The Platonic Padfolio
June 30, 2011 4:55 PM Subscribe
Help me find (or create) my ideal padfolio/notepad holder!
I want to get more organized with note-taking and holding documents. It seems like a padfolio is the perfect solution: something like this or this would work really well.
The problem is, I want a combination of features that no single item seems to meet. My perfect padfolio/organizer/pad holder would be:
-a color other than basic brown, tan or black (and preferably not red).
-Letter-sized (A4, I think?), i.e. large enough to hold sheets of paper unfolded.
-Very slim, streamlined and simple (no zippers or fasteners or rings)
-Made of durable, stiff material (no floppy plastic folios or Etsy cloth organizers)
-Refillable - more than just a notebook with a hard cover.
I want something that I can open and use easily and quickly (in meetings and on the go), which will also protect documents and notes from the abuses of my bag. I want it to look reasonably interesting and not cheap.
The examples above would be perfect, except for the dull, dull style. More colorful organizers and portfolios exist, but none that seem to meet all of my requirements above. I've searched the usual suspects like Staples, Amazon and OfficeDepot to no avail. I'm hoping the green can give me links to specific products or smaller, quirky sites that might carry such a unique item. I'm even willing to try making my own if such a thing is possible!
I want to get more organized with note-taking and holding documents. It seems like a padfolio is the perfect solution: something like this or this would work really well.
The problem is, I want a combination of features that no single item seems to meet. My perfect padfolio/organizer/pad holder would be:
-a color other than basic brown, tan or black (and preferably not red).
-Letter-sized (A4, I think?), i.e. large enough to hold sheets of paper unfolded.
-Very slim, streamlined and simple (no zippers or fasteners or rings)
-Made of durable, stiff material (no floppy plastic folios or Etsy cloth organizers)
-Refillable - more than just a notebook with a hard cover.
I want something that I can open and use easily and quickly (in meetings and on the go), which will also protect documents and notes from the abuses of my bag. I want it to look reasonably interesting and not cheap.
The examples above would be perfect, except for the dull, dull style. More colorful organizers and portfolios exist, but none that seem to meet all of my requirements above. I've searched the usual suspects like Staples, Amazon and OfficeDepot to no avail. I'm hoping the green can give me links to specific products or smaller, quirky sites that might carry such a unique item. I'm even willing to try making my own if such a thing is possible!
You might want to clarify what size paper. If you are in the US, letter size is 8.5 x 11 inches. A4 is letter size in other places, and it is 8.27 x 11.69 inches. You are looking for one that holds A4 paper?
posted by Houstonian at 5:33 PM on June 30, 2011
posted by Houstonian at 5:33 PM on June 30, 2011
I don't know what your budget is, but this comes in (a sober) purple. It also requires a circa notebook, but oooh, I love those things.
posted by smirkette at 5:35 PM on June 30, 2011
posted by smirkette at 5:35 PM on June 30, 2011
Response by poster: I don't know what your budget is, but this comes in (a sober) purple. It also requires a circa notebook, but oooh, I love those things.
It is lovely and sooo close to perfect, but the steep price + special spiral notebook requirement rules it out.
You might want to clarify what size paper. If you are in the US, letter size is 8.5 x 11 inches. A4 is letter size in other places, and it is 8.27 x 11.69 inches. You are looking for one that holds A4 paper?
One that holds a standard US-size 8.5 x 11 paper. I put that in because I've found a lot of colorful "junior" padfolios that are unfortunately too small.
It's ridiculous how much time I've given to this. I may end up buying a plain $10 one and figure out some way to elegantly jazz it up.
posted by missix at 5:50 PM on June 30, 2011
It is lovely and sooo close to perfect, but the steep price + special spiral notebook requirement rules it out.
You might want to clarify what size paper. If you are in the US, letter size is 8.5 x 11 inches. A4 is letter size in other places, and it is 8.27 x 11.69 inches. You are looking for one that holds A4 paper?
One that holds a standard US-size 8.5 x 11 paper. I put that in because I've found a lot of colorful "junior" padfolios that are unfortunately too small.
It's ridiculous how much time I've given to this. I may end up buying a plain $10 one and figure out some way to elegantly jazz it up.
posted by missix at 5:50 PM on June 30, 2011
What about this one or these? There are also other options on that site - See Jane Work.
posted by valeries at 6:20 PM on June 30, 2011
posted by valeries at 6:20 PM on June 30, 2011
If you want something different and distinctive, you're going to have to look beyond Staples and amazon.com. Levenger is a great source for really nice things but, as you noticed, they have prices to match. I just saw an interesting one at Ten Thousand Villages that made me do a double-take. Leather artisans would be another good source and could work with you to design and make your ideal portfolio, if you want to go that route.
posted by DrGail at 7:47 PM on June 30, 2011
posted by DrGail at 7:47 PM on June 30, 2011
Not sure where you're located, but find yourself a good luggage & leather goods shop. You're looking for something higher quality and more unusual than you're going to find in Office Depot. You'll pay a bit more (probably quite a bit more), but you're far more likely to find exactly what you're looking for.
Jack Georges has a great Padfolio that comes in several different colors, including blue, pink, green, and yellow. They also have a collection of Crocodile leather goods that are gorgeous. (It's not real croc, though. It's embossed leather.)
posted by aristan at 1:37 AM on July 1, 2011
Jack Georges has a great Padfolio that comes in several different colors, including blue, pink, green, and yellow. They also have a collection of Crocodile leather goods that are gorgeous. (It's not real croc, though. It's embossed leather.)
posted by aristan at 1:37 AM on July 1, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks to all for your responses! After further searching I ended up buying a Maruman Mnemosyne Notepad Holder. It's basic black, but the style is unique enough to avoid the stuffy/bland business look that I hate, and it has all the simplicity I wanted.
posted by missix at 3:16 PM on July 1, 2011
posted by missix at 3:16 PM on July 1, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rossination at 5:12 PM on June 30, 2011