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15 April 2015

Back in A5 again

I have a confession.
After writing this post about going back to owning just the one personal Filofax, I purchased another A5 about two weeks later.

I am in the process of clearing out and taming my paperwork, and it occurred to me that the larger A5 size would actually be quite handy for the project. As per my previous post's disclaimer, I did start looking at a Clipbook again, but I realised that a Filofax would be better suited due to larger rings, more storage and a notepad pocket. For not much more than the cost of a new Clipbook, I won an auction for a black Hamilton with great rings, but it has a couple of marks and dents which kept the bids lower. The added bonus is that the seller turned out to be someone that I had met at the last Philofaxy meet up, the lovely Jacqui!

I finally had a small epiphany about me and the A5 size. My needs will change depending on what's going on in my life, and also based on my perception of my ability to cope with this. I won't always need an A5, but there will be times when the additional space and storage will be helpful. I have no regrets about selling my Ascot and Mulberry, as somehow I feel happier about spending less money on something that I won't be using all the time.

I really like the oiled leather with contrast stitching.


I forgot to photograph it, but there is a pocket on the back exterior which is quite handy for tucking paperwork into and can be seen on the Filowiki.


On the left hand side, there is 6 credit card pockets, two smaller pockets, a full length pocket behind and a very generously sized pen loop. On the right hand side, there is a notepad pocket with a slimmer pen loop. The 30mm rings are great for holding all that paperwork!


The internal layout is great, but I do miss the secretarial pocket that I had in the Ascot and Mulberry. I was very pleased with the repair that our local cobbler's shop did, so I will be taking the Hamilton along to see if they could make the full length pocket on the left into a secretarial one. I was initially tempted to just cut it myself, but would prefer the shop to have a look so that it doesn't end up tearing over time.

Whilst I still love the Maldens, over time I have found that I prefer binders with a slimmer profile and the Hamilton hugs quite nicely around the rings. Despite the 30mm rings, I find it just means that it doesn't feel quite so big.


At the moment, the Hamilton is just a bit of a dumping ground for old notes to process, things I have cut out of magazines and project information.





So, here's what I figured out:
  • I accept that my needs will change over time
  • If I'm not using my A5 right now, it doesn't mean that I need to sell it as I will find it useful fairly soon
  • I need to be careful not to mix up how I use the A5 and personal as I dislike needing to look in two places too often. 
I've discovered with experience that whilst I love black binders, I'd prefer not to have one as my main one, so having my oxblood Winchester with the Hamilton as back up is just perfect.

9 comments:

  1. Congratulations on finding a comfortable use for your A5. I can't use a black binder as my control book either, so the lovely Kate Spade Wellesley holds future inserts, and the daily, everything book is a muted jade green. I do love your Winchester.

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  3. Anita glad you are happy with it and it was sitting on my shelf storing papers and not being used. Hope to meet up with you again perhaps at the Philofaxy meeting in May!

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  4. Glad you feeling good about using the A5......

    Seems like people are almost apologetic around here most of the time about letting on that they use an A5 or even like using one...... ;-)

    Mark

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  5. Last year I decided to hive off all my work lists into a separate slimline Davinci A5 with 15mm rings. It works really well in taking the pressure off my Personal binder, in every sense, and sets up a crisp distinction between Work and Personal life. I love it!

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  6. …."my needs will change over time." That is a real thing and a lot of people never get that, so congrats to you! I still feel like I have too many binders, but I KNOW that as soon as I get rid of one, I will need it desperately. Also: OMG an A5 Hamilton!! I guess I knew they existed but I never searched for one. This one is lovely.

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  7. *So*......the lure of A5 endures! I am currently trialling TimeSystem inserts and dividers in A5, and although it's a big change for me, I'm persevering with it for now.

    Looking forward to seeing you next month for further *new* setup comparisons.......

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  8. You have a nice tandem. I like the pocket on the back of the Hamilton. I have a Filofax A5 Boston in addition to my pocket binder. I have settled in my pocket one with my own pages and I designed a month insert for the Boston. I use the binders for different purposes. After designing all my inserts and cutting my dividers I do not miss the ones I bought.

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  9. Glad you've found the setup that suits you best.

    If it came down to it for me, I would have kept the Mulberry so I could archive "inactive" personal sized pages in it too.

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