Frequently Asked Questions About Philofaxy

Over the years I've been asked most of these questions more than once. Therefore it made sense to turn them in to a post of some sort!

1. When did you start the blog?

I didn't start Philofaxy, that honour was another guy by the name of Matt from the USA. He started it in October 2005. 

Nan joined him in June 2006. Matt disappeared to spend more time with his family at some time after then. Laurie and I joined Nan in June 2009, Anita joined the team in May 2012.

2. Who are the team, can I join? 

You can find out more details about the current gang of four on the 'About' page.  If you would like to join the team then why not try writing a guest post or two first. Or contribute a few ideas for future posts.

3. What are the organisers in the photo at the top of the blog? 

1. Filofax Pocket Sandhurst - Tan
2. Gillio Medium Mia Cara (Black and Red)
3. Van der Spek A5 Custom - 6202 outside 6208 inside
4. Van der Spek Standard (Personal) 6218 Blue
5. Van der Spek A5 Custom - Tabac

4. How much do you charge for a review?

We do not charge for reviews. Naturally if the company donates the sample we are very grateful. I don't keep them all. Over the years a lot of the review samples have been given away as prizes. 

I try to work on the basis of giving a fair and accurate review no matter what price point the organiser is. I try to be as objective as possible without bringing in my own subjective opinions. This to some people might be a little bland, but I wrote technical reports for 20+ years that had to be similar, objective not subjective. I guess it is difficult to break out of that 'style' 

I hope you as potential customers find the reviews useful and the companies gain some new customers. 

Some samples are only loaned to me for a limited period to do the review and then returned to the company. In this case the company will arrange shipping in both directions so it is just my time and my own photography equipment that is used. 

5. How do you find the blog posts?

Over the years I've built up a system with a large number of blogs and You Tube channels in it. It reads the RSS feeds from these sites and lets me know when there are new posts and new videos for consideration. I then check each one and determine if it will be included or not.  Google doesn't highlight that many blog posts these days. Therefore my own system is much better. 

The system is affectionately known as Gromit the cartoon character from Wallace and Gromit. Back when we had a Windows 3.11 network at home the network name was 'Wensleydale' rather than 'Workgroup' and each computer or printer on the network had a character name from the series, for instance one of the printers was 'Preston' ! Gromit was my desktop machine that the system originally started on!

The same system is used for Travellers Notebook Times as well. 

We are always looking for new blogs and channels to include for both sites.

6. How many visitors are there per day to Philofaxy?

Not as many as we would like! I started collecting stats in August 2009, since then there have been about 5.25 million visits with about 14 million page views. 

Our best year was in about 2014 terms of visitor numbers. But with other forms of social media competing for peoples attention/time our visitor numbers have declined a bit. 

These days we get about 1500 visits per day but it varies each month during the year, increasing in December/January when people are looking for new diary inserts. And we get 3000-3500 page views a day. Quite respectable figures for a niche blog!

7. How many blog posts have you written? 

I honestly don't know the answer to this one. This post is number 3976 of all of the posts on Philofaxy, but I have no idea what proportion of them I have written.

Before I joined the team I read all of the posts from the first one through to the current one back in 2008. Then I did it a second time including the comments. I've not attempted to do that recently!

I can remember most of them that I've written, but I have to use the search to find them because I'm useless at remembering when I wrote them!

8. How much money do you make from Philofaxy

Not a great deal! There is some affiliate links used to Filofax and Amazon. I do have expenses to cover such as postage and the cost of the server that the diary inserts are hosted on as well as the podcast. 

However I am happy to do this for zero profit. Why? Well let me explain. 

Through the 'work' I do with the companies they are happy. They also have happy customers. And I've gained a lot of friends through the 'work' I've done on Philofaxy and you can not put a value on friendship? 

• Cost of a pen - £5
• Cost of a Filofax - £100
• Cost of friendship - Priceless

What earning I do make they are all declared on our annual French tax return! Sad I know but I prefer to keep everything simple and straight forward. 

9. How did the name Philofaxy come about?

I can't be 100% certain but it might have been to avoid trademark issues with Filofax. In English Ph is a similar sound to the letter F so changing F for Ph avoids the trademark issue!

I've even registered: http://philofax.co.uk Filofax obviously didn't think about spelling variations!

10. Do you read all the posts and watch all the videos that go in to each webfinds?

I used to, but these days, the blog posts are given a quick scan for consideration for inclusion. With the videos it would take too long to look at each one, so I look at the title and the thumbnail of the video and may be a quick scroll through the video to assess it for inclusion. I do go back and read or watch the ones that are of interest to me.

11. What are your favourite posts to write

I do enjoy writing reviews as well as my 'travelogues'. As a keen amateur photographer for many years, improving my technique for photographing organisers has taken me longer than I would have liked, but after investing in some studio lights it is now much easier to do.

I generally start off by taking the photos and work out the 'story' I'm going to tell with the series of photos. A full review can take 2-3 days to do including the photos.

When I've been on one of my unannounced visits like the trip to Italy with Gillio or to the Van der Spek workshop, I love to draw the reader in at the start and carry them along with the trip.

I've also had a lot of fun writing posts which have evolved gradually like the reveal we did of the new Filofax range in 2012. I did this one with the help of Alison my dear author wife. She took my basic idea and added a bit of 'drama' to it. She said what are you going to say next? I was laughing... 'Nothing' was my reply. That was cruel!

So the post went out and the reaction was incredible. I had planned part 2 to be published the next day, it wasn't even written at that point so whilst the death threats poured in, I quickly got to work writing the real 'reveal' !!

12. What are the hardest posts to write

I was discussing this with Anita recently, we both agreed that the Free For All Friday posts are the hardest ones to write, trying to think up a suitable topic every four weeks. Yes we do sometimes cheat by looking back at similar ones from pervious years!

13. What is the difference on Twitter between Philofaxy and PhilofaxyNews

@Philofaxy is our main Twitter account, it shares the post from Philofaxy each day.
@PhilofaxyNews is an automated account, it relays posts from the Filofax Focus Flipboard magazine.

I hope I've answered most of your questions.... if not drop your question in the comments below.

FAQ - Gillio Firenze

I often get asked questions on a regular basis about different brands of organisers, so I am going to bring them together in to an easy to understand and a format that we can keep up to date easily. Today's post we look at Gillio Firenze.

As a way of introduction, Gillio was 'introduced' to us by Mella who discovered their products in a store in Antwerp when she was looking for a Filofax Deco. She blames me for this, but she then became a big fan of Gillio organisers and now works for them!!

Company History
Gillio Firenze is a small family business that sells high-end, top quality, handmade leather goods made out of the finest Italian leathers. The company started with a small stationery shop in Brussels in 1952 and they have since expanded their brand and collections significantly. Their products are sold worldwide (to almost 50 countries) through dealershops, They also have two stores in Belgium (Brussels and Antwerp) and through their own on-line webshop.

Company Details. 

Company: Gillio Firenze

Location:  

Gillio - IIC bvba
Rollebaan 47a
1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode
+32 (0)2 380 63 19

Email: info@gillio.be
Website: http://www.gillio.be

Facebook page: Gillio Firenze
Facebook group: Gillio Firenze

Product details. 

The Gillio Firenze products stand out in quality, craftsmanship and overall look and feel. Once you have owned a Gillio product and have experienced their leather quality, it’s hard to ever go back to cheaper commercial leathers. Their well-known epoca leathers are still coloured according to the ancient Italian traditions. Not a quick colour dye, but traditional vegetable tanning. This transformation from raw hides into beautifully dyed leather is a slow and astonishing process in wooden drums, based on the use of natural tannins, on modern technologies and machineries but mainly, on the slow passage of time.

This process is the most environmental-friendly, and it allows them to keep the uniqueness and versatility in the product. The natural variations (creases, imperfections, scars, variations in the colour or the grain) in the leathers are inherent to the Gillio products: you will never find two identical products in the Gillio collection: instead of offering perfectly (artificially) smoothened, thirteen-in-a-dozen products, Gillio firmly believes in creating unique pieces of craftsmanship that will grow even more beautiful with age - true heirlooms!

Leathers. 
High quality vegetable tanning is disappearing in Europe, with an exception of Italy, where all of their leathers are produced. Gillio leathers are labeled with the 'Certificato de Garanzia - pelle conciata al vegetale in Toscana' label: guaranteed vegetable tanned Tuscan leathers. Gillio earned this label after meeting the most stringent requirements for authenticity of leather processing, imposed by the strict specifications of the Consortium, an independent organization that carries out regular (unannounced) spot checks on quality and production.

For more details about the leathers that Gillio uses in their products please visit this page on their own Website.

Rings.
The rings on Gillio Planners are removable just follow the instructions in my video.

Warranty
Gillio offer a life time warranty on all of their products even if you didn't buy it direct from them. This gives you peace of mind when buying any Gillio product. Full details can be found on the Gillio website here. 

What is the difference between the Gillio and the Gigliodoro products?

Gigliodoro is the former name of Gillio Firenze. They have re-branded in 2008, so any products labeled 'Gigliodoro' are mostly from before then.

Organiser Models and Sizes:

Gillio make three models of organiser, the Amica, the Compagna and the Mia Cara

A4 - This is available only in the Amica model, and it uses a universal 4 ring mechanism the same as Filofax A4.

A5 - This size is available in all three models. They are all fitted with 25 mm rings which are the standard ring spacing the same as Filofax A5

Medium - This size is available in all three models. They are all fitted with 25 mm rings which are the standard ring spacing the same as Filofax Personal size

Medium - Slim This size is available in only the Compagna model.  They are all fitted with 14mm rings which are the standard ring spacing, the same as Filofax Personal/Slimline

A6 - This size is available in only the Compagna model.  They are all fitted with 23 mm rings which are the standard ring spacing the same as Mulberry Agenda and Van der Spek Senior size.

Pocket - This size is available in all three models. They are all fitted with 16 mm rings which are the standard ring spacing the same as Filofax Pocket size.

Mini - This size is available in just the Amica and Compagna models. They are all fitted with 12 mm rings and the ring spacing is the same as Filofax Mini.

Other products:
In addition to ring bound organisers Gillio also have their Giramondo Travellers Notebook covers and they also recently added the Appunto A5 and A6 bound planner covers too.

There is also a huge range of other leather goods such as bags and wallets, desk sets, pen cases etc etc. See the website for full details.

Purchasing Gillio Products on-line Gillio has a very comprehensive website, which I think will answer most of your questions about purchasing from them, instead of repeating their Q&A's please follow this link to their website.

Gillio Blog - The website has a news section which regularly features stock up dates and offers.

Previous Gillio posts and reviews on Philofaxy can be found here. 

We will up date this post with new information and answer any questions in more detail. Please leave any questions in the comments. 

FAQ: Van der Spek

I often get asked questions on a regular basis about different brands of organisers, so I am going to bring them together in to an easy to understand and a format that we can keep up to date easily. Today's post we look at Van der Spek.

Company History
Van der Spek have been making leather goods for more than 90 years with the 3rd and 4th generations of the family continuing the traditions of high quality and craftsmanship produced items. In addition to the family, the small team is made up of craftsmen and women with many years of experience. Their market was predominately in the Netherlands, but it is now a truly world wide company with customers in every continent of the world.

Company Details. 

Company: Van der Spek Lederwaren

Location:  Van der Spek LederwarenLaning 2
3297 TB Puttershoek
Tel: +31 78 676 4777

Email: website@vdslederwaren.nl
Website: http://www.vdsshop.com

Facebook page: Van der Spek Lederwaren
Facebook group: Van der Spek Organiser Fans

Product details. 

Leather is sourced from within Europe and all Custom organisers, Nomad TN covers and Codex Notebook covers are made in house at Puttershoek by the Van der Spek team.

Custom models typically take 3-4 weeks to be made and delivered as they are made to order, therefore each one is unique to the customers requirements within certain design parameters.

Custom models can have various options added to the basic designs such as back pockets, additional pen loops, etc.

With custom models you select the interior and exterior leather/colour as well as the colour of the interior and exterior stitching. There is a very wide range of leathers in different finishes and colours available. The range of leather is constantly being expanded to meet the needs and desires of the customers.

You can decide if you want stiffener between the exterior and interior leather included. You can also opt to not include the foam between the layers, just request this in the special requirement message on your order.

Further customisations are available, please contact Petra Van der Spek at the email address shown above.

The Touch Me range are mass produced for Van der Spek by a company overseas, but to a high standard. These are available off the shelf.

Rings:
Van der Spek use Krause rings in all of their organisers, these are also available for separate purchase should you want to upgrade other brands of organiser, but check the photo on the website to ensure they are compatible with the ones you are replacing.

·      What is the maximum paper thickness can you use in the rings?:

• Mini 15mm rings – max 11mm
• Junior 16mm rings – max 12mm
• Junior 20mm rings – max 14mm
• Senior 20mm rings – max 14mm
• Senior 25mm rings – max 19mm
• Standard 25mm rings – max 19mm
• Standard 30mm rings – max 24mm
• Manager A5 25mm rings – max 19mm
• Manager A5 35mm rings – max 29mm

Leathers:

Italian leather
18… leathers. These leathers are finished and are easy to keep clean. These leathers are hand dyed, which gives the leather different colour shades. The leather is made from the neck and front legs of the cow (also named as avancorpi) which gives the hide a beautiful natural grain.

NAPPA leathers:
The 62… leathers + Barbie + velato are naked leathers. There is no finish on the leather. They have a two tone effect on the hide. It is more natural looking, but please note that they are more sensitive to water and dirt.

The other nappa leathers with the names (except Barbie and velato) do have the finish and the skins are always in one plain colour. The finish means it is easier to clean and also more durable.

Janet leather:
These leathers cost 10% more than all the other colours.

The original Janet leather is the brown one #104. This leather is sensitive for water and dirt since it also does not have any finish, just an open structure.

So you have to love leather that will change and get a patina look as well.

And we also have 4 other colours in look-a-like Janet leather. These leather can handle water and are more durable.

Print leathers like croco, ostrich and LV. These are cow leathers with a print. They’re all very durable and easy to clean.

Undyed leather:
Very sensitive for all you can think of ;), water, dirt, even sunlight! This leather will change really fast! So you have to love it!

Inside leathers like: 05-08-09 ….. These leather are thinner and have wrinkles in the leather, that is the reason we only use them for the inside. It is a finished leather, so it is also easy to keep clean.

All the leathers we use are full grain leather, top quality! They do not treat their leathers.

Leather skins do come from cattle that live in the open air and under various conditions. So the leather is subject to all kinds of natural defects, neck pleats, traces of veins etc. these cannot be avoided in the tanning process. Of course they try to avoid these natural marks in the selection process so they get the best result for your finished product. But it is still a natural product which gives it charm.

Organiser Sizes:

A5 Manager - Available in Custom and 'Touch Me' designs with either 35 mm or 25 mm rings, the same ring spacing as Filofax A5

Standard - The same size and ring spacing as Filofax Personal, they come with either 30 mm or 25 mm or 13 mm rings. Also available in the Touch Me range with 30 mm rings 25 mm size optional.

Senior - These come in two sizes. Widened for A6 and Un-widened. Ring spacing common to Mulberry Agenda and it is different spacing to Standard, therefore Standard (Personal) pages will not fit a Senior.

Senior Un-widened are for use with Sucess type inserts which are narrower than A6 inserts. This size in custom is available in 13 mm or 20 mm or 25 mm rings. Old style Touch Me models were also Un-widened but were only available in Black and Dark Brown with 20mm rings. Un-widened will accept A6 inserts, but you will need to use top tabs on the dividers.

Senior Widened models in Custom will work with A6 inserts with side tabs they are available with 13 mm or 20 mm or 25 mm rings. All new Touch Me models are widened by default in all colours, and are also available in 20 or 25 mm size and will take A6 inserts.

Here are the two Senior sizes compared when open. The widened model measures approximately 315 mm edge to edge. The un-widened model below it approximately 280 mm edge to edge.

Junior - Page size is the same as Filofax Pocket size and the same ring spacing as Filofax Pocket. In Custom these come in two ring sizes 20mm and 16mm. Touch Me model comes with 16 mm size rings.

Mini - Page size similar to Filofax Mini but the ring spacing is different to Filofax Mini, therefore Filofax Mini pages will not fit the Mini Van der Spek. Only available in Custom with 15 mm rings.

The ring spacing is 19<->25.4<->25.4<->19mm spacing.

VdS Mini will fit on to A5, and Personal (Standard) So in fact it is quite a useful size as a 'satellite' planner that you can tuck in your pocket and may be leave your Standard in your bag.

Nomad Travellers Notebook Cover. 
The Nomad TN cover came about as a result of a joint team effort between the people at Van der Spek and Janet Carr and Steve Morton during their get together at Puttershoek in October 2014. The design was further refined and revealed to the public in April 2015.

The Nomad comes in the standard TN cover size for booklets that are 210 mm by 110 mm in size. The Nomad Junior is now available for booklets that are 140 mm by 90 mm in size.

The Nomad is available as a basic cover with various options that can be added including internal pockets and pen loops all available for on-line ordering. But like all things Van der Spek they can be customised to the buyers requirements, naturally this will cost a little more but the results are outstanding. Find out more about the Nomad TN cover on the Van der Spek website.

The Codex Notebook Cover
This product was originally designed for bound notebooks/planners such as the Hobonichi planner. It is available in both A5 and A6 sizes. The Codex Standard is for the Hobonichi Weekes planner.

This product can also be fully customised.

Some examples have also been made as Nomads in A5 and A6 sizes. Find out more about the Codex Cover on the Van der Spek website.

Other products:

As well as organisers and other planner covers, Van der Spek also make leather pen cases and leather writing cases,  these can also be customised in a similar way to the leather organisers. See the website for full details.

News: Keep up to date with news and new releases on the Van der Spek Blog.

We will up date this post with new information and answer any questions in more detail. Please leave any questions in the comments. 

Wondering Wednesdays No 1.

OK an odd title... but 'Have you ever wondered about the number of pages a Slimline Filofax might hold?' Or any number of other questions you might have about your Filofax Organiser..

Well this post and hopefully others in this series will be a great place to ask those questions... anyone can ask a question.... and of course anyone can answer the questions.

We won't limit ourselves to only one question per week, but if you are responding to a question with an answer, please make it clear which one you are responding too, if the questions are similar. 

I will capture them and add them to our FAQ page, and once the FAQ's grows in numbers, I will separate out the Q&A's in to different sections on that page to make it easier to refer to. So hopefully the FAQ page will build up with some useful answers which we can refer people to... in a polite way of course.

If you are little shy about asking a question, then email your question to our email address (see the About page) and I will post your question anonymously on the Wednesday posting.

As the title implies this will become a regular post for Wednesday each week, if it proves popular. It is not going to replace Free For All Fridays, they will continue and of course you are then free to discuss anything Filofax related or to respond to the questions or ideas we sometimes pose to you.

Oh and if you were wondering about the number of pages a Slimline will hold.... it's about 100-120... I tested this out for one of our readers last weekend!! And it is now on the FAQ page!

So fire away with your questions.....