Loved this review Neil, thank you. I do find it interesting how this model's quality has changed over the years

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

You and me both!

I like the look of the Malden but probably won’t buy one only because I’m not in the market for one. I like the contrasting stitching. It does look well constructed. I don’t need all the pockets. It is nice to see that Filofax is still going strong. Thanks for sharing such a thorough review. Peace and love..Suz What ☮️💛

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thank you as always for your feedback.

Excellent review. Great b-roll intro. It’s tempting me to try one. I like the pockets.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thanks for your kind comment about the b-roll intro. It was fun to make.

Well I am shocked! Watching your channel regularly I didn't expect anything but the black Malden ha x

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

I just bought the cheapest one. I couldn't find a black version in the sale. But the core one may well turn out to have been a good purchase because it is possibly the easiest to sell on.

Seeing the leather on screen and your comments about it not having a strong leather smell reminds me of vehicle upholstery leather. I have a local shop that is known for its classic Chevrolet Corvette upholstery and I've purchased bags of leather scrap from them for small projects. It looks the same as the Malden leather. Vehicle upholstery leather has a plastic coating on it to give it more abrasion resistance. Unfortunately it also makes the leather lose its leather smell.

@sensemaya1

2 ай бұрын

You may very well be right. I have a few Maldens, the first purchased in 2015. There is a marked difference. It breaks my heart re Holborn leather. I sold my pocket one... stupid moment....then decided to replace it. Feels totally different and nor for the better. Wish I could get my original back.

@Flatability

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback. I personally don't have any previous experience of the Malden but most of the comments that I have read it over the last couple of years suggest that the leather quality has declined. However, when you consider that this Malden cost me just £52 I think it was an absolute bargain.

I have several Maldens and I still enjoyed your review. I thought it was odd too that there is no leather smell. I haven’t really been in rings in awhile because I’ve been using notebooks. Your black rings is a beauty. I love putting a ring bound system together. 🤔 I may need to move back into one.

I have had 3 personal Maldens over the last 5 years. I sold two of them. The issues that you spoke of are the same ones that I experienced. As to the multiple stickers, my guess is that the dashboard, plastic cover, and the box were all pre-labeled for ease of assembly. The Malden that you bought was probably made in India, so Filofax had to relabeled those elements. I would be most interested in the labels that are underneath the new ones. Anyone else seen this issue?

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback. This is the first example that I have seen, and there may be a number of variations out there, so clearly a difficult situation especially since comparisons with leather can be so subjective. But I'm hoping that I have the right balance in my reviews. I'll have another look at the labels soon.

Great review. I purchased my personal ochre Malden in 2016, also from WHSmith (it cost £43). The leather is really nice, very soft and it still has the leather smell. I read somewhere that Filofax no longer use buffalo leather so that may account for a difference in quality.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thanks for the info. So many people have said that the Malden is not what it used to be.

I bought myself an A5 Malden recently and the flatability is exactly the same and the clasp is a complete nightmare. My own personal favourite currently is a Personal Holborn in Black which has great flatability plus I like the stitching on the front

@Flatability

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback. I have a review of the Holborn very shortly.

Great review, Neil. Filofax supplies a notepad that fits the back pocket.

@Flatability

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for your feedback. I'm surprised that a notepad wasn't supplied. Certainly when I bought my Lyndhurst, 20 years ago, it was supplied with a notepad. I wonder whether Filofax have removed all the notepads from all their filofaxes.

@sensemaya1

2 ай бұрын

@@Flatability Filofax supplies as standard the 'Original' slim notepad but one has to fork out for extras nowadays. The 'Garden' personal organiser ( Amazon buy-17.99 -what a steal!) range has the same back pocket and there is a matching notepad available ( as you know I have to have everything matching which can get expensive). I've been using the pink 24-68478 dairy in it. Quite nice to write on the pink.

I do love my Malden A5, but went for a personal Holborn instead of the Malden. It has just as many pockets but they do seem to be a better layout. Had them both for over 10-years and plan to keep using them for many more.

I might be wrong and this statement is based on my assumptions and personal experience working with companies both in India and China (I'm a graphic designer),. I feel it could be possible that the China label concerns all the printed material , i.e the packaging and paper inside and that the India label is referring to the actual leather cover.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

That is interesting; thank you.

Never understood the appeal of the Malden. Too fussy a design. The Original is neater, better constructed from higher quality satchel leather, and lies completely flat from day one. It’s also the one Filofax that’s still made in the UK.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

It's certainly a popular design. Although I'm mainly a vintage filofax fan, I'm hoping to review as many current models as I can. I'll be reviewing the 'Original' later this year, hopefully. Many thanks for your feedback.

@JT1358

Ай бұрын

With you entirely. I like the exterior design of the Malden with the contrast stitching and the shape of the strap, but the whole thing is too floppy, and all those pockets make it lumpy. The A5 Original could use a little stiffening for when it's not on a desk, but a piece of card in the pockets works reasonably well. The Personal size is fine. The slip pockets on the A5 folio are not wide enough, and the additional strap inside the back is in the wrong place so the notebook isn't held as well as it could be. Having said that I like them enough to have bought two!

@glenn1611

Ай бұрын

@@JT1358 Yeah, my personal Original in black has had a tough time, never babied it, chucked it into rucksacks etc, still looks good as new. Stiffness is just right. Being made from a single piece of British satchel leather helps maintain the integrity. It’s the only new Filofax that gives a decent account of itself alongside the vintage ones.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

I’m looking forward to reviewing one of these. Hopefully during this year.

@navarreau5

Ай бұрын

​@glenn1611 you are making me want to move into mine!!! I love the Original as well. With it being made in the England and also its 'simplistic' setup, to me it is what I think of whenever someone mentions Filofax.

I love my plum malden in personal, I did swap out of that and into a Filofax Norfolk in Lavender, would love ur review of that , especially because it has 30mm rings which is unusual for a personal size 😊

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

A Norfolk is on my acquisitions list but, I have something very similar, from another manufacture, coming very soon. So watch this space. Hopefully I’ll review a Norfolk later this year but, since I buy these filofaxes with my own money, it’s taking some time to review them all.

@wendyhopkins2902

Ай бұрын

@Flatability , only managed to get a norfolk personal due to being over half price on ebay , it was brand new never been used or opened

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

That's awesome!

Funnily enough I’m in one of my ochre Malden’s today. I collect Maldens and the leather varies enormously over the few years it’s been made, the newer ones seem to be a glazed leather, which is less desirable to my mind.

@waggermama

Ай бұрын

As to flatability, it varies SO MUCH. I’ve got an old purple that lies perfectly flat, and a newer pear that does too, but most don’t

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thank you for your feedback. That's handy to know.

I owned a purple Malden, I gave it away after a decade of good use because of the rings since they weren't working well anymore. Recently I bought myself a black Malden and I got really disappointed. I mean, the leather felt almost like plastic, far from the vintage look they claim it to be. It was too shiny for my taste, it didn't feel like real leather to me. And the full back pocket behind the notepad pocket was not there anymore, that was a very useful pocket. I don't think I am going to buy another Malden any time soon, at least until they bring back the original Malden quality we all love and appreciate for so many years.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

There are certainly many comments about the leather.

The strap flapping about - have seen people tuck the tip of it behind the back cover just under where the pen loop sits to keep it out of the way.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Good tip!

Good afternoon from Spain. I have eight Filofax agendas (all in A5) three of them Malden, two croc, a holborn, and two the original. The last one I bought it a week ago at Amazon (blue color) to start telling you that I love these agendas. It is last has the front cover a little harder than the previous two (ocher and black) and made me think that it is not original, but ne everything else is exactly the same. These agendas have all the defects you comment on your video. They cannot put flat like the Holborn, the closing buckle, to the right, annoyed when writing. On the other hand, writing on the back of the sheet becomes almost impossible for the reasons he comments (zipper of his pocket, I could not put flat). Anyway, I like these agendas so much that I still buy them. I forgot, although some I have bought them in 2024, all comes with 2023 agenda. Greetings and apologize so many letters.

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate that.

Did you ever find out what those other stickers were? It looked like they reused the packaging and it was a label for another organizer. Weird!

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Sorry. I've not yet had the chance to examine the labels.

@tortagialla

Ай бұрын

@@Flatability no worries, just curious!

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

Forgive me, but I've forgotten where the photos are posted.

If I leave a comment that you review on your podcast does that mean you are reviewing my review of your review? 😂

@Flatability

Ай бұрын

I think it does ;-)