Guest Post – Lefax Duplex by gmax

A big thank you to Max for sharing this with us, it looks a marvellous organiser and rather unique in its design. 

Steve was getting creative back in January in trying out a variety of designs of duplex (double) binders: Design Your Own Organiser.... How difficult can it be?

I mentioned that I had an example approximating to his third idea of two binders stitched together with a long clasp. On mine the actual join is only down the outer edge.

Anyhow, I promised to provide a fuller description…

This model was made by Lefax, and dates from 1989 to 1992. It was called Charterhouse, named after an English public school (where, confusingly, one would receive a private education). Fees there today are around £30,000 per year - I guess this says something about Lefax’s intended target customers!

In the catalogue it was described as follows:

For those who need to carry the whole office around with them all the time, we have produced the unique Charterhouse double capacity binder. The binder will open flat on a desk allowing you to cross-refer between the two sets of pages.

It certainly is a bit of a monster. Two magnetic fasteners hold the unattached edge together.

When fully opened out it looks like this:

The rings are 25mm in size, and there are two horizontal half pockets and a double pen holder. The leather is smooth calf. This one is black – burgundy was also produced. It was priced just shy of £200.

It currently houses a goodly number of my old week on a page diaries. The previous owner said it used to make quite a big impression when he brought it out at meetings. I can believe it just in terms of the table-top space it would take up!