Saturday, May 24, 2014

Zippered leather binder folios

REQUIREMENTS
  • Burgundy, or something close
  • Good build quality...leather or something that looks professional
  • No handles...not my thing
  • Zippered around three sides
  • Binder (three or more rings)
  • Letter-sized paper pad
WOULD BE NICE....
  • USB memory stick loop
  • Pen on outside or middle (only a preference, so does not interfere with writing on back of pages)
  • Gusseted file pocket, if possible, instead of a v-shaped pocket, which squishes papers
  • One binder had a removable, velcro-affixed three ring binder...kind of interesting, but not sure if practical...I thought briefly about adding something like that to an existing pad folio, but it seems risky regarding fit
OPTIONS
  • YES
    • McKinley Leather: #140Z, though the burgundy seems a bit red--$175 (this is the one I purchased)
    • A.C. Oehmich Company: option #174 seems to fit all the requirements--$124...or $133?
    • Scully (5020Z or 494Z, Color: 22 - BURGUNDY; 06 - Italian leather...but hard to find)--~$230 for the 494Z
      • LeatherTree: They sell the 5012 (no zipper) and the 5012Z (zipper)
      • Colors which I do not want: 39-PLUM (looks purple)
    • Day-Timer: (4462, "Western Coach Leather Zippered 1 1/2" Planner Cover Folio" seems perfect...4584: zippered, but not leather...looks cheaper)--~$92
  • MAYBE
    • Samsill: 70734 comes in burgundy
    • Dacasso (E7002 - Burgundy seems reasonable, but no three ring binder option)
    • Leatherology (their burgundy looks acceptable...but no three ring binder option)
    • Jack Georges: beautiful, burgundy, but no zipper or rings
    • Osgoode Marley: #1810 zippered folio, but no rings...comes in "Brandy" but no way to see color
    • Willow Brook Leather: burgundy, zipper, no rings (looks a bit brown?)
  • NO
    • Levenger (black only)
    • Claire Chase (tan only)
    • Hartmann (see history...may not represent a good buy...also, only brown)
    • Clava (#92107 comes only in black;)
    • Barnes and Noble (Sienna Deluxe Bonded Leather Business Folio)...brown, but an easy local buy, I guess
    • Quadra: has a USB memory stick loop which seems clever; alas, only black
    • Avenues in Leather: only black, but some nice styles
    • Gino Ferrari: Ambassador A4 Zip Folio with Calculator looks nice, but, only black 
    • Bullet Blocker: well, it stops .45 and 9mm...but only in black
    • Bosca: beautiful, hand-made, but no burgundy, no rings, and so forth
    • Franklin Covey: only in black
    • Johnston & Murphy: no binder, and so forth.
    • Piel Leather: beautiful, but not burgundy; only saddle/black/chocolate
    • Royce Leather Collection: only black or tan
    • Bond St: #710018 looks a bit cheap
SEARCH TERMS
  • "burgundy" binder leather pad zipper
  • Padfolio (in reference to iPad, I guess)
  • Folio
  • Zipper
  • Leather
  • Saddle: the kind I do not want...looks like a pouch
  • Binder
  • Pad
COLORS
  • Cordovan (unlikely to ever find true shell cordovan, due to size/expense, so just the color)
  • Burgundy
  • Brandy
  • (?)
RESULTS

I purchased the McKinley Leather: #140Z after a dialogue with a customer service representative. Of all the companies I contacted, McKinley Leather responded in a timely manner via e-mail and re-assured me about the color and one or two other questions I had. Bravo! Scully Leather and A.C. Oehmich Company failed to respond within a day or two to rather simple questions. As to why I chose the #140Z, I liked the gusseted pocket and the pen placement near the pad's outside edge. It fit all the requirements and had a space for business cards.

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