Dates for your diary - Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2024

We are going to run some more 'Virtual Meet Ups' everyone is welcome.

When? - Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2024 at the following time:

• Los Angeles 8:00 am, 
• Denver 9:00 am
• Dallas 10:00 am, 
• New York 11:00am, 
• London 4:00 pm 
• Paris 5:00 pm etc.  

Join in on both days if you wish. 

Do not worry if you aren't available at the start of the session each one lasts 1-2 hours, so pop up when you are available and say hello.

Where? - an on-line chat using Skype. with voice and video (if you wish). If you aren't already in our participants list you need to contact Philofaxy before you come on line on the day of the chat. You can do this at any time. Please try to ensure that your Skype user name is the same as your actual name this will greatly assist in us being able to add you to the group. 

 

Because of unwanted people we are no longer able to give out a join here link. 

What do I need? - just a micro-phone and some head phones(in ear phones work fine) and a free Skype account. Using headphones or earphone reduces 'echo' on the call. Video is optional, but a most of us will be on video as well.

Who - All of you...   Come and listen if you don't want to chat.  What do we talk about? Filofax stuff... but anything else as well. It's like long lost friends meeting up for coffee and a catch up.. but don't worry if you have never joined in before... you are an old friend too!

If you have any questions you want to ask then please let us know in the group or before we start.

Come and join in the fun, even if you only pop in to say hello... but don't be afraid to join in the discussion.

If you need any assistance setting up Skype, please pop a comment in this post and I will try and help you get one line. Skype is free for computer to computer calls....

Hope to be chatting with you on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2024.

 

Silent Sunday

 

Photo by Seaview N. on Unsplash

Web Finds - Saturday 14 September 2024

It is time to enjoy a few blog posts from around the internet, grab a drink and make yourself comfortable for our weekly round-up.

Here are some Philofaxy posts you might have missed this week:

1. Web Finds - Saturday 7 September 2024
2. Silent Sunday
3. Filofax 2024 Catalogue
4. Free For All Tuesday - No. 710
5. Video Web Finds - Wednesday 11 September 2024
6. Guest post series - 'Filohax' No. 14 - Paul
7. Free For All Friday No. 827 by Laurie

Here are the latest Filofax and other brand blog posts from around the Internet. Don't forget to leave a comment on the posts you enjoyed reading, all bloggers enjoy getting comments.

1. New Filofax and Safari rollerball - love the colors! - Filofax
2. Finding Your Purpose - FranklinPlanner Talk
3. ️Plan your month – like you mean it! - Lime Tree Fruits
4. Master To Do List or Brain dump insert for my personal Filofax - Filofax
5. Episode #275: GTD and Holacracy Intersections - Getting Things Done
6. How is the flatability of the Saffiano Mini? - Filofax
7. Put your focus glasses on - Lime Tree Fruits
8. How to Efficiently Plan a Month-Long European Itinerary in Just One Week - All About Planners
9. Filofax Finsbury in Pocket size - full width pocket behind the rings or not? - Filofax
10. ‍When those goals keep NOT happening - Lime Tree Fruits
11. How do you mark blocks on your calendar? - Filofax
12. The best stationery shops in Singapore (pens, highlighters, washi tape, stencils etc.) - All About Planners
13. RELEASE: Pocket Slim Compagna - Gillio
14. Filofax Finances - Filofax
15. Link Love: Reading Mojo - The Well-Appointed Desk
16. Buying vintage - some questions. - Filofax
17. Web Finds – 11 September 2024 - Travellers Notebook Times
18. Your blog post could appear here. Please let us know if you have a blog that features ring bound organisers.

• Please leave a comment on any of the blogs you enjoyed reading and mention that you saw their post mentioned on Philofaxy. Thank you
• We monitor over 400 blogs and sites, your Filofax/Organiser blog posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
• We can not guarantee people will read your posts, but we know there is a higher chance of people reading your posts and returning to read other posts if you make them interesting with pictures and good hints and tips. 
• Your Filofax/Organiser posts could appear in this list, just contact philofaxy at gmail dot com to be added to our monitoring list. 
• Consider joining our Facebook group - Filofax for Philofaxy fans
• Follow Philofaxy on Reddit
• Follow Philofaxy on Threads

Enjoy

Free For All Friday No. 827 by Laurie

The thickness of the paper in your binder makes a big difference in the weight, bulk, and number of pages the rings can hold.

In the past, Filofax brand inserts were 70 gsm. A few years ago they increased to 80 gsm to make them more fountain pen friendly. 

Some planner brands use paper that is 100 gsm or even 120 gsm, to prevent show through and bleed through of inks. 

Paper doesn't have to be super-thick to prevent inks bleeding through. Tomoe river paper and other similar papers are very thin, but are specially treated to prevent ink bleed-through. The thinness of the paper allows a ring binder to hold more pages. However, if you print your own pages, very thin paper can be problematic when going through a printer.

What thickness of paper do you prefer? Do you like thin paper for reduced bulk? Do you like thick paper for better ink performance? Or do you like something in the middle?

As always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring binder organiser related!

Guest post series - 'Filohax' No. 14 - Paul

Thanks very much again to Paul for this fourteenth instalment of his wonderful guest post series.
You can find all of the 'Filohax' posts here.  

Filohax Gloucester review 

Second of my recent purchases is the Gloucester.

 

First a bit of back story. 

Since reconnecting with my Filofax past, I've made it known in my friends and contacts circles that I am 'Mr Filofax', and this had bagged me an unwanted Personal Pimlico from my friend network. However, I hit the big time when a contact of a contact had an old unused and unwanted Filofax. Several very poor photos were emailed which gave nothing away, until I asked for a photo of any serial number visible on an inside cover. When I saw the serial number '6CL 7/8' I knew I had hit pay dirt, and I'm too embarrassed to say how low a fee I paid (let's just say I hit the 'bullseye' ). 

 

I realised I had a few more bonus' once I received it; the first was its almost pristine condition (save for a slight scuff on the bottom of the front cover), but the real one was realising I had purchased the working binder of a Filofax trainer from the mid 1980's, as it contained a 44 page 'Filofax Retail staff development course' punched course notes, again in mint condition. I had a bit of a chat with the now 80 year old ex trainer, but he could only recall delivering this training in high end London stores such as John Lewis and Harrods to sell 'to the yuppies '!... well it was 40 years ago!). 

 

 

Its condition was as to be expected for a binder used for a short period in the 1980's, and then stored flat in a drawer for nearly 40 years - clean-ish but dry and quite poor flatability. 

After cleaning and feeding the leather it's looking as good as new, and the rings are as good as if purchased yesterday (well, maybe not yesterday if quality standards these days are anything to go by!) 

 

As with my other recent purchase, the Argyll, the Gloucester doesn't have ring protectors and as a consequence, I've come to appreciate the aesthetic qualities of the 'ring impressions' this lack leaves in the leather. Due to the Gloucester's lack of use this isn't yet showing, but as I've moved my work inserts into the Gloucester I'm hoping that these will break in soon as I love the 'lived in look' of vintage Filofax. One major benefit I'm finding from using it for work is its lack of fastener - I use a man bag and can be pulling the Filofax in and out of it 30 times a day, so now there is no fastener to snag on the bag. 

 

The other benefit of these 'clean lines' is the lack of a pen loop - ordinarily this would pose a problem, but as I use a pen loop WITHIN the 7/8 rings there is nothing to snag on the bag as I retrieve it. A real benefit for using the Gloucester for work. I also love the authentic quality of the leather - it just feels like calf hide cut to shape and dyed, that's it, no padding or stiffening giving a very straightforward feeling. 

Do any Gloucester owners have any insights or stories to tell?