14 May 2010

Free For All Friday No. 78

So UK has been gripped in election fever all week, and if any of you have been following the news we have had a change of government. A lot of the commentators have been comparing things to the 1980's and of course Filofax has been getting lots of mentions.... so I have been sending people links to the blog... with the message... we never went away...!

So next time you come across someone else with a Filofax, get them to write the address of the blog in their To-Do list... the more people the better...

So as is the tradition, feel free to discuss or tell us about anything Filofax related.

Have a good weekend.

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14 comments:

  1. With spring here I guess everybody is enjoying the weather.

    That is the comment, but I do have a question of those of you that are much more knowledgable than I on older Filofax models.

    I have a couple of pocket Filos that still used the old 4 ring binder mechanism instead of the 6 ring currently used. My question is when did they go to the 6 ring binders for the pocket models? I am guessing some time in the late 80's but I truly have no idea. Many thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

    Crofter

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  2. Thanks for visiting my Journal earlier.

    Wow, I had no idea that there were other Filofax enthusiasts out there.

    I just thought I was weird to be so obsessed with them.

    This is only my 3rd one. The first was given to me by a friend when he bought himself a new one. That was back in 1988. I kept that one until 2006 when I treated myself to a green Finsbury, they didn't have a red one in the store at that time. At that time I also bought a pocket Classic in red.

    I often spend a while window shopping on the filofax website, and noticed that they had brought out the red Finsbury again. I know it's one of the cheaper ones but I love the innards. Especially the zipped pocket. That is where I hide my notes that I want to save until I have a couple of hundred pounds to stick in the bank.

    It's funny how stiff the leather feels on the new one after my green Finsbury has been used for this last few years making the leather softer.

    One day I'm going to treat myself to a really expensive one, when they bring one out I can't resist.

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  3. @Richard: maybe drop Filofax UK a note? On the other hand, most employees there are probably too young to either know or remember ;-)

    @Sandy: You still have that 22-yr-old Filo? I would LOVE to see a pic of that one! This blog has a Flickr group, maybe you could upload there? (unless you alredy have, I'm off to check no that ...)

    Have a nice weekend everybody!

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  4. @ Jotje. Sadly no, I gave it away to a friend when I bought my green Finsbury. That friend is no longer with us I'm afraid.

    On a side note though. I found a poll on this site and noticed that it was mentioned that some younger people have now found filofaxes to be of use.

    A couple of months ago my Eldest Granddaughter (17) said she would love an organiser. Not sure if she would ever really use it, I found a couple of Filofax type covers in the Samaritans shop I volunteer at, so I brought them home, bought all new innards from filofax for one and gave it to her. She adores it and is now hoping for a new "real" filofax for her birthday.

    Last week, my 13 year old GD asked for one, so I made her up one with filofax innards.

    Blow me if Friday my 21 year old G/son, didn't come to me saying how he would really love one. So here I am waiting for a delivery on Monday of yet more filofax innards for him.

    The 2 eldest now, like me, browse the filofax website, so I can see eventually they will be begging for the genuine article.

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  5. Could someone please tell me if the portable hole punch for the personal will also fit an A5. Or does one need one for each??

    I ask because I sort of did a naughty tonight. Having only just had my new personal Finsbury delivered yesterday morning, I was sitting round today thinking how other parts of my life could be organised. More in the home rather than when out and about. So I ordered an A5 Domino tonight.

    Being as how I'm mot sure how much I will use an A5 I picked the Domino as a starter to see how I get on with one because it's not too expensive. Not only that but W.H.Smiths are selling them virtually half price for £18 instead of the normal £32. £18 isn't too much to waste if I find I can't get on with it.

    But now of course I am wondering if I will have to buy 2 hole punches. One for my personal and one for the A5.

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  6. Sandy, there are adjustable hole punches who would accomodate both (only one I know here in Holland is KW-trio). Otherwise you could get 2 of the cheaper plastic ones (only for a few set of sheets), 1 for the A5 and 1 for the personal.

    Hey, if the domino won't work out, you could always give it to one of your eager grandkids ;-)

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  7. Actually ... since the ring distance between the 3 rings is 19 mm with both sizes, you could also decide to buy one sice hole punch, and make do for the other size by drawing a pencil line and punching them by 3 holes at once.
    Ehm, anybody got what I mean here?

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  8. Thanks Jotje - I might buy one for my personal and test out your idea of measuring and doing 3 holes at a time for the A5. If it doesn't work out I will fork out for an A5 one as well.

    I dragged my pocket Classic out of deep in one of my drawers last night and decided I would put that to good use as well, after it being neglected for so long.

    I think my friends are going to get fed up with me, because for the last 4 days my on line Journal has been about nothing but Filofaxes.

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  9. Hi Jotje
    Yes I've done that before now with a punch to be able to do A5 and Personal from the same punch, it's just the spacing between group of three rings that is different.
    Steve

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  10. Richard asks above about when the pocket format switched from 4 to 6 rings. This happened in 1994 or possibly the year before.

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  11. I started using the Personal size in the 70's; stopped when PDA's came into fashion. Didn't buy one but somehow started browsing all my options; none with any success. Thirty plus years later and I've gone back to my old, battered but well-loved red leather Filofax. Is it my age? (62) My rebel tendencies? Growing up in the 60's? Whatever it is, I won't stray again. When you have a good relationship, why wander?

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  12. gmax: do you know when the 4-ring Pocket FF was introduced? FF tell me early 90's but I believe they were misinformed, like Rick coming to Casablanca for the waters. I think it was late '50s or early 60's. Steed appears to be using one in "Dial a Deadly Number" from Avengers '65. He couldn't be using a Succes? That isn't even BRITISH.

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  13. The one Steed uses in the episode had a wide VERTICAL elastic band (like the MODE and FRESCO) rather than horizontal, like the SPORT. 1952 would not be the year...1953?

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  14. @DJ - the 4 ring pocket was introduced in 1989. I can't rule out the possibility that a similar looking Filofax product existed before then, but I think it's unlikely.

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