Tri-Fold 6-Ring Binders

I recently had three different tri-fold binders in my possession  by Filofax, Gigliodoro, and Il Bisonte. It seemed the perfect opportunity to take comparison photos. 

First, the personal Filofax Knightsbridge is made of fine lambskin leather and has silver hardware. This binder is by far the softest I have ever owned. On the left inside, there is a full length pocket opening on the left edge, as well as eight card slots.  On the right inside, there is a full length zippered pocket and another full length open pocket behind that. The Knightsbridge also has ring protectors and two pen loops. It closes with a single snap. This is a discontinued binder made in approximately 1999.

Filofax Knightsbridge - Front View

Filofax Knightsbridge - Inside Full View

Filofax Knightsbridge

Filofax Knightsbridge

Next, the medium Gigliodoro 3-Way is made of genuine calf leather and has gold hardware. This binder is firm and structured, and has a generous number of pockets and slots. I counted a total of nine. The fold on this one is wider and meets the rings when closed. The Gigliodoro has one pen loop on the right inside.  It closes with one magnetic snap. This binder was a limited edition  and recently sold out by Luxecadeautjes.nl.

Gigliodoro 3 Way - Front View

Gigliodoro 3 Way - Inside Folded

Gigliodoro 3 Way - Inside Full View

Gigliodoro

Finally, the Il Bisonte INSIDER is made of cowhide, and has brass hardware and gold rings. This binder has a rugged texture and has no filler whatsoever. On the left inside, there are three card slots and a full length pocket. On the right inside, there is a full length zippered pocket. Rather than a pen loop, the INSIDER has a single internal pen slot on the inside right fold. It closes with two snaps. This binder is still available from Il Bisonte, either in its storefronts or online. 

Il Bisonte INSIDER - Front View

Il Bisonte INSIDER - Inside View

Il Bisonte INSIDER

Il Bisonte INSIDER

Personally, the Il Bisonte INSIDER is one of my favorite binders, second only to my medium Gillio Compagnas (not shown here). It sits wonderfully in hand and I have no worry throwing it in my bag. 

Note: I purchased all three of these binders pre-owned and let go of the Gigliodoro 3-Way since these pictures were taken.

The Gardener's Filofax System

I was fortunate to find this 1985 Gardener's Filofax System with its original inserts. The cover of the binder is vinyl, which is seemingly better to have than leather when planning and working in the garden. The outside texture is ribbed and the clasp is magnetic.

The inside left is stamped, "THE GARDEN BOOK CLUB" and has a secretarial pocket. The inside right is stamped, "THE BRITISH FILOFAX SYSTEM MADE IN ENGLAND" and has a gusseted pocket.

This planner includes a generous number of inserts. There are five index dividers with tabs: Gardener's Reference; Expenses; Garden Planning; Diary; and Addresses. It also has A-Z dividers with two letters per tab.

There are 12 different planning pages:

Addresses

Books

Plants

Public & Private Gardens

Garden Expenses

Memberships,
Magazine Subscriptions & Courses

Order Record

Notes

Plants, Seeds, Bulbs &
Equipment Needed

Propagation

Design Improvements

Seasonal Reminders

And, finally, there are some fold-out tracing and graph pages, a plant hardiness zone map, and directories to area gardens, co-ops, and plant societies.

Tracing Paper

Tracing Paper

Graph Paper

Graph Paper and Zone Map

Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Gardens to Visit

I read that Filofax used to carry a wide variety of inserts in the 80's relating to different hobbies and interests; however, this is the first that I have seen where an entire organizer was created for a specific purpose. Considering how many special-interest inserts were sold, I wonder where they are all hiding now.

Seattle Japanese Garden