16 April 2013

Free for All Tuesday No. 115

Tuesdays are your chance to ask any Filofax related questions you might have.

So fire away and we will collectively try to answer your questions or offer opinions.

32 comments:

  1. I have finally decided to get an A5 paper punch for my Filofax and I would really appreciate some recommendations on the best one to get. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been very happy with my KW-Trio punch which adjusts to do A5, personal and pocket. Nice and solid and will punch through 5 or 6 sheets in one go. I'm in the UK and bought it from Hummelman Kantorvakhandel in the Netherlands - postage wasn't too bad and it arrived quickly. The only complicated bit was navigating the website in Dutch!

      Delete
    2. Take a look at this post http://philofaxy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/reader-question-which-punch.html and also the one it links to. Good luck!

      Delete
    3. If you value your fingernails (and I don't mean breaking them off, I mean bending them back, v v painful!!) then try something other than Filofax's own punch. I have one and I am still trying to find the right technique to make bodging holes painless!

      Best method so far: Slide the paper down the punch from the top, half close it so that the punch grabs the paper, hold it up horizontally with both hands and the paper dangling, then punch and hope the pages haven't slipped. If you try to do it flat on the page you cannot see if the paper is fully inserted and the infernal gadget bounces across the desk! If you turn over the pages top to bottom to punch the pages, the holes seem to match those in the dividers. If you punch them with the right side facing the holes are slightly offset. And watch you fingernails when removing the end to empty the bodgings!

      Otherwise it's fine......

      Delete
    4. Thanks Paul - I will check out the reader questions and also the Dutch website. Is the KW-Trio punch difficult to operate? I mean is it easy to adjust for the different sizes?

      Delete
    5. Kath - I think I will avoid the Filofax punch as I had heard it wasn't great and I do try to keep my fingernails in one piece if possible.

      Delete
    6. This more recent post might be of better help

      http://philofaxy.blogspot.com/2013/01/filofax-punches.html

      Delete
    7. Thanks Steve, lots of great information there.

      Delete
    8. The KW-Trio is really easy to adjust. The punch blocks just slide from side to side and have detents where they naturally stop for the different sizes of filofax. If I change the setting I just punch one sheet to check all is well before doing bulk. Punching multiple sheets can take a bit of effort but generally it's a nice bit of kit.

      Delete
    9. The KW-Trio also has a setting for Mulberry Agenda size and others that have the 38mm centre ring spacing.

      Delete
  2. I have a random question. What is the slimmest pocket or mini?
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don´t know for sure, but from the current ranges according to filofax.co.uk I guess it could be Boston Pocket (11 mm rings, 22 mm depth), followed by Guildford Pocket Extra Slim (11 mm rings, 26 mm depth). Regency Pocket has also 11 mm rings, but the depth is unknown.

      http://www.filofax.co.uk/store/organiserdetails.asp?rangeId=185&sizeId=2&dsizeId=2&spId=1303#1303

      http://www.filofax.co.uk/store/organiserdetails.asp?rangeid=99&sizeid=2&dsizeid=2

      http://www.filofax.co.uk/store/organiserdetails.asp?sizeId=2&rangeId=169&dsizeId=2

      I don´t really follow Mini size, so I have no idea in that size.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Helen!
      The USA FF website doesn't list depths, but I guess the UK doesn't list depths for all of theirs, either.
      I just don't understand why the company lacks basic information for their customers this way.
      Sure appreciate the links.

      Delete
  3. Just found this online http://www.chocolatebaroque.com/Washi-Tape-Dispenser_p_5011.html
    - may be of interest to those who like to use a lot of washi tape??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A couple of strips of washi tape on the Rapesco 6 hole punch works a treat as a marker for lining up the paper.

      Delete
  4. So, if I am reading this correctly, the Franklin Covey Compact punch will work for Filofax Personal size? I do have the Rapesco but as someone else noted on Steve's link on punches from January, there is no guide so you have to be careful when lining paper up to punch. I was thinking recently of actually biting the bullet and buying the Filofax A5 punch ($55.00 in the US!!) but is it worth it??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the FC Compact punch and yes, it works really well. You can also use the same punch for Filofax A5! ; )

      Delete
  5. I have the Franklin Covey Compact punch and it does work for personal size. It's a great hole punch, easy to use and really sturdy. Much better than the Filofax one...

    ReplyDelete
  6. If Filofax used magnetic closures, such as the one on the Peru, more widely, would the FF magnets disrupt the magnetic data strips on bank cards?

    I know that we aren't supposed to put cards near strong magnets because the data gets scrambled. Just wondering HOW strong the magnets need to be for this to happen?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The magnetic strips on bank cards aren't used these days since the advent of chip and pin.

      May be in far off places such as the USA are they still in use ;-)

      Delete
    2. Not quite, Steve! Cards still have magnetic strips that can be read by card terminals should the chip fail to be recognised. They're also necessary for us in the USA where pin and chip technology has yet to be adopted. Equally, cards issued in the USA have to be passed through the magnetic strip reader, when presented overseas, as they don't come fitted with chips (or fries...)

      Delete
    3. Sorry Tim, I stand corrected, I didn't think they were used that much these days because of the insecurity of them. I read a article within the last week or so about them but I forget where.

      Delete
  7. Hello world. I have enjoyed this blog for the last month or so and just received my first Filofax in the mail yesterday. It is a Compact Chameleon in Raspberry. It arrived here in Canada all the way from Denmark in 10 days (didn't have to pay any duty by the way) - happy about that. It did arrive with some wear on the leather at the top of the spine and on the clasp (both sides). Is this unusual? Should I contact them? I would really like to start using it but am disappointed about the shape it is in. Thanks.

    Wasn't sure if I can post a pic on the comment thread or not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi and welcome to Philofaxy.
      Take some pictures and post them on Flickr or similar and then post the links in this comment thread.
      Steve

      Delete
    2. Hi Steve,
      Thanks for responding. I just posted 4 pics in the Philofaxy Flickr group. :)
      Maggie

      Delete
    3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/beeski/8655547792/

      Delete
    4. Sorry for the delay. If I didn't know any better I would say that it looks like a display model that has been in and out of the sleeve type box many times.

      Yes I think you should contact Filofax Denmark enclosing the pictures along with details of your purchase date and order number etc.

      If you don't get any joy please contact me at philofaxy at gmail dot com

      Delete
    5. Thanks Steve. My email has been sent. That's kind of what I thought. There was even a bit of sticky stuff on the front that I was able to pick off. I will wait to hear back from them.

      Delete
    6. Good morning Steve. I have an email back from Filofax Denmark. They are sending me out a replacement asap and are very sorry :) I don't even need to mail the damaged one back. Thanks again.

      Delete
  8. Anyone have any luck with drying out pages? I just had a devastating accident with my less-than-two-week-old Filofax. I didn't secure my son's carriage well (he wasn't in it) and it rolled down the hill and into a small pond. My precious Filofax was inside my purse, which was in the bottom of the carriage, and submerged by water. I took everything out of the planner (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8656468806_d1f9a0514c_s.jpg) and I'm hoping it will air dry okay. Most of the water damage is just along the bottom edge of the inserts. Except the first couple and last couple of pages, which got pretty wet. At this point, if they just end up wrinkled I'd be happy. I don't want to loose any information. And I hope to not have to buy all new inserts all over again. The binder itself looks like it will be okay. The outside looks perfect. The inside has some water spots on the bottom and up a little next to the rings. It's empty and laying open and it looks like it's drying okay. Wow, I never thought I'd like this planner as much as I would, or how much it sucks to have it get ruined like this. I'm sooo mad at myself for not putting the breaks on the carriage! Sooo.. if anyone has any tips on drying out pages, I'd love to hear it. I wonder if I could iron the pages to be flat again????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, everything is dry and my planner is put back together.. the pages are wrinkly and puffy, but it will have to do for now. If it really bothers me too much, I'll just buy new ones! But I'm hoping after some time spent closed tight, the pages will flatten out a bit more.

      Delete
    2. Ironing them might do the trick, try it on a single page sandwiched between some paper

      Delete