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Hello everybody! I just ordered my first vintage Filofax, a navy blue Winchester. I can't describe how excited I am :-) It will get posted from the UK by end of this month to Austria. So it will take quite a bit... and of course prior to getting it, the will be an awful amount of custom duties to get paid... But nevertheless, I can´t wait it and would really appreciate if there are some fellow Filofaxer how can tell me a bit about this oh so famous model... Especially about how to take care of such an old jewel. And, last but not least, if you own a non-black Winchester... because at least to me, they nearly all seemed black. What do you adore about your Winchester?
ReplyDeleteI firstly clean any old binders, brushing out dust with an old toothbrush, and wiping off any dirt or mould with a damp cloth. Then I clean with an old can of 'Punch Matt Leather Dressing' spray. And finally, I condition with 'Lord Sheraton Leather Balsam', or 'Adidas Leather Elixir'. Repeat condition until it is no longer absorbed, then a final clean with the Punch spray to remove excess conditioner on the surface.
DeleteOld Winchesters will use genuine, dyed leather, unlike the painted, coated stuff that is passed off as 'real leather' in modern production. It should absorb conditioning products nicely.
Previous advice from Steve here:
https://philofaxy.blogspot.com/2022/11/conditioning-and-caring-for-leather.html
Hi Kevin, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. The link is also very useful.
DeleteYes good advice from Kevin there. The wipe with a damp cloth alone may be sufficient, depending on condition.
DeleteSticky contamination that’s got caught in the grain of the leather can often be removed (gently) using something like a cocktail stick.
A cotton bud is useful to clean into the gussets, down the edges of the ring plate and up the inner corners of the pockets.
Generally the leather is very robust and looks after itself.
Do avoid ever standing a hot drink mug on it though (as if you would!)
And green models are best kept out of light as much as possible, to avoid fading to brown.
Some of the more recent 'leathers' have grain applied by some 'goop'; the Rio, for instance, has some sort of hard putty-like material; the example I have has damage where some some pressure must have been applied, and has 'smeared' this coating. I'm not sure how best to care for this sort of coating, other than avoiding it in the first place... This may even be the case for some of the modern production binders with a 'grained' finish. I fear that if you put a hot drink on this finish, it would melt... But a genuine vintage Winchester should be genuine leather without any of this nonsense.
DeleteI prefer to condition old binders I buy, because they have often been sitting unused for years, and have dried out. If used regularly, body oils from your hands will act to keep the leather conditioned. But if you have too many binders, and don't use them regularly...
If genuine leather has dents, they can sometimes be removed by dampening the area, covering with a damp cloth, and gently passing a warm iron over the area. The damp and warmth causes the fibres to swell, restoring the surface. This is an old furniture restorer's trick (it works on wood, too), but you need to take care, and convince yourself it really is pure leather, and not some nasty coated leather...
Anyone purchase Filofax Finsbury new color Scarlet? Not many reviews online, except from Filofax.
ReplyDeleteThe Finsbury has been in production since 2005. The only new thing appears to be the colour, and that is a very subjective matter for a review.
DeleteHello again! In my Winchester euphoria, I've now ordered a black 5 CLF 7/8. Despite my research, I haven't quite figured it out. It must be a predecessor model (1978-1983) to the popular 4 CLF (from 1984). The only difference I notice is the missing ID window. Does anyone know the differences or the history? Does anyone else have experience with a 5CLF model? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDelete