Guest Post - FiloWiki - Robert

A wiki, yes it should be a wiki for Filofax-models. It was in November 2013 that I started a thread in the German Filomaniac-Forum asking for a webpage which could help a newbie like me in researching information about Filofax-models.

Models listed on eBay with sometimes really bad pictures, no names and no further information at all where hard to identify and I was hoping for pages assisting me in the research on those models. It did not take long to realize that there are no webpages like that and this sparked an idea. Since the community has so many Filofax-models, could we start a page like that? Could we get them all together? I thought we could at least start to collect as much as we know ... so I set up a wiki.

After tossing around many ideas and working out the details I published the first pages in February 2014 listing mostly my own Filofaxes and 14 weeks later on the 9th of June I added the 100th model. 

A collection of photos and information about every Filofax-model ever made, that is the mission of the filowiki.

Gathering data about each model to the best of my knowledge, I also got requests on listing rather subjective information. Getting away from a pure data reference to include things that really matter, like how is this binder in real life? How will the material age? What is so special about this model?

This is the reason I started adding sections like 'experience' to every article to include how people might use a certain binder and how they think about it's features. Like the Sandhurst which has proven itself to be quite hard-wearing in daily use.

Another section I'd like to expand on is 'ageing' to show how the material on models might age. Where it might be easily damaged or if it will develop a patina. Like the following example, the Hamilton. A binder made of oiled leather, quite rugged and ageing with dignity.

To include more information like this I do need more photos of well-aged models, so if you have such photos I'd be happy to add them!

I also like to highlight the most striking features of some binders like the Cavendish in the next picture is most searched for because of it's bigger than normal rings. 

Fortunately I also received some shots showing whole families of a Filofax-model in all their colours or sizes. This way I can show how the different colours or sizes of a model compare like the Finchley-family in the following example-pictures which I am very happy to show you.

Writing about so many different Filofax-models gets you thinking. There are the stars everyone knows and likes to have but there are also the lesser-known Filofax organisers and the downright rare models. So I thought about a showcase for the silent stars of the scene and started a series on "lesser-known" Filofax organisers with the Stratford

I will add to this series in the months coming especially interesting or just rare models maybe not known to everybody.

The wiki would not be where it is now without the community and the many submitted photographs and information for all those articles so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank again all the submitters and I hope there will be many more.

If you find any errors or have photos of models or colour-versions not already in the wiki do not hesitate to contact me via filowiki@robert-mayr.com