facing pages.

suzannejb

Pocket Miquelrius. This took over for Pocketmod, which took over for folding paper in eighths. This is by far the best solution I've found for something that you can put in your front pocket at the beginning of the day, and then forget about it until you want it. I use it to write down schedule stuff, contact info, and random thoughts.

I strongly recommend the pocket Miquelrius for anyone who'd use a Pocketmod. Even if you use the Pocketmod for a money clip (props for the plastic shield idea though). It survives quite well in my pocket with my keys and my pen for months and months.

arsenicdrone

I bind my own notebooks

Guerella