The thickness of the paper in your binder makes a big difference in the weight, bulk, and number of pages the rings can hold.
In the past, Filofax brand inserts were 70 gsm. A few years ago they increased to 80 gsm to make them more fountain pen friendly.
Some planner brands use paper that is 100 gsm or even 120 gsm, to prevent show through and bleed through of inks.
Paper doesn't have to be super-thick to prevent inks bleeding through. Tomoe river paper and other similar papers are very thin, but are specially treated to prevent ink bleed-through. The thinness of the paper allows a ring binder to hold more pages. However, if you print your own pages, very thin paper can be problematic when going through a printer.
What thickness of paper do you prefer? Do you like thin paper for reduced bulk? Do you like thick paper for better ink performance? Or do you like something in the middle?
As always on Fridays, feel free to ask and/ or discuss anything ring binder organiser related!
How does low weight paper last with the rings/holes?
ReplyDeleteIs there any advice on buying vintage / used filofaxes (and other brands online) on Philofaxy? I can't seem to find anything.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for advice on which models and which years are worth seeking (as in before year XXXX)?
Also, what can be recovered with worn or scuffed binders (leather). Closure straps and bottom edges seem to get quite worn with use. I have seen a few vintage models that I think are good quality except for the wear. Would a bit of polish / conditioner recover wear enough to be presentable? I am thinking of the wear that leaves a lighter colour to the edge that is worn.
Also it seems personal is most of the vintage on sale, is A5 available in the better vintage or older models?
I bet there are many more questions others might have on this.
Do you know about the Vintage Filofax Users group on Facebook? Steve is the mod, and if you ask nicely he might let you in. 😊
DeleteTake a look at this YouTube channel. This gentleman collects and sells vintage planners. https://youtube.com/@flatability
DeleteHi Paul, have you come across the posts here about repairs & restorations yet?
DeleteIf not, you can find them at:
https://philofaxy.blogspot.com/search/label/repairs
https://philofaxy.blogspot.com/search/label/Restore
I've found that a clean with a damp cloth, followed by some leather conditioner & some shoe polish (or colour matched shoe cream for a specific shade other than black) has done wonders for some of my Filofaxes :)
I use Lord Sheraton leather balsam (after seeing it recommended in the Facebook group) & I think Steve has mentioned using a beeswax leather. conditioner
Just found a few posts on the age question so really looking for suggestions on models recommended, A5 size in vintage and wear recovery,
ReplyDeleteI would recommend looking at the models from the late 1980s - they were built to last and produced in reasonably large quantities, so plenty have survived.
DeleteThe Morocco leather ones from that period can sometimes get a bit frayed at the edges, so you might be better off with the calf leather models if that’s a concern.
For A5 models you’re probably looking at 1993 onwards - not sure if there’s any particular date range that would be preferable for these.
The Kendal model by Filofax is a waxed/oiled leather from the early 2000's, it came in A5 with 30mm rings as well as Personal (and Pocket) and just soaks up scrapes, would age pleasantly if extremely battered (eg carried in a bag) and less serious scratches and so on soon fade to invisibility if used in a home/office. I have two and can't recommend them highly enough.
DeleteThe A5 Kendals I see listed UK ebay right now seem a little overpriced IMO, though of course that's subjective, but this is a good one to set an alert for (and of course do occasional searches for "filofax" sorted by "newly listed" + "used" which can unearth some real bargains).
I've been using 80-90 gsm paper in my A5 mainly because I can easily buy it locally as shipping paper gets expensive because of the weight. And the paper I buy is good quality too, no issues with pen inks or printer inks/toner.
ReplyDeleteHi, Pamalison here. I like Filofax's 90gsm Cotton Cream paper - light enough to allow you to carry a decent number of pages but thick enough to prevent too much show-through. I'd rather carry less pages of a really high-quality paper than more of a thin paper.
ReplyDeleteI confess I am tempted to buy a ream of 50gsm 'bank paper' to try out for printing my manuals...
ReplyDeleteKevin
I'm hoping this is the right place for this question. I've recently discovered The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Plannerverse podcast and, I have been working my way through the archive of episodes. I love listening to Karine and Steve discuss all things planners/productivity! Are there any plans to record new episodes?
ReplyDeleteSarah
DeleteWe were hoping to get started again, but life has been getting the way for both of us. Not easy with such a big time difference finding suitable time to do the recording.
But thank you for the feedback I will ask Karine how things are about restarting.
Steve
Thank you, Steve. I can imagine it's a challenge to coordinate your schedules. Even if you never record another, the number of episodes you've released to date is very impressive.
Delete