15 November 2011

Free For All Tuesday No. 41

So today I will be travelling back to UK for about 10 days. But that shouldn't stop you from asking any Filofax related questions.

And before you all ask... no I don't know when Filofax are going to have another of their 90 year sales in UK or the US.!!

21 comments:

  1. I have bought a pocket Ranger filo on ebay. I didn't think it was leather, but some of the other Rangers there claim to be leather. Can anyone clarify? (Does it just look so good everyone thinks it is leather?)

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  3. Can you tell me why my favourite ballpoint waterman pen brought especially for my filofax wont work on my new 2012 diary (keeps on stopping mid letter) however works perfectly fine on every other filofax paper?

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  4. Hi - I intend to make some dividers to go in my filofaxes, but don't know what weight or card/paper is best. I found some lovely patterened card (280gsm) on Ebay, but it is way too thick really. I would like something that would be OK to use as a normal divider, and something that would be good to use to make dividers with storage pockets. Is there anyone out there who can advise? I have seen some fabulous scrapbooking paper & cardstock, but there is nowhere near me to be able to see it in the flash and feel it...

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  5. @LJ- Wilkinsons sometimes have some lovely floral card and sparkly card in A4 which is good value. Also Staples have Avery Sticky tabs in a variety of types and sizes. I've used these for years and they never fall off..... they stay stuck on well.

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  6. I saw a red Ascot on ebay last night http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Filofax-Ascot-Burgundy-Calf-Leather-7-8-rings-/180755802044?pt=UK_BOI_Office_Office_Supplies_Stationery_ET&hash=item2a15e2a7bc#ht_500wt_1287
    it's so gorgeous!! it has seduced me, but I didn't want to pay the buy-it-now price and I knew it could become a bidding war. ever since I bought my A5 amazona I have fallen in love with crocodile effect leather! then I remembered the amazona was in the Filofax shop sale, and phoned Neal street hoping that they still had a red personal amazona that I could buy at the meet-up on Saturday! the lovely lady on the phone (I don't know who it was, but she was French I think) checked the stock and there had none in the Neal street shop, but there are some in the Conduit street shop! they are half price, only £45!! I asked if it could be taken over to the neal street shop for me to buy on Saturday but she said it wouldn't get there on time. then I remembered my mum is in London this week, she is shopping on Oxford street today, so I asked her very nicely if she would go to Conduit street and buy me it for Christmas! she said yes and she will be heading over there soon!! I'm so happy, I can't wait!! also, I hope she kind of understands why I love filofaxes so much after she has gone to the shop :)

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  7. Well Sweden just emailed me and their put of stock of finchley A5 purple :( I ordered at 9.30pm so anyone who is lucky and changes their mind please think of me. Cat

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  8. Miss Oakden - that's a stumper if it works fine on any other paper. I would first just buy another refill and try again with the same pen. I use a Waterman ballpoint (fine blue refill) in my own calendar and have never had a problem.

    I have had suspect refills from Parker and Lamy that would dry out inexplicably literally right out of the packaging. In the latter case, two in a row led me to call Lamy customer service here in the US. Upon hearing my complaint, they sent me two new refills, gratis.

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  9. @TPS - I love it when things like these happen! :)
    Because I, too, tend to have James Bond ways of acquiring my Filofaxes, well, in my case usually at least the whole northern half of hemisphere is involved! :)
    I got my personal Almond Amazona in pretty similar way, maybe she and yours were sitting next to each other on the shelf, lol!
    I know you will love yours, Amazonas are simply gorgeous! And don't forget to enjoy it and do a post on it real soon! :)

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  11. thanks Vanjilla, unfortunately I won't be able to get my hands on it until Christmas!!

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  12. Does the oiled leather of the Filofax Hamilton need any special care? Can I use the Vitality leather cleaner/wipes I use on the other leather planners? The surface of the Hamilton is different so not sure if I should be doing something different. I read about just "rubbing out scratches and stain with a moist finger or cloth" but what about regular maintenance? Thanks.

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  13. @ Butanben - thanks, I will definitely check out Wilkinsons next time I am in the UK, will definitely be over again in March if not sooner.

    @ Scoot - I will look out for some double sided patterned card in 160gsm, mission in progress... I need to find a decent stationery and craft supplier over here so that at least I will know what I am ordering when I go on-line. And as if any Filofax lover would be so obsessive that they would print lots of photos/pics to make dividers that would never be used (mainly because there are only so many dividers you can put in your FFs) ;-) Clearly you know me too well :oD

    Ooh - now I'm thinking of having a filo in each size just to house funky dividers...

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  14. I phoned my mum this afternoon, she had been in the Conduit street shop for a couple of minutes. Evidently all she had done was ask for my specific filofax because she was already paying, I don't think she even looked around! I said "isn't the shop lovely" and she said "yes, lovely", completely straight, I can't tell if she was being sarcastic or not! then I said "don't you just want to smell all the lovely leather?" and she said "no, I've got lipstick on!". I don't think she understands!! I was joking around with her, asking her if she likes the filofax and she said she hadn't even looked at it, I said "well, does it come in a slidey box or a proper box with a lid" (not really expecting an answer) and she actually asked the person at the till! I don't think I've converted her yet! (it comes with a proper box, by the way!)

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  15. Hi Patrica - Just spotted that your question hasn't yet been answered.

    The Ranger was indeed plastic and not leather. "Rugged and multi-functional leather look design" was how it was advertised by Filofax. The personal retailed in the UK at £30 (in 2005).

    You're right to be wary of leather (and other) claims on eBay. Very often the seller is not the person who ever used the organiser and has little or no idea of the product they are trying to sell.

    Tim

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  16. @ Scoot - I may have to check out Zumstein, if only to look and drool, hopefully I will manage to persuade myself to wait and buy from somewhere else.

    I'll have to take a look and see if I can find the Swiss fax manufacturer. I haven't noticed them, the only ones I have seen over here apart from the genuine Filofax (at extortionate prices), are the ones made for Manor under their own Maddison label, which leave a lot to be desired - they feel cheap and nasty and don't look particularly impressive either.

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  17. Patricia - just double-checked - the POCKET was indeed £30 (Personal £35). So, you've had a bargain! Just looking at eBay completed listings though - some of these selling folk should be up before Trading Standards with their "Genuine Real Leather" claims! Enjoy your Ranger! Tim

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  18. @John I've tried 3 different refills all waterman fine black roller ball. None of them work properly but only on the diary inserts any other Filofax paper is fine. Wonder if it's waterman or Filofax? Who would you contact???

    On a different note my butterfly personal Filofax has a clip closure, underneath the strap itself (between strap and filo) are some initials mine say JFU anyone know what this means and if they have something different on each one.

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  19. What does everyone use their filofax's for? I've got an A5 siena without a use at the moment (I did have the personal size but decided I wanted at least one A5 filofax), a personal grey malden thats my uni/every day planner, an apex (which I won) that I'm planning to make into a health binder, and I bought a crimson malden today (because filofax's have 20% off in paperchase) but I don't have a use for that either.

    Really stuck about what to do, I love the siena in a5 size but it looks so wasted and it was a lot of money, then the crimson malden is too beautiful not to have a use either so I'm struggling. I probably should return them if they don't have a use but I love them both so much. I'm tempted to change the crimson malden to a5 size and change the siena back to personal.

    Help!

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  20. Miss Oakden, Roller ball refills and gel inks are a whole different story - I haven't used one in years precisely because I dislike just the inconsistency you describe. For me, however, this happens on all kinds of paper. Those refills don't reward upright pen positioning or small handwriting, in my experience.

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