12 March 2013

Free For All Tuesday No 110

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.

46 comments:

  1. I just read that today is Steve's birthday. So...

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY from Germany, Steve!

    A new Filofax and Philofaxy fan

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    1. Thank You having a fun time here in UK with snow for the first time I can ever remember on my birthday!

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    2. We were hit with heavy snow over the weekend and especially on Monday. Today it's sunny and cold. I want spring to arrive!

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    3. Hope you're having a great birthday Steve!! :)

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    4. OH!!! If I'd know I would literally have baked a cake for the meet up!!

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    5. Happy Birthday! Hope it was great!

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    6. Steve, a very belated, but *very* happy birthday from snow-free Somerset!

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  2. Yes, happy happy birthday to the Philofaxy king!

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  3. On another note, I'm waiting for two Filofax-related deliveries this week. I'm so excited! And it couldnt have come at a better time since ive been sick since last thursday. this alone will make me feel better. More on what those deliveries are once they've arrived!

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    1. Thank you for the birthday wishes, hope you are better soon

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    2. Get well soon, kanalt!

      I'm also waiting for two binders I got on eBay. They're not Filofaxes, both seem to be generic binders, but they look good. I can't wait!

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    3. Lot of buying going on this week! :) I bought a black pocket Chameleon and a black mini Metropol (my first mini!). I liked the pocket so much I ordered a raspberry one for my niece in both the pocket and mini and I'm going to let her choose which size she wants. She was just accepted to PA school and she will need a small notebook for her lab coat pocket to keep notes during rounds and clinicals. Hope she likes it. What's great about the Chameleon is she can keep a debit card, some cash and/or coin for lunch, her id badge when she's not wearing it...oh, the possibilities!

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  4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEVE!!!!!

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  5. Hi,
    I have a new A5 Domino and it came with one of the rings a bit off. the pages don't snag to it, but I'm afraid it would maybe get worse?
    I was wondering if there is a way to fix it? I don't want to send it to filofax because I'm an international costumer and the shipping costs are very heavy, so I wouldn't want to send it back to them.

    Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. How is it 'off' misaligned, gap or both?

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    2. a little bit of both I think..

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    3. Actually I think theres only a gap. I took a picture:
      https://plus.google.com/photos/108041368918724063940/albums/5854828317809157441/5854828320520098146?banner=pwa

      Thank you!

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  6. And just a quick note - the binder came this way. I only open the rings with the tabs :)

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  7. Steve (or indeed anyone), you mentioned that you were going to try repairing a press stud cover on a vintage Winchester by sewing leather over it.
    I just wondered how you got on with this as I may need to do it too.
    Or has anyone actually had a press stud replaced successfully?

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    1. Ah in the end I cleaned up the press stud metal cover which was still intact, but it had lost the plastic cover. And I repainted the metal cover with a small bit of black enamel paint which I left to dry for a day or so and it's been fine since.

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    2. I may have accidentally acquired a cherry red 5/4 Winchester which looks barely used. The only thing I can see which needs attention is the plastic cover on the press stud which is loose. It will come off and go back on again, but clearly needs something more significant done to secure it before I take it out into the big wide world.

      Second question. Does it have to be Nivea or will another simple moisturiser do? It could probably do with a simple wipe down, nothing too major.

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  8. Hey! Happy Birthday, Steve! : )

    I'm looking for an A5 binder that is as close to a Malden as possible. I am one of those people who adores the floppiness of the Malden!! Purchasing another (I have an ochre A5 and a black personal) seems to be impossible just now, so I'm wondering which binder would be most bendy...? Any thoughts?

    Have a good day, all!

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    Replies
    1. Mama Bear, have you considered the Holborn? Only con is the smaller ring size (only 25 mm), but apart from that: floppy and supersmooth leather!

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  9. Hello I have a used A5 Cross that I got slightly used on EBay. I just started using it but the spine now has what looks like peeling and crackling on it. Can I fix that?

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  10. Happy Birthday Steve....enjoy your day ;o)

    And check German site again :o)

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  11. As a soon to be college Freshman, I was looking into buying a larger Filofax (I currently have 2 pocket sized). I'm pretty sure a Filofax will definitely keep me sane and organized :) What size would you recommend? Personal or A5? I'm stuck because I love the personal and it's convenience but the A5 is so much larger and more space.

    Thanks!
    Oh and Happy Birthday Steve!

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    1. Jasmin: If you like to print out lectures slide decks and various other course materials, you might consider using generic A5 binders paired with Filofax's Print To File software, which makes it easy to print everything on half-page a double sided, cutting you paper consumption (and bulk) by a factor of 2 if you already duplex and 4 if you don't.

      I use Personal-sized filos as course organization binders for the various courses I teach, but I don't have to take notes, which I'm not sure that I would want to do in a Personal-sized Filofax. Reducing A4 (or here in North America, "Letter-sized") to Personal leaves a lot of whitespace top and bottom because the Personal form factor is 171/95 = 1.8, far more elongated than the 1.41 of A-series papers.

      The Pocket form factor is close to A-series, so for keeping your course outlines, time tables, etc, in one place, I think the pocket can still work as your organizer, and use A5 for notes.

      I already wished Steve Happy Birthday by email, but it never hurts to say it again. Happy Birthday Steve! March people are special!

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    2. Jasmin I would recommend not using a Filofax for class notes, it will get too full too fast. Using one as your planner is great, but use separate notebooks or standard ring binders to keep class notes.

      Whether you prefer a Personal size or A5 size Filofax as your planner depends on how much you have to schedule. The A5 size has a weekly planner with vertical days with timed lines so you can block out your time. If you need to keep track of classes, work, study time etc that would be good. If you only need to keep track of assignments, the Personal size would be enough.

      Best of luck!!

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    3. Yes, my recommendation was to use generic A5s for course notes, etc., and A5 paper is readily available. A Laurie correctly points out Personals do fill up quickly and second, Filofax binders are a relatively expensive choice for a student.

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    4. I think that either Personal or Pocket works fine for staying organized:
      - Daily To Do List
      - Weekly To do List
      - Course Outlines/Syllabi
      - Diary, Day on one page, but only the current term
      - Contacts

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    5. Jasmin, if you're going to working with documents and handouts as large as A4, then choose an A4 filofax.

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  12. @ JasminE.R. I was faced with the same question when I first looked into Filofaxes (Was that really only last month?). I decided on the personal size fairly quickly and haven't looked back yet. But if you need more room than me for whatever you are going to put in, an A5 may be better for you.

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  13. A Very Happy Birthday, Steve, from snowy Germany!

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  14. Hi - I have two questions.

    1. When people talk about the 'right' way to open a Filofax to prevent damage to the rings, what is this?

    2. I have a Vintage Pink Malden - what's best for cleaning and/or keeping the leather supple? It seems to have dried out in one place.

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    1. I don't know the technical term but it's pushing on the metal at each end rather than pulling the rings to open.

      As for treating the leather people use Nivea although I haven't tried it myself.

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  15. Happy birthday, Steve! Thanks for coordinating this little community!

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  16. My parents are cleaning out their house, and I spotted in a box of books to go charity what I presumed to be a Filofax.
    Indeed it is, a white 'pocket Popi'. It has a few notes in it relating to my Mum's family history research i.e. what dates she received what correspondence, but it peters out quite quickly. The calendar inside is 2004/2005 but what interested me most was
    the insert design

    I rather like this design - reminds me of the Paperchase inserts in a few ways. I've only used Filofaxes for about a year, so I have no idea what longevity this diary design has. For what its worth, the rest of the inserts are focused on possibly niche/trendy pursuits e.g. text/internet slang, chinese zodiac and astrological signs with a few foreign language phrases as well.

    And if anyone is wondering, the Popi will probably be used by my Mum to make notes and track spending, two things that will be very important to them in a few months.

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  17. Happy (almost belated!) Birthday, Steve!! (just seeing this now - sorry!)

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  18. Oh my, skip coming on here for two or three days and look what you miss..
    HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, Steve! Hope it was awesome~

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