Updated August 23, 2019: see the bottom of this post for change log.
Yes, you read that right. Item Numbers. This is some next-level Field Notes nerdery you’re about to witness. All in good fun, of course.
Item numbers on Field Notes memo books are most likely found on the front upper-left corner of each pack’s belly band, in the format “FN-##”. Belly bands are easily discarded, leaving the memo books free of the item number, but there are some COLORS editions where the item number plays a more prominent role in the product design and packaging. National Crop and Workshop Companion come to mind as good examples.
As my Field Notes collection grew, I started noticing these item numbers, not just on the memo books but also on other types of products from Field Notes, e.g. pin-back buttons, rubber bands, carpenter pencils, etc. It became a small detail I started looking forward to with each new offering from Field Notes, as I consider it one of their quirky charms. I also started wondering if there was any rhyme or reason to the item numbers. Like, when did they start assigning “FNC” to Field Notes COLORS editions? What’s item “FN-12”? So here I attempt to research and compile lists of all known item numbers, with some interesting observations and comments mixed in. These lists will be updated as I learn more. Feel free to correct or add by leaving comments at the end!
Field Notes “FN-##” Items
| Item No. | Item |
|---|---|
| FN-00 | “Field Notes” circle sticker |
| FN-01 | Original “Graph Grid” 3-Pack (and many more) |
| FN-01a | County Fair (also FN-01) |
| FN-01b | Red Blooded 3-Pack |
| FN-02 | Original “Ruled Paper” 3-Pack |
| FN-02L | Left-Handed 3-Pack (ruled) |
| FN-03 | Original “Plain Paper” 3-Pack |
| FN-04 | Original “Mixed Paper” 3-Pack |
| FN-05 | No.2 Woodgrain Pencil 6-Pack |
| FN-06 | Clic Pen 6-Pack |
| FN-07 | 80-Page Steno Book |
| FN-08 | 18-Month Work Station Calendar (2009) |
| FN-09 | General Purpose Band of Rubber |
| FN-10 | Pony Express Leather Pouch |
| FN-11 | 1-Inch Button |
| FN-11 | Dry Transfer Kit |
| FN-11b | Dry Transfer Application Template |
| FN-12 | 18-Month Work Station Calendar in 8" x 12" (2010) |
| FN-13 | 12-month calendar |
| FN-13 | Carpenter Pencils (white, red, black, and natural) |
| FN-14 | 18-Month Work Station Calendar (2012) |
| FN-15 | Temporary tattoo from Fire Spotter |
| FN-16 | 6-Inch Pocket Ruler |
| FN-17 | Archival Wooden Box |
| FN-17a | Archival Wooden Box Divider Tabs |
| FN-18 | 18-Month or 15-Month Work Station Calendar |
| FN-19 | Fisher Space Pen |
| FN-20 | Gentlemen’s Memo Book Cover |
| FN-21 | Pitch Black 3-Pack |
| FN-22 | Everyday Carry Memo Book Cover |
| FN-23 | Cherry Graph 3-Pack |
| FN-24 | |
| FN-25 | "Hello" note – Sincere Pronouncement |
| FN-25 | 56-Week Planner |
| FN-26 | Tested.com "Flight Log" 3-Pack |
| FN-27 | |
| FN-28 | Chicago Edition 3-Pack |
| FN-29 | “2016 Best Year Yet” 1-inch Button |
| FN-30 | Front Page reporter notebook 2-Pack |
| FN-31 | The Brand's Hall rollerball pen |
| FN-32 | Portland Edition 3-Pack |
| FN-33 | Pitch Black (duplex) Dot-graph 3-Pack |
| FN-34 | Pitch Black (duplex) Ruled 3-Pack |
| FN-35 | Pitch Black (duplex, large) Dot-graph 2-Pack |
| FN-36 | Pitch Black (duplex, large) Ruled 2-Pack |
| FN-37 | “Everyday Inspiration” leather cover and memo books |
| FN-38 | Tenth Anniversary Edition |
| FN-39 | Haxley |
| FN-39b | Haxley Press Sheet |
| FN-40 | Zippered Pencil Case |
| FN-41 | |
| FN-42 | Signature Plain 2-Pack |
| FN-43 | Signature Ruled 2-Pack |
| FNB-01 | “A Drive Into the Gap” book |
| FNFC-17 | 2017 Freebie Calendar in kraft (4.5" x 7") |
| FNFC-18 | 2018 Freebie Calendar in kraft (two-sided, 3-1/4" x 5-1/4") |
| FNK-01 | Starter Kit |
| FNK-02 | Project Kit |
| FNK-03 | Desk Kit |
| FNW-01 | Blue Wednesday 2-Pack |
| FNW-02 | Heartbeat 2-Pack |
| FNW-03 | Green Wednesday 2-Pack |
| FNC-39e | Three Missions Press Sheet Set |
| FNC-42b | National Highway Map Press Sheet |
| FNC-43d | National Parks Press Sheets |
| FN×W01a | Wilco Press Sheet Set |
Some notes on Field Notes “regular” products:
“FN-01” is quite a versatile number. It is used on the Original 3-pack of “Graph Grid” memo books, as well as many of the earlier COLORS seasonal editions. It is also used on some of the branded memo books. More on this in the following sections.
“FN-13” refers to both the Carpenter Pencils and the single kraft sheet 1-year calendar that is often included with Field Notes orders during the holidays. Oops! I wonder when Field Notes started keeping track of all the item numbers. They must be by now, right?!?
“FN-11” is used on both the kraft 1-inch buttons and the Dry Transfer edition, which was the 10th COLORS edition. More on this in the next section. To be clear, I’m not pointing out these mis-numberings to be critical or mean; in fact, I think these show us the human side of Field Notes as a company and how their lineup grew organically.
Note “FN-01a” and “FN-01b”: they are both COLORS editions that sort of got reinterpreted as regular offerings (Fire Spotter to Red Blooded and County Fair to, well, County Fair). I am unsure if FN-01 vs. FN-01a for County Fair denotes original printing vs. subsequent printings, as I did not get County Fair until much later. Interestingly, Pitch Black and Cherry Graph (which are offshoots of Night Sky and Shelterwood from COLORS), have their own distinct FN numbers.
Field Notes COLORS Editions
| COLORS | Edition Name | Item No. |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Butcher Orange | FN-01 |
| 02 | Butcher Extra Blue | FN-01 |
| 03 | Grass Stain Green | FN-01 |
| 04 | Mackinaw Autumn | FN-01 |
| 05 | Just Below Zero | FN-01 |
| 06 | Packet of Sunshine | |
| 07 | County Fair | FN-01 or FN-01a, later FNC-07 |
| 08 | Raven's Wing | FN-01 |
| 09 | Balsam Fir | FN-01 |
| 10 | Dry Transfer | (FN-11) |
| 11 | American Tradesman | FN-01 |
| 12 | Fire Spotter | FN-01 |
| 13 | Northerly | FN-01 |
| 14 | National Crop | FNC-14 |
| 15 | Day Game | FNC-15 |
| 16 | Traveling Salesman | FNC-16 |
| 17 | Expedition | FNC-17 |
| 18 | America the Beautiful | FNC-18 |
| 19 | Night Sky | FNC-19 |
| 20 | Drink Local “Ales” | FNC-20a |
| 20 | Drink Local “Lagers” | FNC-20b |
| 21 | Cold Horizon | FNC-21 |
| 22 | Shelterwood | FNC-22 |
| 23 | Arts & Sciences | FNC-23 |
| 24 | Unexposed | FNC-24 |
| 25 | Ambition | FNC-25 |
| 26 | Two Rivers | FNC-26 |
| 27 | Workshop Companion | FNC-27 |
| 28 | Shenandoah | FNC-28 |
| 29 | Snowblind | FNC-29 |
| 30 | Sweet Tooth | FNC-30 |
| 31 | Byline | FNC-31 |
| 32 | Lunacy | FNC-32 |
| 32 | Lunacy (subscriber pack of 4) | FNC-32s |
| 33 | Black Ice | FNC-33 |
| 34 | Utility Graph | FNC-34a |
| 34 | Utility Ledger | FNC-34b |
| 35 | Campfire | FNC-35 |
| 36 | Dime Novel | FNC-36 |
| 37 | Resolution | FNC-37 |
| 38 | Coastal: East | FNC-38a |
| 38 | Coastal: West | FNC-38b |
| 39 | Three Missions | FNC-39 |
| 40 | End Papers | FNC-40 |
| 41 | Clandestine | FNC-41 |
| 42 | Mile Marker | FNC-42 |
| 43 | National Parks: Series A | FNC-43a |
| 43 | National Parks: Series B | FNC-43b |
| 43 | National Parks: Series C | FNC-43c |
Notes on the Field Notes COLORS editions:
Belly bands on most of the earlier Field Notes COLORS editions, from the 1st edition (Butcher Orange) to the 13th edition (Northerly), were printed “FN-01”, which is the same number assigned to the Original kraft 3-pack “Graph Grid”. Many of them are also simply titled “Graph Paper” on the belly band, instead of the edition’s name. I am not surprised, as using the same belly band design (thus the same item number) was probably more economical in the beginning. A sign of a humble beginning perhaps, when Field Notes probably didn’t know how long the COLORS series would last.
The first COLORS edition to get the appropriate “FNC-##” is National Crop from Spring 2012.
For these lists, I am going with the item numbers that were labeled on the actual products. Field Notes retroactively assigned “FNC-##” to the first 13 COLORS editions, as evidenced in this official COLORS chart, except for Dry Transfer “_______ Edition”. That edition is conspicuously missing a number, perhaps appropriately so.
But Field Notes used “FN-11” on the Dry Transfer Kit; you can see it on the kraft card stock and the carrier sheet that were included in the edition. The Dry Transfer Application Template is numbered “FN-11b”, which is downloadable here. Whether “FN-11” is the actual edition or the “extra” materials that make up the kit is up to you to interpret. As mentioned above, “FN-11” is also used on the kraft 1-inch buttons.
As far as as I know, Packet of Sunshine from Spring 2010 (“FNC-06”) does not have an item number printed on the item itself.
Drink Local editions are collectively labeled “FNC-20” on the official chart, but the belly bands of “Ales” and “Lagers” are labeled “FNC-20a” and “FNC-20b”, respectively. The same thing with Utility. Utility Graph and Utility Ledger are collectively “FNC-34”.
Workshop Companion books have their own numbers printed on the spine. For example, the “Painting” book is labeled “FN WCS 04”.
The format “FNC-##” will have to expand to “FNC-###” in 2033. By my calculations, the 100th (!!!) edition of COLORS will be the fall edition of 2033. Who knows what the future holds for Field Notes, for any of us fans really, but I'm pretty giddy about it already. Live long and prosper, Field Notes!
Depending on the state, more recent printings of County Fair are labeled with “FNC-07” on the belly band, instead of FN-01/FN-01a.
Field Notes COLORS Bonus Items (some subscription-only)
| Item No. | Item Description |
|---|---|
| FN/RC No.001 | Workshop Reference Card “How to Sharpen a Carpenter Pencil” from American Tradesman |
| FN-13 | Carpenter Pencil (red or white) |
| National Crop embroidered patch (3") | |
| FNC-14 | National Crop reference map |
| FN-15 | Temporary tattoo from Fire Spotter |
| FNC-16 | Traveling Salesman “Authorized Representative” button |
| FNC-18a | Water decal from America the Beautiful |
| FNC-20c | Coaster from Drink Local “Ales” |
| FNC-20d | Coaster from Drink Local “Lagers” |
| FNC-20e | 6-Pack Carrier from Drink Local (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-23a | “Arts” button from Arts & Sciences (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-23b | “Sciences” button from Arts & Sciences (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-25a | Bookmark from Ambition (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-27a | Decals from Workshop Companion |
| FNC-27b | Magnet from Workshop Companion (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-28a | Sweet Birch Identification Badge from Shenandoah (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-28b | Chestnut Oak Identification Badge from Shenandoah (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-28c | Red Maple Identification Badge from Shenandoah (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-30a | Commemorative Reprint of Butcher Orange and Butcher Extra Blue (subscriber-only 2-Pack, customized with name) |
| FNC-30b | Commemorative Reprint of Butcher Orange and Butcher Extra Blue (“401 N Racine”) |
| FNC-30c | Commemorative Reprint of Butcher Orange and Butcher Extra Blue (“Commemorative Reprint”) |
| FNC-31a | “Field Notes Statesman” newspaper |
| FNC-31b | “Power of the Pen” Laptop Sticker (subscriber-only) |
| FNC-33b | Gift Concealment Wrap from Black Ice |
| FNC-33c | Adhesive Gift Label from Black Ice |
| FNC-34c | After Hours Utility Tool from Utility |
| FNC-34d | “Blue Book” Exam Booklet, Spring Semester, 2017 (subscribers-only) |
| Campfire embroidered patch (2-1/4") | |
| FNC-36b | “Dime” 1-inch button from Dime Novel (subscribers-only) |
| FNC-37a | 2018 Calendar from Resolution (two-sided, 3-1/4" x 5-1/4") |
| FNC-39a | Mercury Crew Capsule Model from Three Missions |
| FNC-37b | Gemini Crew Capsule Model from Three Missions |
| FNC-39c | Apollo Crew Capsule Model from Three Missions |
| FNC-41d | F.I.E.L.D. Agent Identification Card from Clandestine |
| FNC-41e | Cipher Wheel from Clandestine (subscribers-only) |
| FNC-42a | National Highway Map from Mile Marker |
Notes on the bonus goodies related to quarterly editions:
The letterpress card and envelope from Balsam Fir don’t have any special item numbers printed on them. Same is true for the triangular, embroidered logo patch from National Crop.
The map from National Crop and the button from Traveling Salesman don’t have their own numbers; they are simply printed with their “parent” item numbers, “FNC-14” and “FNC-16”, respectively.
I think it’s safe to assume that the bonus materials related to quarterly editions will have an item number “FNC-##x” from now on, where ## refers to the edition’s number and x is a letter.
As you may have noticed from the first list, the temporary tattoo that was included in the 12th edition (Fire Spotter from Fall 2011) is numbered “FN-15”. Clearly the practice of numbering the bonus materials “FNC-##x” started much later, with the 2013 spring edition, America the Beautiful.
Field Notes Custom Memo Books
Field Notes makes a lot of custom memo books for other companies, and many of the old ones got the item number “FN-01” (e.g. Threadless). Many didn’t get any (e.g. Design Trilogy, The Field Museum). But in recent years, Field Notes have been making select projects available for sale directly on their website and those got item numbers, at least in their product page (not necessarily printed on the product).
| Item No. | Item Description |
|---|---|
| FNEB-01 | “Flagged by Ellen” in blue |
| FNEG-01 | “Flagged by Ellen” in green |
| FNSBR-01 | Starbucks Reserve Roastery edition (2014) |
| FNSBR-02 | Starbucks Reserve Roastery “Coffee Origins” (2015) |
| FNSBR-03 | Starbucks Reserve Roastery “Capitol Hill” (2015) |
| FNSBR-06b | Starbucks “Coffee Farm” (2018) |
| FNLL-01 | L.L. Bean (2016) |
| FNLL-02 | L.L. Bean “Bean Boot”(2017) |
| FN×CH-01 | Field Notes × Carhartt (2016) |
| FN×AF-01 | Abercrombie & Fitch Ruled 3-Pack (2017) |
| FN×AF-02 | Abercrombie & Fitch “Heritage” graph 3-Pack (2017) |
| FN×AF-03 | Abercrombie & Fitch “Floral Prints” ruled 3-Pack (2017) |
| FN-RAMS | RAMS (2018) |
| FN-XO18 | XOXO 2018 (Shawna X) |
| FN-JAMES-01 | The James Brand “Benton” (2018) |
| FN-JAMES-02 | The James Brand (2018) |
| FNR-2019 | Tournament of Books - Rooster (2019) |
| FN×W01 | Wilco (2019) |
Thanks for reading this far! If you can fill any of the blanks or have corrections, do let me know by leaving comments below. I will update this post as new items are released. I may even make a separate, static page with the same content as above, and link it as a reference page in the LINKS page later. Stay tuned. Who knew that there was THIS much to talk about item numbers. Ha!
Log of Updates
2019-08023
Added National Parks (FNC-43a, FNC-43b, FNC-43c), National Parks Press Sheets (FNC-43d), Wilco (FNxW01), and Wilco Press Sheet Set (FNxW01a).
2019-05-23
Added End Papers (FNC-40), Clandestine (FNC-41) and its related extras, Mile Marker (FNC-42), Nat’l Highway Map (FNC-42a), Nat’l Highway Map Press Sheet (FNC-42b), RAMS (FN-RAMS), XOXO 2018 (FN-XO18), The James Brand (FN-JAMES-01 and FN-JAMES-02), Green Wednesday (FNW-03), and Rooster Book (FNR-2019).
2018-07-22
Added the Summer 2018 quarterly edition Three Missions (FNC-39), Crew Capsule Models (FNC-39a, FNC-39b, FNC-39c), and Press Sheet Set (FNC-39e).
2018-03-30
Added the Spring 2018 quarterly edition Coastal (FNC-38a and FNC-38b) and Starbucks “Coffee Farm” (FNSBR-06b).
2018-02-14
Added the Signature series (FN-42 and FN-43) and Heartbeat 2-Pack (FNW-02).
2018-01-31
Added Haxley Press Sheet, Bellroy Zippered Pencil Case, and various Kits.
2018-01-24
Added FNC-30b and FNC-30c (Commemorative Reprint 2-Pack), thanks to Dominic Flask’s comment below.
2018-01-09
Added FN-17a (Archival Box Divider Tabs), FN-29 (the “2016 Best Year Yet” 1-inch button), and some notes about County Fair. Huge thanks to Bryan Bedell for pointing these out!
2018-01-05
Finally, FN-14 is identified! It's the Work Station Calendar from 2012. Thanks to this tweet by @Felling.
2017-04-19
Added item numbers for the revamped Pitch Black and Bellroy x Field Notes leather case and memo books.
2015-12-03
Added FNC-29 (Snowblind) and FN-26 (Flight Log)
2015-09-28
Added FNC-28, FNC-28a, FNC-28b, FNC-28c, and FN-25, all from Shenandoah
2015-09-04
Added FN-08 (older 18-month calendar) and FN-12 (bigger 18-month calendar), thanks to these tweets by @Felling!
2015-09-01
Added FNC-20e (6-Pack Carrier)
2015-08-31
Added FN-16 (6-Inch Pocket Ruler), thanks to this tweet by @jeffrey_drake!