Category Archives: Nostalgia

Vintage Master-Craft Loose Leaf Notebook

Today we’ll take a look at another item from my collection of vintage notebooks, a Master-Craft loose leaf binder. At first glance, it looks quite similar to some of the other pocket size loose leaf notebooks I own but there are a couple of interesting differences. This Master-Craft notebook was quite well-used. The exterior is … Continue reading Vintage Master-Craft Loose Leaf Notebook

The History of the “Pocket Slim” Filofax: Part 1

In the introduction to this series of posts, I covered some background on Filofax’s rare pocket size offerings from the 1930s to 1970s. With all that history out of the way, let’s look at how the modern pocket size Filofax organizer was first introduced in the 1989 Filofax UK catalog. This year, the ultimate adaptability … Continue reading The History of the “Pocket Slim” Filofax: Part 1

The History of the Pocket Slim Filofax: Series Introduction

If you’ve read any of my posts about the various pocket Filofax organizers I’ve used over the years, you probably noticed that they were all models that have no pen loop or fastener strap. Snap-closing fasteners have become the more common option for pocket Filofaxes, so I always assumed that having a fastener strap was … Continue reading The History of the Pocket Slim Filofax: Series Introduction

1912 Diary from France

Here’s a gorgeous little antique notebook that I recently added to my collection. At over a century old, it is still in pretty good shape! The cover seems to be some kind of faux leather wrapped around cardboard, with the year stamped in gold. The pages have gilt edges, rather faded now. Another nice little … Continue reading 1912 Diary from France

My New Work Notebook: A Surprise Filofax

At some point in the last few months, I hinted that I’d be trying something new this year for the notebook that I use for my job. After many years of consistently using large-ish wire-o bound notebooks (see examples in these posts: Finishing a Work Notebook , My Latest Work Notebooks, New Job, New Notebook), … Continue reading My New Work Notebook: A Surprise Filofax

Filofax Winchester from the Late 1980s

I was recently helping a friend with some decluttering, and you can imagine my joy when we unearthed this: This was her Filofax from around 1988 or so, which she used for many years until switching to a Palm Pilot. (The Palm Pilot didn’t last long– after letting the battery die and losing all her … Continue reading Filofax Winchester from the Late 1980s

Hallmark Diaries from the 1970s

I have saved almost all the pocket size notebooks I’ve used in my life, except for the very earliest ones. I was drawn to small diaries and notebooks before I could even write, and the very first ones I remember using were Hallmark promotional diaries given away at the local drugstore– but I don’t have … Continue reading Hallmark Diaries from the 1970s

More Than You Need to Know About Moleskine Sketchbook Packaging

Do you think you can out-geek me? Ha! This post will be a shot across the bow… I have a large stash of Moleskine pocket sketchbooks and squared notebooks, as well as a various other formats. In a post from several years ago, I used some of them to trace the evolution of Moleskine’s packaging … Continue reading More Than You Need to Know About Moleskine Sketchbook Packaging

Review: Denbigh Notebooks

After my recent post about Alwych notebooks, I kept thinking about the Denbigh notebooks sold by the same company. With Alwych looking like it might be discontinued, I wondered how long Denbigh would still be around… and I found myself coming down with a severe case of FOMOAN: Fear of Missing Out on A Notebook! … Continue reading Review: Denbigh Notebooks

No-Name Pocket Filofax, 1990s

Here’s another trip down memory lane with a Filofax from my collection of refillable notebooks. This Filofax must have been bought before the two Pocket Chelsea models I wrote about recently. At first, I thought it might be more recent, because it is in such good condition, but it only has 4 rings, a configuration … Continue reading No-Name Pocket Filofax, 1990s