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07 January 2015

Malden Compact Zip Revisited

Have you ever had an organiser that you have bought, but when you started using it something wasn't quite right about it for you? So you put it back in the box and left it on the shelf for a while, may be even forgot about it.

However, a few months later you change something in your set up and that causes you to reconsider the forgotten organiser... you try it again and bingo it now works for you.

Well that has sort of happened for me, but it has certainly been more than a few months since I bought the ochre Malden Compact Zip from our old friends City Organiser from the shop in Bow Lane. Anyone who has been reading this blog for a few years will have seen my collection of Malden's and Malden accessories grow over the last 3-4 years!

I only have two compacts, the Malden Zip and a Holborn. For one reason or another I couldn't get on with the Malden one very well at first.

If you recall from my post in 2012, the design and layout of the Malden Compact Zip is the same as the Pennybridge Compact Zip. There is an outside slip pocket and a great internal layout with lots of card slots (14 in total!) a zip pocket. A single elasticated pen loop and another secretarial pocket in the back cover.







I've tried to use this as a combine organiser/wallet and to carry my phone. The phone at the time was my iPhone 4, which was a bit too thick and chucky to comfortably sit inside of the outside pocket. it had a habit of distorting the shape of the organiser, which I wasn't happy about so I stopped carrying my phone in it.


A few weeks ago I changed my phone for the iPhone 6, which although it is bigger than the iPhone 4 it is considerably lighter and much thinner.


With only 15 mm rings this might be a bit small for some people, but as a combine wallet/essential pages only organiser I think the Malden Compact Zip or a Pennybridge Compact Zip might work well with modern day smartphones as a companion communicator/organiser.

14 comments:

  1. This organizer/wallet is perfect for both design and functionality. My story of its using is exactly the same. Purchase, short test, rest on a shelf and then back into the fight.

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  2. I too was inspired by your review back in Summer 2012 and have toyed with purchasing an ochre one on several occasions since. Like you, I was concerned about the phone pocket and took my iPhone to the retailer to check how it would fit. I am a clumsy oaf, always out and about, and my iPhone 5 (and 4 before it) sits in a chunky, rubberised case. This makes it impossible to fit in the Fusion Personal pocket (supposedly designed for an iPhone) and caused the Malden Compact pocket to stretch intolerably. In the end I purchased a Slimline Holborn and fitted an elasticated closure (Domino style) to the spine. This holds my phone on the outside of the organiser and, aided by the rubberised case, it never slips out. I will upgrade to an iPhone 6+ this summer. Would this fit (in a case) I wonder?

    The Malden Compact is not currently listed on Filofax UK or France (is a Lockwood Compact on the cards?). However, when I was last tempted, I noted that the interior design had changed, with less leather and (according to the product description) possibly fewer card pockets. Can anyone confirm or otherwise?

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    1. I was hoping someone else would ask whether the Malden exterior pocket would accommodate other modern mobile phones - in particular the iPhone 6 Plus which is the same thickness as the 6 but 20mm longer and 10mm wider?

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    2. I think the 6+ would be a bit of a stretch. The 6 fits nicely.

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  3. Replies
    1. Not at first, but with a bit of training and patience it's not perfect but not as bad as some zip models.

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  4. May be put a Wanted advert on Adspot on here

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  5. Maya, I'm not sure if you're still looking but I have one (new) I would like to sell. Are you interested in seeing pics?

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  7. I am definetly intetested! Please let me know if its still available.

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  8. Writerhinoed, I am interested please contact me.

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  9. does anyone have a compact zippered malden for sale? I cant seem to find one anywhere.

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    Replies
    1. Email me and we can put a Wanted advert in to the Adspot page for you, see the About page for details.

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    2. Keep looking/posting and you will eventually come across one. I found mine here a couple years ago and its still holding up beautifully. Worth the wait.

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