When you are taking field notes, it is essential to have a pen that you can rely on. No one expects any kind of interruption while taking notes. Especially field notes is a crucial j0b. So, you need a flawless pen that can perform according to your expectation. However, there are a ton of pens available in the market. And, picking a pen for your field notes is quite impossible unless you want to try them all. Why should take that hectic while we are here to pull that job for you?
In this article, I am about to present the 5 best pens for field note writing.
Top 5 Best Pens for Field Notes
1. NarwhalCo Set of 2 Small Pens
When you are about to take field notes, you need something portable to carry all the time with you. In that scenario, these small size pens are very suitable. You can use any pen to write but having a perfect pen gives you more comfort in your daily writing.
Speaking of comfort, these pens are 3.35 inches long. And, that ensures to fit in any small space including pocket, wallet, passport, etc. Also, that ensures better comfort on your hand while writing. Well, there is no other thing that can provide comfort than a better barrel size. And, these pens have a 7mm metal barrel both for comfortable holding and strength.
In addition, you are getting a free two-color refill in the box. Also, Narwhaco provides free refills for the lifetime as long as you are using their pens. Overall, this setup will ensure you smooth writing whenever you want and whatever condition you want.
Well, the box includes two pens. According to their price, it seems winning deal when you think about that free refill for a lifetime. It’s sturdy, provides smooth writing, and fits in a small space. All of these facts I considered before placing it in the first place of this best pens for field notes.
Key Features
- Small in size
- Metal barrel with perfect thickness
- Free refilling for lifetime
- Affordable price range
- Easy to carry
2. fisher SPACE PEN Space AG7 Original Astronaut Space Pen
Have you ever considered getting a space pen? If you never tried these pens before I suggest having this pen. The first thing that you need to know about this pen is, you can write with any angle and zero gravity without any problem.
Regular ballpoint pen or fountain pens does not work in space due to lack of gravity. But, this pen can overcome that obstacle. It is not the main concern to include this pen in the list. You are going to use the pen for field notes. So, you may not find a comfortable place to take notes. In that circumstance, this pen will give you better writing ability than others.
Also, you can write with this pen in any temperature condition. And, its metal barrel ensures long-lasting with a comfortable grip. Moreover, the pen has premium quality ink for sharp writing on paper.
The manufacturer made this pen with full precision and done the test beforehand over to the customer. That ensures precise quality control with each pen. Also, the pen comes with a premium quality box.
Key Features
- Able to write on zero gravity or any angle
- Premium build quality
- Best-quality ink
- Comfortable writing
- Can write on wet paper
3. Tombow 56065 Pressurized Pen Easily Writes Overhead and on Wet Paper
You do not know what situation you are going to face in the fieldwork. Maybe you have a tiny space where you barely can stand. In that scenario, you can not expect enough space for holding a notebook in front of you. As a result, you might end up writing overhead. Tombow 56065 pen is the perfect one for this circumstance.
Also, while taking field notes your paper could get wet due to sudden rain or anything else. This pen can also write on wet paper without having any issue at all.
Well, the pen barrel has made of metal with exact thickness. It is easy to hold on hand for smooth writing. And, its rubber grip provides extra comfort on the hand.
Moreover, the pen contains premium ink to dry quickly even with no problem with wet paper. Also, ink is toxic-free.
Overall, this pen would be the best one for field notes. If you juggling your mind for the price then it should be an easier decision to pick this pen. Because it provides all of the possible features without having extra cost.
Key Features
- Metal barrel strong pen
- Rubber grip for smooth writing
- Ability to perform overhead writing
- It can write on wet paper
4. BASTION Titanium Bolt Action Metal Pen
It is every day carry a pen with the best quality so far in this list. This pens’ barrel is made of titanium. And, as far as I know, there is no stronger metal in the world for pen than titanium. That ensures you are getting the best build quality for your everyday use pen. No matter how many times the pen slip from your pen or whatever that surface will be your pen will get no damage.
Likewise, strength has a super comfortable feeling on the hand. The pen has the perfect weight balance to hold it for a long time. And thickness ensures extra comfort on the hand with better grip. As a result, you will be able to write for a long time without having pain in the hand.
Moreover, the pen has black ink with a premium nib. It requires very little pressure on the paper to write smoothly. So, while you are standing in the crowd or with other classmates you can write in your notebook easily.
Yet, BASTON provides an easy return policy if you do not like this pen. As a novelty item, you can get this pen for yourself or your friends and family members.
Key features
- Strongest pens ever
- Durable
- Premium ink quality
- Easy return policy
- Better grip
5. SkilCraft U.S. Government Pen
It is a military-grade pen to handle any condition. It is strong enough to handle the extreme situation and handle the usual drop test. This metal body pen is not going to break no matter how hard you go on it. Also, the barrel thickness is suitable to hold the pen for a long time. Although a pen does not contain a rubber grip it provides a comfortable grip for smooth writing. And, the pen has a medium tip for better lines.
Moreover, this can use to write in any situation or angle. Even in cold weather to boiling water hot temperature, you can easily write with this pen. And, it requires a small amount of pressure on the paper to provide sharp writing,
Also, it can write on wet paper without smudging ink at all. All of these facts I considered to give it a place in this best pens for filed notes list.
Key Features
- Military-grade rugged pen
- Easy to hold on the hand
- Ability to write on wet paper
- It can write at any temperature
- There will be no issue to write in obstacle angle
Things to consider before buying a pen for field notes
There are few things you need to consider to get the best pens for field notes.
Metal Body
For the regular purpose, a plastic barrel is enough. But when you are in a harsh situation you need something strong. And, the pen should ensure it can survive in regular drop. Well, dropping a pen from the hand is very normal while taking field notes. Someone can step on your pen that is also usual things happen. So, you need a metal body pen that can handle all of these situations.
Waterproof Ink
While you are using your pen outside, you do not know what kind of situation is going to occur. It could be sudden rain. So, make sure your pen has better quality ink that can be written on wet paper. Or ink should dry quickly and be waterproof. Waterproof ink is going to ensure your valuable notes never going to spoil for bad weather.
Writing angle
While you are writing on your notebooks in the field you may not get enough space to hold the paper with comfort. Most of the time, you will not get a table where you can put your paper to take notes. So, you need a pen that can write on every angle. No matter what situation you are facing your pen will ensure you have taken notes properly without having any issues.
Price
According to the quality, there is no bound in price. It is you, who have to decide how much your pen should cost. In general, a pen with the above qualities will cost at least 7 dollars. But if you can lift your budget by more than ten dollars you will be getting the best pen. There are a couple of pens in the above list with all the qualities that you need in a pen for field notes.
Frequently Asked Questions- FAQs
1. What are field notes?
Fieldnotes are one kind of notebook that is used to record your qualitative properties. Suppose, you got sudden though in your research or need to write some points for later analysis you need to use field notes. So, a field note is a note where you gather all the data while you are doing field works.
2. What is student field notes?
When a student does fieldwork and takes note of qualitative properties it is called student field notes. Usually during the research period student needs to do a lot of fieldwork. To complete the research they need to record every single point that occurs during fieldwork. And, field notes were used to record all of these qualitative properties. That ensures a successful research paper.
3. What are the two types of field notes?
One is descriptive notes and another is reflective notes. Descriptive notes use to record all the matters that you can see, listen to, and observe during fieldwork. It also contains certain people’s behavior, interaction, event environment, and everything else that is occurring around you.
And, reflective notes where you record your thought, analysis, ideas, comments about certain moments. This note is to put your comment according to the descriptive notes.
4. What is the purpose of field notes?
The main purpose of field notes is to record everything during your fieldwork. In the deeper meaning, to achieve successful research. And, ensure you are not missing the tiniest point that could be vital for later. Since the human brain can not keep data and often misses small points, having field notes ensures to keep all the factual data to do better research.
Final Words
So, that was all about the best pens for field notes. I have tried to include all the best quality pens that are suitable for field works. And, I think these pens are good enough to overcome any obstacle, that you can face in your fieldwork. However, you can read buying guide for better knowledge. If you read that point properly, you can easily pick a pen for field notes. And, that’s all the data you need to know about getting a pen for field notes.