Filofax A5 Finsbury organiser - Slate Grey

Great product. Soft leather with lots of storage. Very pleased with purchase. Would recommend.

The Finsbury is a nice mid-range model from Filofax. It was my first Filofax and I'll always remember it fondly, but it did have some issues, too, with my biggest irk being the flatability.PROS:- Beautiful colour and leather- Feels very sturdy and luxurious- Large rings- Snappy popper- Overall classy feelCONS:- Does not attain flatability. The leather seems too stiff and too shaped, it does not flop open like the Maldens.- The lining is a thin fabric over paper, which will wear out, unsticking off the paper and leaving wrinkles and odd lines of wear along bends.- Over time the pebble texture starts wearing its colour off, leaving a 'skinned' appearance on the bumps. My Filofax has only been used on tables and carried safely in soft bags, so it's not very hard wearing.- The pen loop is leather. You can either find a pen that fits exactly, or you can stretch it out a bit by putting fatter pens in there, but it doesn't look great. I've done it anyway.- My rings had a bit of misalignment. I should have sent it off when I noticed, but I was too young and excited to even thing about giving it back. Get a replacement if it happens! The papers catch every time I flip though my Finsbury and it's very annoying.- The personal size really is a bit odd when having to write in it, especially larger amounts. It certainly is a bit cramped.My Filofax is almost 8 years old, so it held up well enough. A few months into owning it, the flatability started bothering me and I started scrunching up the cover everywhere in the hopes of breaking in the leather. It has left my Finsbury much softer and floppier, but even then it does not lie fully open :(

I was given this filofax from this Amazon page a year ago. I am a final year university student now with a few paid work and voluntary roles. So I'm very busy and need to plan a lot.When this came in the post I was very impressed by the quality of the leather. It is vibrant and has plush and cushiony feel to it (huggable!). There is plently of room if you want to add a bunch of post it notes, stickers, credit card size cards and pens etc. I bought a bunch of extra refills such as graph paper etc. I also use a wallet insert to keep articles I get in class to read. So overall there is plenty of room.I left it until now to leave my review so that I could give honest feedback as to how well it stands up to being used multiple times a day. I'm very very happy with it. Looking at it right now it looks good as new. There are no scuff marks or scratches (even in the corners or opening tab), which I would have accepted because I throw this thing around in bags full of stationary, books and cans etc.A year a go I was prepared to say that you might as well get a cheaper diary because after a year they'll wear and tear the same. Which is what I said to my partner who bought it for me (hugs!) Now I'm saying that it's a great investment, it only if you know you'll use it. Though to be honest I've never been much of a paper planner until this thing. You will never look at your gorgeous raspberry filofax with anything but sheer glee. So yes I love it.I don't even need hole protectors to stop the page ripping because of the wire bar bindings. The paper is strong enough for those too.I am trying to come up with something to complain about here to give a balanced view.Hmm. Okay looking at it here the only thing I can see is that the inky fineliners I use are faintly visible on the reverse of the page. I press quite hard though but I know that some people find that very annoying. Generally the quality of the paper is amazing though, very thick and creamy.Also it is quite bulky, but that's to be expected for a quality a4 planner with enough room to carry a full diary and important documents and stationary and money. You could quite easily use it instead of a handbag ;)So to conclude, if I haven't convinced you that this filofax is worth it, I've just gone and bought some diary page refills despite their price. That is saying something as a poor student.P.s. in the photos bear in mind (pun intended) that Ive only got a few months of diary inserts left, it can fit much much more in it comfortably :)

I really like this new Filofax (well, new to me). It is very sturdily made from what feels to be good quality firm leather and feels like it is built to last. The item was delivered the next day after ordering and comes in a attractive box. It all feels very classy.Inside, the contents were:2014 lined week on 2 pages diary.To Do lists.Address sheets.5 different colours of notepaper.A ruler/Today guide.A double-sided plastic sheet credit card holder.A separate A5 6-holed notepad in the right hand slip compartment.The Finsbury itself has 2 pen loops, 3 credit card slots (as well as a 4th mesh/drivers license slot), 2 floppy disc pockets (which you could use for more cash/store cards etc.), a vertical zip pocket and a slip in vertical pocket (which is fairly tight when new) for loose papers etc.It's ideal for my needs. The size is just right for jotting down notes in a recliner (whereas an A4 is too big and a personal too small). And I can also take it out and about without it being too heavy or taking up too much room.A great thing about A5 is that you can print out your own inserts (either with A5 paper or A4 printed "2 pages per page" and cut in half). There are lots of "free Filofax printables" online if you search. You will also need Filofax's own A5 Metal Hole Punch, as nobody else seems to do them at present.The only real downside is that the pen loops are also leather and not elastic. I suppose that means they will last longer, but are just about the right width for a Parker Jotter. Anything thicker won't fit, but this isn't a major problem for me.Other than that it's a really nice bit of kit, which I'm really pleased with, and well worth the money. Make sure you go to their UK website first, so you can compare all their different models and see more photos and specs.