Filofax Aston - Review

The Filofax 'Aston' is one of the new styles released in 2011. As its name implies the Aston is at the luxury end of the product range. It is made from 'Deluxe Leather', the stitching detail as you will hopefully see from the photographs is quite delicate and very well done.

So how does the 'Aston' compare to the other organisers in the range... ones you will most probably be more familiar with.  My first impression when I opened the package was 'Finchley'. It has the same soft feel of the Finchley mini that I have. It is very soft to touch, but may be not as supple as say the Malden, but no were near as stiff as say a Finsbury or a Classic.

In pocket size the Aston has the following features:

• 19mm rings, yes I've measured them! This is the same as the Malden. 
• On the left hand side there are four horizontal credit card slots, and a full length vertical pocket behind them. 
• On the right hand side there is a leather zipped pocket. On the Finchley this is a mesh pocket, not as nice as the leather on the Aston in my opinion.  There is also an elasticated leather pen loop. 
• The Aston comes with cotton cream inserts: Diary(Week on Two Pages), To Do, Ruled paper, Addresses, Three letter index, Brown ruler.  

What the Aston pocket doesn't have is a full width exterior rear pocket, which the Finchley doesn't have either. But what it does mean is that the pocket size does lay flat virtually from day 1. I compared it to my 'broken in' Chameleon pocket, which does have the rear pocket and the Aston does lay flatter than the Chameleon pocket.  So the lack of the rear pocket or the ability to lay flat could be a decider for some people.

However, when I have tried the Aston out as a Wallet/Filofax and it holds everything that I need to carry: Passport, Drivers licence, Credit Cards. The rear pocket I only use for paper money and as I carry less and less of that these days, the lack of the rear pocket on the Aston wouldn't be a big issue for me.

So some pictures, this is the pocket size in Mushroom. The leather 'panels' reminded me of the crease lines you get on a car bonnet (or hood if you are in North America)

 

They continue on to the back of the organiser as well, but without the centre stitching, so just like a boot or trunk of a car.

Without the stationary you can see how flat the Aston lays. 

 

A close up of the inside front cover. 

And also a close up of the base of the spine, stitching all the different panels together must be quite a task, even if it might be done by a machine these days. 

And finally open with the cotton cream stationary back in place. 

The Aston is available at present in the following colours: Black, Chocolate, Orchid, Mushroom. It is available in Pocket, Personal and A5 sizes. and the prices range from £72 for the Pocket, £83 for the Personal and £125 for the A5. These prices are the same as the equivalent size Finchleys.

The Aston I'm told will be available on the Filofax website sometime in June 2011.

Aston Chocolate

Aston Orchid

I would like to thank Filofax for the opportunity to review this new model and for sending me this free sample.