Guest Post - Lesser Known Filofax – Epping Alan

I have had a particular interest in the US made Filofaxes of the 1990s, such as the Ascot, Burlington, recently reviewed, Connaught and Dorchester.  I own at least one of each of these, except for the Ascot, which I have passed on, as I am not fond of reptile print leathers.  The Epping is the “E” in this alphabetic lineup. However, chronologically, it is the oldest of these five.

Last year, Jan Ball posted in the Vintage Facebook group about her Epping that “…it's incredible - the leather is amazing!”  So when I saw an Epping eBay listing, back in February, I immediately put it on my watch list, and, needless to say, I was very pleased when I won it.

The leather on the Epping is less velvety than my Burlington; I’d say that the leather itself is a bit thinner, but there is some padding over the stiffener in the covers giving it a slightly squishy feel.

The finish is a soft pebble grain, less pronounced than a Kensington.

The layout looks similar to the Burlington: 8 card slots and ring protectors, but only one pen loop, on the back cover:

You will also not find the full length pockets on the outer edge of the covers that the Burlington has, nor is there a zippered pocket, just the two large gusseted pockets on each cover:

I have yet to find the Epping in any of the catalogs that have been scanned and posted. However, I did find it mentioned in Lenore Fleischer’s “Sales & Bargains” column in the December 23-30, 1991 issue of New York Magazine.  In it, she mentions that the regular price of the Epping is $125, $30 less than the Winchester and $25 more than the Sherwood.

We have 1990 and 1992 full catalogs and 1991 price lists for the UK and France, and none mention the Epping, suggesting that this model may have been solely for the North American market.

In addition to black, I have seen a picture of a dark green Epping, but without a catalog listing, it is impossible to know what colours may have been available.

Thank you Alan for another interesting 'old' model. I like the layout of this one with the pockets and ring protectors that act as flaps for the pockets, very much like the Winchester.