Friday 19 August 2011

Personal or Pocket?

It seems as if there is a revolution going on with people moving en masse to pocket filofaxes! Will I follow?

Well, there was a revolution in people getting Maldens and I haven’t followed that (so far). The current revolution seems to feature quite a lot of pocket Maldens too…

Now, whilst the idea of downsizing does somewhat appeal, I also know that I had a tough enough job convincing myself I could get along with a personal size! Although I do have several filofaxes, I only have one that I carry around with me and that has diary, to-do, lists, addresses, cards, coins, stamps etc all in there. I would want to be able to carry all of that in a pocket.

All in all, I think I will stick with my personal. I may revisit that decision over time but right now I’m staying put.

Why??? (I hear some of you holler)

Well, a number of reasons.
1.            I’ve already invested a not inconsiderable amount on personal filofaxes and inserts.
2.            It would have to be the perfect interior format to make me shift and none of the current pocket-sized filofaxes do it for me. You see, I want to be able to carry a reasonable number of credit cards/other cards around with me and there doesn’t seem to be a decent way to do this in the pocket filofaxes. You can put 2 or 3 or 4 cards in the cover (without doubling up the cards) but that would leave me with another 6 (to 8) to carry. I also want to carry coins and the zipped bit being right next to the card slots (as it is in the Malden and others) might be tricky. So, I would like the zip pocket and the card slots on different covers. Ah.. but.. I hear you say… the Finchley has that. Yes, but the Finchley looks like it would only hold 2 cards on the LH cover (with two weird pockets next to them… what are they for???), still leaving me with 8 to put into card holders that only hold 2 cards each. And… I don’t like the zipped pocket in mesh. And it’s too ‘puffy’ for everyday.
3.            Will I fit everything in? My current format is working really well for me and I would want to replicate that in any pocket I downsized to, but my personal feels a bit full at the moment and the pockets have smaller ring sizes. Now, the good folks over at Philofaxy have been assuring me that in fact, the pocket is a tardis and there would be no problem, but I’m not convinced. Quite.
4.            There are fewer alternative inserts for the pocket. There are some lovely ones over at the Succes site but it’s not quite enough to convert me.

I almost (almost) bought a pocket Portland on eBay and had I been a tad more convinced about being able to fit everything in, including all my cards, I might have bid a bit more. Why the Portland? Well, it will take 4 credit cards in one side and has a leather zipped pocket in the other cover (and in my personal Portland, that pocket is gusseted!). If the one I was bidding on had been either blue or green I would possibly have kept going, but it wasn’t, so I didn’t!

So, not being too demanding or anything… I would want a pocket that held at least 4 cards in one cover, had inserts for cards that could hold 4 without them overlapping, had a zipped pocket on the other cover from the card slots, had a vertical pocket behind the card slots for carrying notes and a ring size that would hold all the stuff I wanted to put in it! In addition it would have to have soft leather, be in dark blue or green (preferably) and there would be a sudden explosion in other companies producing inserts for the pocket.

Not asking for much, am I?? :-)

If anyone has any other types of pocket filofax that would fit (other than the Portland) please let me know!!

8 comments:

  1. The pocket Chameleon has 4 card slots... but only 15mm rings, but mine works fine as a wallet/notebook/shopping list Filo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pocket urban - has outside zipper pocket so when you need coins you dont even have to open the organiser!! the LH inside hold 4 cards i think. plus the credit card holders for pocket hold 4 cards not 2 :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think I will stick with my personal too and I doubt I can fit my life into a pocket.
    On an unrelated note, I read your guest post on Planet Millie and I think you are absolutely amazing for the work you are doing helping street children in Malawi.

    :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a beautiful pocket Malden sitting here and I haven't figured out its purpose yet. Yesterday I did try a one-day entry (going from my personal 2-days-per-page to the pocket w02p). Ha! Way too small. I like the idea of dropping down to a pocket for my main Filo, but realistically, I don't see it happening right now with my current personal/work situation.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Steve
    Ah, but I would want everything in there, not just wallet, notebook, diary... (Greedy - I know!)

    @SSA
    I actually had a look at a pocket urban on sale in Rymans yesterday, but still thought I couldn't downsize!

    @CP
    Thank you for your kind words about the charity work. It's something that I am really proud to be involved in.
    And I'm glad you think you can't downsize too!

    @Terriknits
    What, you have a pocket Malden and haven't moved into it. Well, then there can't be any hope for me. From what I've read, there is something infused in the Maldens that makes people addicted, instantly! :-)

    Seriously everyone, thank you for all your comments. I'm fairly sure I'm staying put with the personal - it's a bit 'chunky' but I still love it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, forgot to say - the other ting about the non-leather ones (and indeed some of the leather ones!) is that they are just too stiff and the covers are too thick. I thought they might be a cheap option to try out, but as soon as I handled them I knew they were too inflexible and not soft enough.
    Too used to squishy leather filofaxes, evidently!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've made the switch from a personal to an A5, so I'm bucking the trend! Hehe. Would never be able to fit all my things in a pocket Filofax!

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Millie
    Check out the for sale page - I'm getting rid of some excess A5 stuff! Good for you for bucking the trend too!

    ReplyDelete