19 June 2012

Free For All Tuesday No. 72

This is the point in the week when you get to ask and answer questions.


Fire away with your questions.

181 comments:

  1. Hi All. After badgering my other half for weeks or months to consider a filofax, she appeared yesterday and said "Oh, here`s my old Pocket from the late 80s or early 90s". When I looked at it, I noticed it only has 4 rings, not 6. When did this change, and more importantly, do the current Pocket inserts still fit? I cant read the text of the model, the font on the leather is absolutely tiny, but it still has gold rings, although the lettering isnt gold, so maybe its post-1993, not sure. Anyway, Im excited, as a world of inserts awaits her> just need to do this gradually and not scare her away........

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    1. I remember these! The 4 holes are basically the inner 4 holes of the 6 holes of the personal filofax. i think the idea was that you'd be able to file pocket paper in a personal filofax. Then they changed it to 6... and for a while the paper had a couple of elongated holes so it could fit 4-ring or 6-ring pocket filos, but now nearly all paper has 6 holes. However the good thing is that you can easily punch the right holes using a standard (personal) filofax hole punch.

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    2. Paul
      Could you measure between the hole centres of the 4 rings: Rings 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 in mm please. I will add the details to our information on hole spacing.
      Thanks
      Steve

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    3. Some of the Pocket sized refills don't have 6 round holes, but 2 ovally shaped holes. I read somewhere that the odd shape was created so that it would also fit the old 4-ring-pocket binders. I believe that the contemporay inserts (multilanguage WO2P) would fit that bill!

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  2. I have been gifted a Caramel Finchley by a friend who bought it online. We are both suprised how light it is compared to the photos online and in my case the slipcover for the Fincheys. The photos show a colour that could definately be described as a brown albeit a lovely rich brown not that far off the cuban chestnut. What we have is more an ochre yet it is too dark we think to be the mustard. I just wondered... Has anyone else got a caramel and do you find it to match up to photos in colour? There is a photo of it on my blog at the end of this post:
    Www.downthewell.blogspot.com/2012/06/big-box-of-pleasures.html

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    1. Hi Helen,

      I'm so jealous of your Finchley! In your picture, it looks a lot like the Mustard colour they did though but it might just be the lighting :)

      Either way, I'm jealous! X

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    2. Looks like the mustard one to me!

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    3. I'm trying really hard to believe its not mustard but...! I am calling it ochre and using it to keep my research on Contemporary African Art in so it is quite a suitable colour.... But does this mean I am allowed to buy a caramel as well?!! Please someone put one on adspot at a really good price :)

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    4. First post from a long time Philofaxy reader :)
      Hi everyone!

      Helen, I just bought a caramel Finchley tote (they're 50% off!), and FWIW - your filo looks mustard to me. Mustard is a lovely color, though.

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    5. I'm thinking mustard too!!

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    6. Hi Helen, I love Finchley and have the A5 in Mustard and in Caramel. The one you have is definitely a Mustard. Take a look at this post of mine - the first A5 is the Mustard and the last A5 is the Mustard.

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    7. shh.. forgot to put the link in http://filofit.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/my-love-for-the-family/

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    8. what is wrong with me today :) The last A5 is the Caramel

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  3. Helen - I have a feeling they did this sort of caramel colour a while ago - but I may be mistaken as they also did it in the cross range so I may be confusing things!

    This is so blatantly off topic, but as it's for charity, I hope Steve doesn't mind. I am doing my Race for Life tomorrow night - I am hopelessly unprepared as I had a knee injury and other complications, but am determined to do it and finish, albeit at a slower time than might be ideal! If you haven't always (and one or two of you have so thank you!) please consider donating to this wonderful cause which aims to cure a blight which affects all of us either directly or via a family member or friend. Even a tiny donation would be very, very welcome. You can donate here: https://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/alisonreeves

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    1. Proud to have just donated and thank you for what you are doing!!!!

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    2. Thank you DEM - I'm so grateful! Will post an update after the race!

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  4. Sorry that should read - if you haven't *already* !!!

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  5. Hi all. I recently decided to use a Filo for my burgeoning craft business, in order to keep track of stock, sales, ideas etc. Do any of you keep a Filo for craft activities? How does this work for you?

    Also, does anyone have any idea what I can do with the A-Z tabbed dividers?

    Many thanks - Jackie

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    1. A-Z-
      Address book for customers/suppliers
      Noting techniques/materials to try

      I've a set in my household folder for recipes.

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    2. I recovered my A-Z tabs with labels and used them to have more dividers, more topics. You can use them as a filing system, craft patterns/names. Hope this helps.

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    3. I'm thinking of setting up an A5 sized one for my jewelry recipes and design book. I have one in a three ring plastic binder currently, but it is so large as to be nonfunctional and I never organized it well. I would think a section for notes on design ideas, a section for recipes broken down by type of jewelry: bracelets, rings, earrings, necklaces, pins. I have a separate folder that I use for sales summaries, receipts, tax information and any show information I need.

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  6. Hi Jackie! I keep a tab for my crafts, not an entire filo. It includes supplies I need/want to buy, ideas for future projects, lists of websites I order from, and details orders I need to fulfill, when they're due, how much they are, etc. I don't need I'll ever need an entire filo for this, but of course, it depends on your needs.

    As it happens, I do have a separate filo for household data, and use the A-Z tabs for that. I keep a page with a Legend of what data is filed under each letter - U for utilities, T for telephone, B for banks, etc - and hand-wrote and filed under each letter accordingly. It's not quite full since it's really just the numbers (accounts/telephone) that I keep in there.

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  7. I posted this on a little bit late on Free For All Friday and got a few helpful responses but thought that if I posted it early here I might get a few more :)

    I've got a purple a5 malden that I set up a while back. I'm really happy with the way I've got it. I've got 6 tabs - Info (which contains the filofax information sheets), Uni (uni to do page, modules and lectures within those modules, column which I tick once the handout has been printed and one which I tick once I've written it up, and some project planner sheets), Notes (to do list, a list of stuff to pack when I go home for the weekend, media, wishlist, and some blank paper), Gifts (one sheet per family member + boyfriend with two columns, one for birthday and one for christmas where I keep note of presents bought each year), Diary (stickers, a page where I've listed direct debits so I know what money comes out when, a year planner, month on two pages and then the week on one page time management insert (purchased from Jotje on ebay), then finally a Misc tab (two envelopes containing stickers, receipts etc).

    As I'm a uni student my summers tend to be quiet so I bought a teal finchley from the adspot pages but I can't decide how to set it up and so I'm not using it. I've made dividers but just don't know what to put on them. I plan to keep my A5 for reference for gifts and things but I just don't know the best way to set up the pocket.

    Does anyone use an A5 and a pocket together and if so how do you co-ordinate the two?

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    1. I think I'd 'retire' the A5 diary for the summer, keep for reference as you say and set up the Finchley with Info, To Dos, Travel/Fun, Notes, Diary and Misc.
      Standard Week on two Pages would do I'd have thought.

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    2. Hi Lostwithoutyou! I keep a stay-at-home and a take-with-me filo. My Slimline has very basic information -- important/emergency contacts only, blank notes pages, shopping list, and diary, separated by tabs. It's really only the diary I need to coordinate with the main filo. For the summer, you may be able to make just the teal Finchley (especially if it's a pocket) work for you. You can even use it as a purse if you have your cards/cash in it. You can go back to the A5 once school starts again.

      Hope that helps.

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    3. Hi Lostwithouyou,

      I'm a teacher and I use an A5 throughout the school year. However, my life just isn't busy enough for an A5 during the summer so, this year, I have downsized to a compact for July and August. In it I keep notepaper, finance sheets to record spending, a year planner, years worth of month on 2 pages, 3 months worth of week on 2 pages, phone numbers, passwords, reading list, movies to see, etc.

      I downsized to a compact last week as the school year is ending and I'm not as busy so I don't need to lug my A5 to school each day. It's really working for me so far. I hope this helps.

      P.S. Apologies to Steve and everyone else for last weeks FFAT. It was kind of my fault it turned into a market place. It won't happen again :-)

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  8. What does everyone think about Chameleons?

    I 'need' another A5 and they're a good price new atm.

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    1. Ohh I was thinking just the same thing, at that price I am sure I could find a use for one and would also like to know what others think of them. My problem is, I don't know what colour I like the best!

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    2. I've been hunting for an aqua compact as well, after reading reviews about its leather.

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    3. I love the Chameleons. I now have an A5, Personal and Mini in the Aqua colour (my favourite colour in this Filofax) and a compact in red. I also used to own personals in red and spring green and I really regret selling them :-(.

      The Chameleon is a really beautiful hard wearing Filofax and well worth the money that Filofax Uk are selling them for at the minute. If you're interested in the A5, then the only downside to this particular size is the 25mm rings. I would love to use my A5 Chameleon for teaching but the rings are just too small so I use a Holborn Zip with 30mm rings instead.

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    4. I love the Chameleon, I just wish it had bigger rings! (Specifically in Pocket size) - I find 15mm enough in the summer onwards, but when I've a whole year's diary in there... no

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    5. I love the Chameleon range, I can't believe they are discontinuing them!! I use my A5 raspberry when I go to the library as I know it won't get too beaten up like my more delicate Maldens etc, which stay at home. I could quite easily buy more, at the moment I only have the raspberry in A5 and personal- would love a compact, and the other colours!

      @Doris- I'm sure they don't make a compact in the aqua colour!

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    6. @TPS: My heart is broken! I have too many pinks, and the compacts are only in raspberry, red and black. ): I'm missing blue/aqua in my Personal-sized stash, so was lemming that color. Major shift in compact-hunting here. (:

      Thanks for the info!

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    7. So sorry Doris! It would have been a great addition to the compact range, I don't understand why they didn't make it! And also, I don't know why the compact Chameleons aren't on the Filofax UK site at all!! I would love a compact, but if I start buying one, I won't be able to stop! I think what I will do is just limit the amount of pages I have in my personal filos, pretending they're compacts! Although I know the compacts have different dimensions to the personals. I don't tend to stuff my personals very full at all- although my A5s are another story!!

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    8. TPS, I almost ordered an aqua Chameleon from Filo UK, until someone said somewhere it was a personal and not a compact. I so wanted the aqua I didn't check thoroughly. (Could they always be out of stock?) The first Chameleons I've seen were compacts in pocket and personal so I assumed they all had 15mm rings. I have yet to get this size, so I really don't know what to expect when I do get one. I do tend to stuff my filos, so I was thinking of using the Compact as a purse, more room than my Slimline.

      I've been scouring the Webz for Compacts recently, looking at how people use theirs. Thanks!

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    9. My first Filofax (gosh I've only had it for a month, lol) was the Aqua Personal Chameleon - and I love it!!!

      It was never an option when I was looking into filofaxes (I really wanted an A5 Aqua Finsbury - which I also have now) but I saw it at a bargin price on eBay and I thought "Why not?". It's one of the best purchasing decisons I've made. I now plan/ really want get the other colours and sizes too.

      I want to get the Chameleon Aqua in A5 and pocket too. And also get the Chameleon in Spring Green (from the Danish website), Raspberry and Red in A5, Personal and pocket. I love bright colours so I'm really attracted to this set.

      I'm just really hoping that the colours I want don't get sold out before I get a chance to purchase them all.

      Yeah this is really becomimg obsessive behaviour, lol :-D

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    10. @ Keji
      +1!!! :D
      Well, I'd be ****** if they start selling Holborns in more colors. In the meanwhile, I'm trying to collect one of each color of the Chameleon binder (except for brown). XD;

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    11. @ Yu - oh my squee!!! If the Holborns came in more brighter colours I would be done. Flatlined... I'm already struggling with (okay feeding it daily, lol) my obsession with the Chameleons so I don't know what I would do if the Holborns went in that direction. Especially as my journey to Filofax started with me searching for the perfect zipped organiser!!!

      I have no plans for the other Chameleons I want to buy as I'm pretty much a 2 Filofax kinda girl (personal for on the go, daily stuff and A5 for the big project, goals, school, work stuff). I'll mealy admire them and swap the contents through as my mood dictates.

      Ohhh, this is going to be a problem...

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    12. :D I'm the same. Although I was recently a "one binder" person. (Or more accurately "one binder... oh **** it! *changes to a prettier color to go with the outfit*... ahem! one binder-person". XD) But I've decided to go for that exact same set-up once the fall semester starts. I just have to work out some details during the rest of the summer.

      I just wish I could handle all my organizers as roughly as I'm throwing the personal chameleon around (in and out of bags) but still have the really soft feel of the, say, Holborn leather. But that's kind of contradictory. =( Unless the Baroque is tougher than it looks!

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    13. I should clarify that by "outfit", I don't mean only clothes as I count all of my technical gadgets to that. XD; If I'm carrying around my Lamy Logo pens and a chic laptop, there is no way in hell I'm also carrying a cutesy pink organizer, even though its adorable. That one is for coffe with friends in a café or something. :)

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    14. @ Yu - I like your thinking XD. Why should I only ever carry one Filofax? I say match them with my mood and outfits too. Function and style. A match made in heaven!!!

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    15. Did you order a Chameleon? I did, just wrote about it:

      http://gailwheatley.blogspot.co.uk/

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  9. Am i the only one that uses a personal size filofax, cos most of the posts read are about anything but the personal size.

    Please reply as its less than six months that i first got my very own filofax, and its already outta fashion!?

    Im pretty new to this filofax yet its been around for so long, i am bit disappointed as to why i have not even heard of a filofax until 6 months ago

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    1. I have many A5s but my actual diary Filofax is a personal aston in mushroom.

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    2. Filofaxes have been made since 1921 so like a good clutch handbag, or an elegant court shoe, they're never actually out of (or, in) fashion - well, except the mid to late '80s, when they were briefly status symbols of the yuppie culture.

      Back then the only size that mattered was how fat (ie full) your "book" was of important people's phone numbers... format size (A5, Personal, Mini etc) as far as I'm aware has never been the main criteria, though I did notice that the recent Temperley Filofax was only done in a Personal size, probably because it's the company's signature style (other companies churn out A5 & mini notebooks by the million).

      Basically if you like pen and paper organisers, a Filofax is to that field what the Chanel 2.55 is to handbags - the classic, which many others try to imitate.

      That's my opinion anyway, other people may of course differ completely! :o)

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    3. It's not a matter of "in/out of fashion" but rather what size format best suits your needs. If the personal fits, then why worry about what everyone else is using? I know many of us switch format size as our needs change. I started with a personal, flirted briefly with a pocket, but now my two main Filos are A5 size and I have a hacked/diy Moleskine as my personal diary component along with my "personal use" A5.

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    4. I agree with Terriknits - a confident personal style always beats generic fashion (look at how seldom Anna Wintour changes her look) - and I also think that Personal is the size most easily recognisable as a Filofax: an A5 could potentially be something else, and Mini & Pocket could pass for wallets.

      So if a Filofax is part of your personal style statement, then Personal wins hands down, for its iconic dimensions. JMO.

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    5. I use a personal.... as well as an A5... the combination works for me

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    6. I only own two Filofax personal organizers (ok Filofax, that sounds dumb!) Regardless, they are both personal sized- the Malden I've used over a year straight!

      Don't worry about something being "in fashion" especially your Filofax. If it works for you- go for it.

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    7. I use A5, personal and pocket, just need a compact and slimline now lol :)

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    8. I use an A5 and a compact. My A5 stays primarily at home and the compact goes everywhere with me.

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    9. I use A5, personal and compact. The personal size is my main size during summer. So far anyway. :)

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    10. My main Filofax is a personal size. I think that size is alive and well out there.

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    11. I use a person crimson malden as my writing journal. It tracks my blog posts, holds outlines and character sketches of my two novels and holds notes from seminars that I attend. An A5 would be too big to cart around to my writing groups and a pocket would be too small for my note taking. I think a personal size is just right for this task. :)

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    12. I use an A5 Cuban, but I want a Personal Malden next!

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    13. I use my Personal exclusively

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  10. Well I bit the bullet and ordered 2 A5 Chameleons in Red and Raspberry!

    Unfortunatly, the Filofax website didn't have any Red left, so I ordered from the Neal Street shop in London. OMG, the lady in that shop is amazing, I could of stayed on the phone all day with her, what a credit she is. Only downside to ordereing from the shop is the £10 postage costs.

    So then I went online to order the Raspbery A5. Twenty minutes later I am in a loop typing in my details...something wasn't right so I had to phone their contact number! Even then things weren't straight forward and I still don't know if my order has gone through! Not good business for a first time online buyer!

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    1. Gail, if you have telephone banking (online is a bit slower) the operator should be able to tell you if the transaction's gone through for that amount right afterwards.

      You may already know that, but just in case! :o)

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    2. I was told at the end of the order that there was a glitch and it was their fault...that was it!

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    3. I had the same experience today. :( I really want to buy the raspberry and the spring green (A5 sizes)... I'm going to call them tomorrow or send them an email. Hopefully it'll be sorted by then!

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    4. Oh, and I encountered this both on filofax.co.uk and filofax.dk =/ I just kept on filling in my adress information and clicked forward... and BAM! My basket suddenly has zil items. T_T Stupid programming bug!

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    5. I think all sites are run on the same server using the same software... just different set ups. Because in the past when one site has gone down they all disappear!

      But why the UK site doesn't have the category for Compact I still don't know... but if you search for Compact... they appear!

      Bizzare... they need to employ Philofaxy to sort out the bugs me thinks...

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    6. Very annoyed now, just foned Filofax UK asking for a tracking number, only to be told that my order will not be going out till today! Grrrr! Yesterday I phoned at noon and the website said, any order placed before 2:30pm will be dispatched the same day. The lady on the phone also said the same thing.

      Why con people like that, from now on I will be buying instore! Not happy at all with them!

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    7. On a plus side....The one I ordered from Neal Street as just arrived, 20 hours after ordering it AND it's had to travel over 260 miles....how's that for service!

      Very happy now! lol

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    8. filofax.dk is up and running again! :D *happeh* Just placed my order. Just the raspberry, though. Have to think for a bit about the spring green. I love the color in the personal size, but will I love it in the A5? :D

      On another note: filofax.co.uk's customer service really is rude and unhelpful. Or maybe it's just the one person. I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the replies XX sent me. They've been so nice before! O_O

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  11. I need my wonderful Philofaxy friends to settle an argument for me. My know-it-all kids keep telling me that "filofaxing" is not a verb (as in I can't take you to the pool right now because I'm filofaxing, or I can't cook dinner; I'm filofaxing or Please go to bed, I need some alone time to filofax).

    I told them I would pose the question to a highly educated team of professionals to settle this argument once and for all. They don't have to know that I'm asking a professional team of filofaxers.

    So, is filofaxing a verb? Please have my back here....

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    1. I've always thought of it more as a nominative gerund. But then to work as a gerund I think we'd have to accept it was a verb.

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    2. I filofax, you filofax, he or she filofaxes... Yup, its a verb, deriving from the Latin filofaxum meaning, to record the life in the marketplace

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    3. I'm of the opinion that verbs are constantly being created as people DO new things WITH new objects, hence we get new verbs like "texting" - a word that had no place in the language at all (afaik) until the widespread use of SMS messaging.

      While "filofaxing" may not yet be in the OED, your little angels are backing a losing horse if they think that verbs are a limited resource, or that new verbs can't be created and accepted into widespread use from brand names - eg, "hoovering" "photoshopping" and so on - I'd even go so far as to say "googling" has become the default verb for "searching online." If they ever use any of those words themselves, you've pretty much won the argument!

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    4. I completely agree with Shanti!!

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    5. Well said Shanti!! I totally agree too..... just one slight bit of hair splitting, there should be 2 verbs emerging I think, to Philofaxy and to Filofax!! Hee Heee!!

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    6. "... just one slight bit of hair splitting, there should be 2 verbs emerging I think, to Philofaxy and to Filofax!!"

      I second Butanen's suggestion, and support it by mentioning we already have the noun "e-Bayer" derived from a website's name - and I suspect if I said I was "e-Baying for a Filofax," people would know what I meant... actually, ditto "Skyping" and there's an entry discussing that here at english.stackexchange.com.

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    7. Sorry, Scoot, I offer in refutation the nouns 'quizling' and 'bunting'. I'm always fascinated by the way every rule of English comes with a list of exceptions.

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    8. To put the 'cat amongst the pidgeons' Here is the 'Official Guidelines' issued by Filofax themselves:

      As the word Filofax is a registered trademark, and not a generic term for personal organisers, there are several instances in which the word Filofax could potentially be misused, which would constitute an infringement of trademark.

      To help avoid some common mistakes when writing about Filofax or personal organisers, the following examples may help.

      1. The word Filofax can never be used to describe another brand’s personal organiser

      No - a Mulberry Filofax
      Yes - a Mulberry Personal Organiser


      2. The word Filofax must always be used with a capital F

      Yes - everyone loves their Filofax
      No - everyone loves their filofax


      3. When referred to as a plural

      Yes - Filofax personal organisers
      Yes - personal organisers by Filofax
      No - Filofaxes

      4. The Filofax brand name must always be used as an adjective and not as a noun

      Yes - We hope that you will enjoy your Filofax personal organiser

      No - We hope that you will enjoy your Filofax


      5. The words “Filofax personal organiser” should be used in full rather than “Filofax” or “Filofax organiser”

      Where there is a need to use the words several times in one paragraph or page, the first instance should be written in full and the subsequent instances as Filofax organiser or organiser - never as just Filofax.

      So now you know!!!

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    9. LOL - I continually (continuously?!) fail at 3, 4 and 5.

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    10. Shanti pretty well summed it all up perfectly! Nothing to add to her comment!

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    11. I think Adobe had a similar lengthy item about the use of the word Photoshop as a verb, and I know Coca Cola also have a lengthy stylesheet about their own name, and use of the word "coke" to describe it.

      To be brutally honest I find attempts to police language in this manner, where a trademark is clearly not being infringed for fraudulent or profit-related purposes, deeply distasteful - making an iconic product means you're going to become the benchmark, end of.

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    12. PS I sound a bit bitter & twisted in that comment above... not intentional, long day! I love my Filofax Personal Organisers and I love Philofaxing!

      Shanti (aka Shanananana) - hereafter to be referred to in written form as the High Queen Goobergrunk, of The Holy Pasta Empire - TM registration pending!

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    13. Well I fail 2,3,4, and 5. OOps, I hope I dont' get in too much trouble.

      I completely agree with what High Queen Goobergrunk, of the Holy Pasta Empire had to say. :)

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    14. I think Filofax need to update their guidelines . ha ha ha!!!

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  12. Replies
    1. No it's ok, but I thought it best to nip it in the bud before it got too much like Multi Coloured Swap Shop...

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Coloured_Swap_Shop

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  13. Tflower11: I'm back using a personal as an all-around Filofax after using a pocket for years. I seriously doubt you're alone in using a personal-sized. And as I'm sure everyone here will chime in, a Filofax will never go out of fashion.

    Plenty of time for you to catch up on "filofaxing". (:

    @Kelly Marriott: There, I just "made" it a verb. (:

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  14. Hi,
    I'm new to posting here but have been "lurking" around philofaxy for a while :-)

    My personal chameleon has gotten a bit grubby from where it's been rubbing against stuff in my bag. I just wondered if any of you experts had any hints and tips on how best to clean a filofax or could perhaps point me in the right direction?


    Yasmin

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    Replies
    1. I clean and condition my Cuban with Chaimberlain's Leather Milk....it is good stuff. http://www.leather-milk.com/

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  15. Inspired by LJ's latest post, I am on a mission to create my own personalized dividers because the Filofax ones are quite ugly. I have ordered some scrapbook paper which should be delivered by Saturday. You can see the paper I ordered at http://josephdavidquinton.typepad.com. My question concerns tab dividers. What are the different section names that people use for their Filofax?

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    1. Diary, Notes, Lists, Travel, Financial, Knit (hey, knitting related stuff is a major section for me), and Contacts

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    2. In my A5:

      Notes In, Planner, Journal, To-Do, Notes, Information then A-Z addresses

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    3. Steve, could you explain the difference between "Notes In" and "Notes"? Thank you!

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    4. Sure, 'Notes In' is my 'In box' It has some lined paper, my current year planner, A To-Do sheet, a couple of sheets of plain paper.

      So this is my quick access jotting things down quickly point. I then either transfer the information to the appropriate part of my organiser, or the whole sheet to the right section.

      I based my tab set up on the David Allen information sheet here:

      https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/ORGANIZING-A-PAPER-PLANNER-p-16162.php

      Steve

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    5. Diary, Wedding, Me (medical cards, etc) and Etc. Simple but effective!

      Delete
    6. info, blogs, swaps, events, diet, calendar, art, notes, odds & ends, and finally stuff

      Delete
    7. Diary, next actions, future, Christmas, Holidays and reference in the A5. In the personal I'm using a set of A to Z and filing by initial letter eg K for Kindle and S for shopping. Very reception teacher!

      Delete
    8. i made some out of images from an old next catalogue collaged together. It cost me nothing bar a little glue, i had fun making them and it recycled some pages which would have been otherwise binned :)
      you can check them out on the Flikr section under debimoje1

      Delete
    9. I used the same brand of paper for my tabs and it was perfect. I just used laminating sheets over the paper once I added labels, and they are holding up really well.

      My tabs for my personal are:
      1)Year
      2)Diary (daily pages)
      3)Notes
      4)Vacations
      5)Personal (includes it's own individual sections)
      6) Addresses

      Delete
  16. I love my new Fiolofax! (noun)
    I filofax in the wee hours of the morning. (verb)
    I am filofaxing my doctors' appointments for July. (gerund)
    To filofax, or not to filifax, that is the question. (infinitive)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. " Filifax" ? i presume that is no typo but another verb meaning to ' shop for contents at City Organiser?" !!

      Delete
  17. The above post was made on my iPad and it has the oddest habit of sometimes changing your spelling to an incorrect word.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, my ipad and iphone drive me nuts doing that!!

      Delete
    2. Alison, it is especially embarrassing for me because I teach English. LOL

      Delete
  18. What would be the best Filofax to use as a men's wallet.....the Pennybridge Personal?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's pretty big. It's bigger than the 'Mum' purse I replaced it with.

      Delete
    2. I'd say Compact Ochre Malden (because of the leather), though it's quickly evolving into a collector's item ...
      Or a pocket ochre Malden (because of the ever convenient wallet pocket.
      Or Cuban slimline in chestnut or ink (delicious leather aswell, very very very hardwearing too!)

      Delete
    3. But the Pennybridge also exists in Pocket size ! In red, purple and black (which I guess men will prefer)...

      See on filofax.co.uk, amazon.co.uk, or cityorganiser.co.uk, etc.

      I have the personal one, I guess it might look odd for a man, but I can see men using the pocket version easily : smart and usefull, with cards slots and coins compartiment, as well as the trusted six rings for your planning/notetaking needs, I say : go for it !

      (And : it's not too expensive, as opposed to some leather organisers, it's not too much of a cost if you only want to try it out !)

      Delete
    4. Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. Jotje, I think I am going to get the Pocket Ochre Malden!

      Delete
  19. Hello there, with all thetalk on A5 Chameleons wanted to let everyone know tht they areon ebay now in all colours for 40 delivered- i ordered mine in red! I used to have one in personal spring green and loved that leather! highly rec! now waiting for me to arrive!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't think they'll last long, I got one in red, raspberry and aqua, three for under the price of what one was going to cost me, i've been longing after a Luxe in Crimson and Blackcurrant, I just can't justify paying so much for one Filofax though, Red is to be used for my reading/movie Filofax, Aqua for my home maintenance and Raspberry for helping me with my therapy, can't wait for them to arrive, just hoping hubby isn't around or i'm in so much trouble :)

      Has anyone any experience of the Luxe?, I will get one eventually but will have to wait for a sale I think, or save up birthday, christmas money etc, I believe the Blackcurrant isn't due out till next year so I have time to save up!!

      Delete
    2. Just checked ebay there is 1x red left, 1 x aqua left and 2 x raspberry so you'll need to be quick if you want one, it's a great price

      Delete
    3. Which one do you want to know about? the Luxe A5 or the personal? *has both*
      (wait, haven't I already done this before? *confused*)

      Oooh! I'd love the Luxe in blackcurrant! <3

      Delete
    4. Does the Luxe personal (compact) lay flat?

      Delete
    5. No, it doesn't. :( The leather is too stiff or thick. If you go to my blog you can see that I have to push it down a little while taking the first pics... I think it lies something like this \_ after two or three weeks of solid use (Of course, it lays flatter if the papers inside are evenly divided between the covers, but I based this on all the inserts laying (?) on the right side). I didn't dare train mine, but I'm sure it'll lay flat in time. The A5 does, so that's why I'm hopeful.

      Delete
    6. Initially the A5 but eventually both lol

      Can't wait for the Blackcurrant :)

      Delete
  20. Got mine, couldn't decide between Aqua and Raspberry, went for Aqua in the end, hope its pretty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is! :D No worries. The raspberry is more "vibrant", though.

      Delete
    2. Don't believe it, got a shipping notice yesterday for my aqua chameleon, today I get a note telling me its out of stock, how disappointed am I :(

      Delete
    3. O_O from where did you buy it?

      Delete
    4. Ebay,I thought at £39.99 it was too good to be true. Just rang FF, they still have an A5 Aqua, so all is well, i'm praying it has good rings :)

      Delete
    5. Yeah. I'm doing the same (praying, that is).
      So are you gonna be able to get your money back?

      Delete
    6. One thing to remember is that Filofax mail order is part of the company where as the despatch and warehousing operation is done by a contractor in Crick, Northamptonshire.

      So there's plenty of scope for mis-communication and numbers to get out of sync with how many the website thinks it has in stock compared to the actual number.

      In fact I doubt if the website actually does know the number in stock, it just accepts the order each time...

      Delete
  21. Can anyone recommend any good places to get pretty/ interesting/ fun calendar stickers for my Filofax?

    I'm looking more for agenda type ones (well done, goal, great idea, remember, work, going out, dinner, holiday etc...) rather than just random ones you use to dress up the page.

    I know Paperchase and Filofax do their own version but I find them just a bit staid and boring. I need/want to be organised but I also want to be fun/ stylish simultaneously. Oh and they must be able to deliver to the UK.

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Organised Mum make a variety of types of colorful stickers including General, Household, and Events:

      http://www.organised-mum.co.uk/OM-Stickers.html

      Their General stickers might be of most use to you, they have school stickers but also reminders for your MOT, hair appointments, doctor, dentist, meeting, etc.

      Dodo Pad makes fun stickers that are different and bright:

      http://www.dodopad.com/shop/dodont-forget-stationery/save-the-day-stickers

      Hope this helps! :)

      Delete
    2. You can see a photo of the entire sheet of Organised Mum General Stickers if you scroll down in my Life Book review post:

      http://www.plannerisms.com/2010/09/2011-life-book-diary.html

      Delete
    3. Hi Laurie,

      That’s exactly what I was looking for.

      Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Oh and did I remember to say thank you, lol :-D.

      This is why I love this community so much - everyone is so wonderfully helpful.

      Time to disregard overdraft!!!

      Delete
    4. You might also find some nice ones on Etsy. Worth a look.

      Delete
    5. Yes, I've heard that searching Etsy.com on "diary stickers" yields good results.

      Delete
    6. Thanks DEM + Songbird68. Will be browsing Etsy with wild abandon in the morning :-D.

      Delete
  22. I have a question about the hole punchers on the Filofax site for the A5 size.(see,I pay attention implementing those rules that Steve posted lol)

    1. are either of then any good
    2. if so which one should I buy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't buy the plastic one...

      I have the metal one and it works fine, but you need to empty it after each session really.

      Delete
    2. I have a single hole punch with no base that I use upside down and punch 6 times. It takes 6 pages at once and is less painful than trying to use the plastic FF one. And all the little bits make my house look like Narnia

      Delete
    3. I have the metal one and cannot recommend it at all - certainly not at the price Filofax charge. Mine struggles with more than one sheet of paper, the paper discs get stuck in the holes and require removing with fine dissection forceps and it needs emptying all the time requiring coarse forceps or needle-nosed pliers to remove the slider bit.
      I hate it and wish I'd bought something better.
      And don't even think about the plastic one!

      Delete
    4. I would recommend rapesco metal one, no problems at all.

      Delete
    5. @Amanda, when you take the cover off the bottom of yours and press the punch do the punch dies line up perfectly with the holes in the base of the punch?

      Mine goes through 4-5 sheets of reasonable weight paper.

      @JasJan careful the Rapseco one doesn't do A5 out of the box without double punching...

      The KW Trio available from Holland will do A5, Personal, Pocket and Mini in the one punch.

      Delete
    6. @Steve,
      Yes, the thing lines up. It's at work at the moment so I couldn't say for sure how perfectly.
      I hate using the thing. When I used it to punch holes in my dividers I had to use my entire weight to do so - seriously, my hands were on the punch and my feet off the ground before it went through very thin card. It does 2 sheets of paper with some effort. 3 sheets - nope. I do all the sheets one at a time, usually with the back already removed and a pair of fine forceps at my side so I can remove the paper discs as they are cut (since gravity does not work near the thing it would seem).
      Sorry for the rant, but when you pay the price filofax charge for them, you expect something to work well. Mine can barely punch its way out of a paper bag.

      Delete
    7. It sounds like it's faulty if you have to use that much force to get it to punch a single divider.

      I would look at each punch die in turn because one or more than one must be out of alignment with the hole it's trying to get through.

      Steve

      Delete
  23. I have used a Filofax for keeping my life organized for a while. And i have to say i am dissapointed regarding the quality.
    I am willing to pay the cost for quality and long life product.... But when it comes to Filofax, i sometime feels i pay a high price for a average quality product.
    I am thinking about ring issues (2 of the Filofaxes i bought had problems) Flaking leather etc.
    Why don't Filofax focus on a better quality??? I even see the new Temperly have ring problems..... What a shame!
    Do there exist quality binders today? Like Filofax USED to be?
    Just had to say it.............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mulberry. Ridiculously expensive, but they check each product very VEEERY closely and if there is something wrong with it they get so embarrassed they'll give you a 90% refund AND a new planner. (Happened to me. I bought it in a Mulberry shop, though.)

      BUT! The reason why I don't use Mulberry agendas/planners and use Filofax binders instead is this:
      1. ONLY the "pocket" verson has horizontal calendars and I. CAN'T. STAND. the vertical layout in the Mulberry agenda. It's like TINY. (Read: narrow and annoying.)
      2.One has to buy Mulberry inserts every year as nothing else fits. And... I could buy a new Filofax for what it costs me to buy a new freaking calendar made of paper, stamped with the Mulberry logo.

      Needless to say, I only use the Mulberry agenda when someone else has bought me the calendar insert... and even then I get irritated by the size and the fact that I really can't personalize the agenda without much trouble. XD;

      Delete
    2. (sorry... frustration overload >.<; )

      Delete
    3. kari Soursa: I completely agree with you and Yu! LOL Anyway, I am now currently using a Mulberry agenda and the refills and extras were expensive. I now found out that Franklin Covey fillers for the pocket size fits in the Mulberry agenda! Yu, is right, the Mulberry is an excellent binder and they are quite beautiful! I have a lot of Filos and I don't think that I will ever go back to using a Filofax. Sorry Filofax, maybe one day I will, but for now it is my beautiful black Mulberry!!

      Delete
    4. This is great to know. Thank you.

      Delete
    5. Oooh! :) thanks for the info. We don't have Franklin Covey over here, but now I have to get some and try it out. :D I'm always looking for alternate inserts for the Mulberry.

      Delete
    6. I have just got a second-hand A5 Mulberry and the ring spacing is exactly the same as the filofax personal size.
      So, home-made A5 inserts punched with a standard 6-ring hole-punch work and of course any personal size filofax inserts fit (but with a lot of space around them)
      The Oxford International A5 paper also fits both A5 filofaxes and A5 Mulberry.
      I will blog about both the Mulberry binder and review the Oxford paper over the next couple of weeks.

      I realise none of that helps with replacement inserts for the agenda Mulberry.

      Delete
    7. No, but it's helpful anyway. Because I might be able to sell my agenda Mulberry and try to find a new or second-hand planner (even though I love the look of the agenda). ^_^

      Delete
    8. Kari, if you are looking for a high quality organiser, I would recommend looking for a vintage Filofax. I have a Portland Grand (with 30 mm rings) and a Kensington and the quality of both the leather and ring mechanism is astounding! Those things will never ever die, no matter how intensively used.
      As much as I love all the new colours and designs and the great choice Filofax offers nowadays, it really saddens me that this had to be on the cost of quality. Which - in the end - matters most than all the above!!!

      Delete
    9. @Jotje I really have to agree about vintage binders. How old is the Portland Grand? My Richmond is 12 years old, looks brand new, and will still ( I think) look great in another 12 years!

      30mm rings as well! I wish FF would listen to their customers for a change......

      Delete
    10. True enough. My Winchester is practically indestructible! :)

      Delete
  24. I do like the mulberry page per day. The Pocket Mulberry is the same size as the pocket filofax. You can also fit pocket Filofax inserts in the Mulberry agenda which is useful for maps and stickers. I agree though their size of agenda and planner is very annoying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Really? I tried most everything and it doesn't work. Ok, I don't like the pocket size so I haven't tried that. :D I have only used the planner and the agenda from Mulberry. And where can I get hold of the page per day? The stores here only have the "deafult" agendas. (I asked last week. T_T) *plans on turning her Mulberry into a VERY fancy notebook for special occasions*

      Delete
    2. .... i didn't know that there was any similarity between those two brands. I even prefer pocket size . And i have some mulberry handbags, so I'm familiar with the superb quality :)

      Delete
    3. :D Then you might be able to buy a Mulberry pocket (or whatever they call it? Notes?) and use "cheap" Filofax inserts! *excited*

      Delete
    4. lol.... my husband would kill me... slowly.

      Delete
    5. XD; there is that...

      Delete
  25. What does everyone use as leather conditioner? I have a finchley that's pretty dry and could probably benefit from some sort of treatment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use Chaimberlin,s Leather Milk 1 www.leather-milk.com

      Delete
  26. I have a page per day for the agenda, I purchased directly from the Mulberry website. They may be out of stock at the moment. My mistake with the planner, I have only seen the vertical week on two pages. I have repunched dodo pads and daytimer/franklin covey inserts for the planner and trimmed the a bit...works but a bit of a faff!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :( aw...

      Well I was thinking of doing that before, but then I realized it would be far too bothersome to repeat all the time if I wanted to freshen up the inserts or something. T_T

      Delete
  27. As a Filo newbie, can anyone tell me which model (besides the Malden) has a more soft, flexible, unstructured leather?

    I'm waiting for my new A5 Domino to arrive in the mail, and already thinking about getting a classy leather Personal size, preferably in some form of lavender/violet/deep pink. I'm already an addict, and I haven't even used one yet. ;D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Holborn is similar to the Malden for softness, although the cover is slightly stiffer because of the interior set up

      Delete
    2. The Aston is flexible yet has a little more structure. See Laurie's Aston Orchid on this website. The additional yet light structure of the Aston makes it easier to write in especially when not on a solid surface. I do believe the leather is softer than some of the Maldens yet still tough enough that it doesn't scratch easily.

      Delete
    3. The Chameleon is a flexible, unstructured leather, light weight, lies (lays?) flat after a week or so and best of all is currenlty on sale.

      Delete
    4. Thanks for the replies! I'm leaning toward either a Malden or a Chameleon at the moment. Can anyone speak to whether the Chameleon works as well as the Malden for a wallet? I suppose I could put a zip pouch in for coins, if needed...

      Delete
    5. The pocket Chameleon works pretty well as a wallet. The left has 5 card slots and one long pocket and the right has a zip pocket that can work for change. The pen loop is on the left. Then it has a long pocket for bills along the length of the wallet/binder.

      I feel like it works a little better than a pocket Malden due to the dedicated individual card slots, although the rings are smaller.

      Delete
    6. Sorry, just re-read your post and noticed that you are considering Personal, not Pocket. I don't have experience with the Cham personal. The Malden pers would certainly work.

      Delete
    7. The Filofax Chameleon personal organizer is a structured binder although more bendable then the Classic, Cuban and other very structured binder. Any binder with cardboard or whatever they put between the leather to give it form would be considered a structured binder. The pocket Chameleon is unstructered. Just want to make sure you knew that before you made the leap.

      Delete
    8. Thanks Savannah, and everyone. I've decided to return my A5 Domino and get a Personal Malden, in Vintage Pink.

      The FF website indicates merchandise can be credited back to a credit card, but I paid via PayPal. I may need to go through PayPal for a refund (since I plan to buy the Malden at a discount from Pensandleather.com).

      Delete
  28. *dithers* I want to buy the A5 Aqua Finsbury as a b-day present for my cousin who really needs a new planner (the old one is falling to pieces). But does it take as long as the personal to lay flat? Mwrah... it's her favorite color though. *lurks around google to find reviews*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yu, I have the pink A5 Finsbury and it was flat in a heartbeat. Maybe not on the first day, but definitely within the first week of use. Personal and Pocket size are a pain, but A5 works great for the Finsbury!

      Delete
    2. Oh, that's nice to know! Thank you! *orders the Finsbury* Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope she likes it. :D

      (Btw, the pink Finsbury is soooo pretty!)

      Delete
  29. I bit the bullet and purchased the Dukes Smythson of Bond Street inserts for my A5. If they don't fit, I'll return them; I couldn't find anywhere on Philofaxy or on the web in general that said for sure whether the Dukes inserts are compatible, but I'll report back here for those curious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Dukes size seems to be bigger than A5? Difficult to tell from just the photos if the ring spacing is the same or not.

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Steve. I don't mind if the Dukes size is a little bigger, as long as it fits inside the Filo... the ring spacing is a different story!

      Delete
  30. Can anyone post pictures of the inside of the Holborn?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Review of a personal size Holborn due next week on Philofaxy... including pictures.

      Delete
  31. I did a review of my Holborn a few weeks ago:
    http://paperpensink.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/moving-into-holborn.html

    ReplyDelete
  32. And the majority of them in 24 hours! I haven't checked yet but it could be a record number for Philofaxy

    ReplyDelete
  33. Our links page is going to be updated in the next few weeks. It's going to take a while to do.

    But if people haven't blogged in the last 6 months or not blogged about Filofax in the last 6 months then their link will be removed.

    I will use the last 4-6 months worth of Webfinds to create the links list. Plus my own links list as well.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I just need to tell *someone*, because I am bursting with excitement!! I just ordered my "true" first Filofax - the personal Malden in Vintage Pink! (I am returning the A5 Domino I got, since I realized it doesn't really fit my needs). I have to say, even just seeing the Domino in person, I am so blown away by the quality & classiness of Filofax compared to other planners I've used. I can't wait to get my Malden & personalize it!! I'm already making plans to "craft paper" the dividers, like I've seen people do, and maybe even get a little charm to hang from the rings. I'm such a girl. ;)

    Wheeeee!!!! I'm gonna be a Filofaxer!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Congrats on your Malden! I think you'll love it in personal size. My crimson is still my favorite...but don't tell my other Filofax. ;)

    ReplyDelete