Filofax Q and A – Part 1

Here are some questions that have come in recently so I have put them all together in one post.

How many Filofaxes do you have? Emelie

• I am not sure to be honest. Probably between 35 and 40. I have an index here which gives a very general idea.

How long have you been using Filofax and what model was your first one? Anonymous

• Since 1984 or thereabouts. I am not sure what model it is or even if models had names when I bought mine. I bought it in London in the mid-1980s with my first paycheck. I lost it somewhere along the way much to my dismay.

What is your favourite model at the moment? Sharon

• I love my personal Ostrich in Buttercup for the fantastic design and layout, and my Cavendish for the 30mm rings and pocket layout. Both of them are idea for use as a wallet.

How do you store and carry your Filofaxes? Anonymous

• I keep the less-used ones in their boxes if they have them, and the ones I rotate between regularly upright on my bookshelf.
• I carry the Filofax I am using in my handbag. I don’t put them in pouches or anything to protect them. My Filofaxes need to work as hard as I do.

How do you look after your Filofaxes? CJ

• I don’t do anything to them. I actually don’t do anything to any of my leather items (boots, jackets, belts, bags, books, Filofaxes). Just use them a lot and touch them a lot. I think the oils from my hands and being handled makes a really big difference.

How do you set up your Filofaxes? Anonymous

• I don’t have any plan in mind or try to copy what someone else has done – I just let it happen according to my needs. I always need a calendar (vertical Week on Two Pages) and notepaper. In addition to that I have credit card slots for business cards from my clients, plastic sleeves for receipts, vouchers, stamps articles, scraps of paper I need. I don’t use dividers – I separate my sections with Today markers and/or clear plastic flyleaves. If I use an A5 I can punch A4 papers I need (attendance registers, needs analyses, assignment briefings)and fold them to put in my binder.
• Every few weeks I go through the whole binder and get rid of things I don’t need and never use.
• My philosophy is the same as the founders of Facebook: ‘Move fast and break things’. It’s only by diving right in and trying things that you will know if they work. With Filofax it is no biggie. So it didn’t work – so what? You tried and that is what was important. You can just throw those pages away and start again.

What features would you like in new binders from Filofax? Sam

• more binders with gold rings
• double poppers on fastener straps to allow for expansion
• personal sized binders with 30mm rings
• more compact A5s with larger rings
• replaceable ring mechanisms
• more Filofax options for male users
• better insert selection – especially for A5
• reissue popular older models
• use Filofax boxes again

What other brands do you use? Tina

• Aspinal, Smythson (inserts, not binders), Gillio, Mulberry, Burde, Ordning och Reda. Brands I would like to try are L’Agenda Moderne and Van Der Spek. I will soon be getting an Akiko binder from Etsy.

Okay – that was the end of Q and A number 1. If you have any other questions, pop them in the comments or send me an email at janet.carr AT gmail.com