Well help is at hand for all of these types of questions.... FiloWiki. This is a site created and managed by our friend Robert Mayr.
On the site you will find one of the most comprehensive listings of all Filofax models that I know of.
If you have any information that you would like to contribute to FiloWiki, please contact Robert I'm sure he will welcome more input.
Add in all the old catalogues here on Philofaxy and hopefully you should be able to find an answer to most questions easily.
Hi Steve, I have an older Filofax which I'm not able to identify. Could be either a Devonshire or a Babylamb. It is embossed beside the pen-holder
ReplyDelete"Filofax
Made in England
7BLF 7/8"
As the pictograms Babylamb (catalogue France 1991) and Devonshire (catalogue UK 1993) look rather similar would it be possible to send some photos to you?
Thanks a lot and all the best from Germany, Frank
BL was used to denote Bridle Leather, but I’ve not come across a model using that with 7 pockets. The fact that a model number is used at all suggests something slightly older than those catalogues.
DeleteThank you, I've upped some photos here so maybe it can help more: https://is.gd/ogabof
DeleteColour is dark burgundy and the leather is very soft. There's another embossing in the closure "LHD".
The LHD marking under the clasp is the Quality Control marks, they indicate the location, month and year of manufacture
DeleteHi Frank - from the pictures it does look as though a date in the early 90s is more likely, as you thought. And Bridle leather would generally be thicker than yours seems to be.
DeleteAs you probably know, the code 7 BLF 7/8 stands for 7 pockets made of Bridle Leather with Fastener and 7/8” rings. The three digit codes started being used in around 1991 when Filofax started outsourcing manufacture overseas and needed to better identify where and when a particular organiser was made. LHD suggests a late UK manufacture in August 1994 but the codes aren’t always logical! All the Devonshires I remember were in Nappa Leather and date from the early 1990s.
DeleteThank you all so much! Much appreciated! <3
DeleteI so wish Filofax would do an A6 model. Their croco pocket in fawn is totally divine!! I have had to source from VDS crocos but would love an A6 like the Filofax Fawn, comparable. I can but dream, eh. xx
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, many thanks to you for posting this link and also to Robert Mayr for creating Filowiki. Back in the early 1990s (when I was in my early 20s) I bought myself a material personal organiser from Profile Time Management. It was OK but had poor "flatability". Very soon afterwards my parents gave me a soft smooth black leather personal size organiser that was actually a Filofax. It had large ring binder, two pen loops (very useful for a pen and pencil) and it had good "flatability". It was a joy to use. However, I have long since forgotten its model name.
ReplyDeleteMy Filofax is still used daily and has had a hard life. I used to carry it with me everywhere I went, either in my Barbour’s outside pocket (where It just fits) or in my laptop bag. My Filofax has been stolen (it was in laptop bag in my car’s boot at the time) but a passer-by found it and handed it into a police station for me to collect.
Fast-forward nearly thirty years and I am still using the same Filofax in conjunction with Microsoft Outlook that synchronises my schedule and contacts between my laptop and mobile phone. My Filofax tends to stay in my home office nowadays as it’s my point of reference to check for existing appointments and my availability for new ones. Once new appointments are confirmed and added to my Filofax they are then added to MS Outlook. I still don’t know the model and on more than one occasion I have thought about asking here for help in identifying it.
On Monday 6th January 2020, I followed the link to Filowiki and within five minutes I had identified my Filofax. It is an early example of a Filofax Sherwood Personal organiser in black leather with 30mm rings that are a Slide-on mechanism (PER) that was produced between 1990 and 1993. It is so nice to finally know the model name of the Filofax that I have owned for so many years.
Once again, many thanks,
Robert