filofax Bridle Italian leather personal organiser

filofax Bridle Italian leather organiser.

The Bridle is a rare find, that said an as new A5 version was sold on an auction site, just last week. This leather binder is made with high quality hide, it exudes luxury and is sure to last for years. Available in Tan and Black, the leather does indeed feel and smell like a saddlery leather product. If you want an organiser binder to cope with a hard life, the Bridle should be on your list. No zips but plenty of storage sleeves. A strap and twin popper closure, to allow for extra filling. When closed it feels durable and of high quality, holding its contents securely. Will it lay flat? yes, well almost flat, as the thick leather doesn't want to loose its rigidity at first, but after some encouragement, use and some neatsfoot treatment, the leather softens enough to lay 99% flat with contents in.
Of course the only way to get your hands on one of these, is going to be from a previous owner and you may have to part with quite a few shiney pennies also. I have seen just two A5's (Tan) and a handful of Personal size, of which I own two (one of each colour). Is there a pocket version?
Now I have written that, there will be three on ebay next week, so keep a lookout.

filofax Finsbury

The filofax Finsbury has been within the filofax range for many years As a mid range model the appeal of the rambling grain printed leather represents good value and practicality.
Available in Mini, Pocket, Compact, Personal, A5 & A4, the Finsbury is sure to appeal to most organiser users.
Approximately eight years ago their was a small design change to the closure strap of this model. The popper button was changed to a fully leathered strap, enclosing the popper socket. A fairly insignificant change, though I prefer the original deisgn as it is more classic looking.

The Pocket Finsbury is a particularly good model choice for those wanting this size of organiser. Its plus points being the larger rings & the full width wallet document/note sleeve.
The Personal size Finsbury (as pictured) has the 23mm rings, 6 card sleeves, full pocket behind, plus the pen loop and zipped pocket at the rear. The single pen loop can be an inconvenience to some, but for most its perfect for everyday us. After some regular use the binder will lay flat, become more flexible and feel softer (its worth carefully rolling the binder after purchase, to rid some of the rigidness of the cardstock reiforcement).

The A5 Finsbury benefits from an additional pen loop and pad holding facility, otherwise its features and benefits mirror that of the personal size.
This filofax has been available in numerous colours over the years, consequently the bright and no longer available colours are sought after. The New electric blue Finsbury (looks like purple to me) and the ipad holders within the range, seems to ensure that this model will be here for some time to come.
The Finsbury Zip in "personal" & A5 were previously available and featured a useful external document sleeve. (on ebay occasionally if your quick).

filofax Personal size collection

Its time to thin my collection a little, or perhaps quite a bit more than a little. Over the next couple of weeks I shall be posting some pictures of the filofax organisers that I currently own. This photograph includes many of my favourites and I confess that there is the odd organiser that is not part of the filofax family.
Starting at the back from the left; Cavendish, Eton, Bridle, The Bridge, Richmond.
next tier includes, Holborn, Cross, Portland, Cross 1846 (behind), Calf blk, Bucklingham, Portland blk, Waverley & Grande Calf.
next tier; Cuban chestnut, Cuban dk chilli, Malden, Finchley, Aston, Chameleon & another Richmond.
At the front; Sandhurst, Belgravia, Durham, Cuban Zip & an Original.

 

filofax Sandhurst

Lucky man I am, as I have just aquired a brand new filofax Sandhurst, from a lovely lady in Southampton (thank you Fiona). An orange tan is probably the best way to describe the colour of the wonderfully sumptuous Italian calf leather.
With six card sleeves, full length pocket & a pen loop, the inside front cover is pretty standard filofax design. The rear cover hosts another leather pen loop plus two additional full length pockets, the first being shallower & having an attractive and practical concave cut to the leather.
A good or new Sandhurst in a personal tan has eluded me for years, so as you can imagine I am very pleased to get my hands on this unused version. With an A5 Black and a tan deskfax Sandhurst in my collection, the quality of the leather was something I searched for in my preferred personal size filofax
Having just transfered the papers, it is now set for up for daily use and will travel with me.
(size info: length 191mm x width 135mm x depth 40-50mm. 6 x 23mm rings)

Filofax Malden

filofax Malden antiqued leather personal organiser

My grey personal Malden is one of my favorites as it is both practical & tactile. The soft unstructured leather of the Malden is flexible in use and comfortable to hold. This filofax will lay flat out of the box, this makes it easy to use straight away. There are plenty of pockets for storage, but just the one pen loop, which can be overcome in different ways.
The Malden is already a sought after model with its availability in certain colours seemingly to be limited.
Colours include; Black, Grey, Ochre (Tan), Blue, Rose Pink & Purple. The Blue as far as I am aware was only available outside the UK.
The design is a little different from many previous filofax models, in that it features an antiqued leather finish, a small but useful zipped pouch inside the front of the binder (you can put another pen or two in here also) and a large leather closure strap (stud popper).

So if your looking to replace or update your personal organiser binder, I would strongly recommend the Malden, in all sizes, especially if y0ur current model is stuffed full.

 Calorie counter page for your filofax to download

One of my freinds had asked me if I could produce for them, a calorie count chart for their filofax. This has evolved into several requests on a regular basis and the thanks in the form chocolate to tickets is most welcome.

the link below should provide the page for you in Word format. This is printable on A4 paper that just needs to be reversed/put back into your printer for printing on the other side.
Of course this may alter if your printer settings are set up to a particular manor, but this should be easily adjustable. (personal size 171x95mm)

scribd.com

filofax Classic or Cross 

The Cross model filofax was launched several years ago and featured many derivatives, such as a purse, bag and and the usual sizes of organiser etc. After a couple of years the model name changed to the Classic, I say that it changed as I have not been able to see any difference between the two.
The Italian leather organiser has been available in many colours over the years and thus appeals to both men and women. With plenty of storage and the ability to lay flat after a little use( I am referring to the personal size here), the Cross or Classic organiser is also a practical choice. 
There is one negative point and that is the fact that most examples I have seen and own, appear to crack at the fold, whether it is at the back or the front. The cracking is like a glazing and is due to a coating that is upon the leather, which I am guessing lifts from the surface of the leather. This produces the white-ish cracking appearance which is more evident upon the darker colours.
I have a personal Classic in chocolate of which I have removed the coating using an aerosol shoe cleaner and much elbow grease, as well as a microfibre cloth. I believe that it is the solvents within the cleaner that has softened the coating and allowed me to remove the coating from the organiser. The result is a smooth non cracked leather Classic filofax that doesn't bug me now. I cannot recommend this as a form of treatment however, because some solvents or cleaners may differ and could cause permanent damage. Also some might say that an hour or so spent on the cover of a filofax is not an economical use of time. 

filofax Durham deluxe leather personal organiser

I believe that this organiser is perhaps one of the best that has ever been produced by filofax.
In both Personal & A5  size the Durham offers all the storage one could need, combined with a zip closure to keep contents safe, an external popper secured sleeve/pocket for quick access of documents or smart phone. All packaged in a soft, durable deluxe leather that should last for many years.
Both sizes are equipped with 30mm rings, yes even on the personal size, so there is plenty of room for your papers etc.

Filofax obviously recognize that this design works well, due to the similarity of later personal size models like the Guildford zip, Cuban Zip and the Holborn zip, however arguably none of those feel quite so special as the Durham.

Although they are becoming quite sought after the Durham can still be found on ebay very occasionally and would suit anyone who requires great versatility from their personal organiser. I have seen the a personal Durham fetch over £50 upon ebay (well worth it), but an A5 version in very good condition could cost as much as £100 at auction.

Monthly Notes & reminders for filofax, feedback.

Good day.
Following a request and some interest in my earlier blog, regarding "Monthly Notes & Reminder pages" a picture in "personal" size (171x95mm) is now below.
Should anyone have any suggestions or comments or even wish for a copy in word format, feel free to contact me.

filofax Pocket Mayfair - soft fine lambskin leather

 The Mayfair filofax is so very soft and luxurious, packed in its box with a filofax dust cover and like the Eton or Waverley, it feels almost too nice to venture out with. As with those mentioned the Mayfair is also a very practical binder, featuring card sleeves and a gusset pocket in the front and a zipped and gusset pocket at the back, two pen loops and a strap/popper closure.
I have not come across another Mayfair previously and wondered if it was available as a personal size also?

 For now I am hanging onto this pocket filofax, for no better reason than it may be a practical option in the future (any excuse as its gorgeous).

filofax Personal Cavendish and Personal Grande calf

The Cavendish personal filofax is different from the the majority of open or non zip filofax models, because the larger 30mm ring size allows for greater paper capacity, compared with the usual 23mm seen on most personal size filofax binders.
Inside the front cover are eight card sleeves, a full length pocket behind and one of two pen loops. The inside  rear cover features an open sleeve and another full length pocket, the second pen loop and upon the outside of the cover a zipped pocket.
My brown Cavendish pictured here contains a full years day to a page diary etc, and yet there is still room for more.

The filofax above is a rare Grande calf, personal organiser that also features the larger 30mm rings to an open binder, however this version differs from the Cavendish due to having a wider, squared off spine. This design seems to increase capacity further. Internally it is similar to the Cavendish with the two pen loops and card sleeves, however the rear of the binder features a full length sleeve, pen loop and a zipper pocket internally. As you can see above, my black version contains many papers and yet retains its shape.