Personal & Compact Metropol Comparison

A few months ago I chanced upon a filofax almost identical to Jeremy, except in compact size. Being a crazy collector, a sucker for the metropol series and in need of a compact to complete my range of sizes, I picked it up with minimal resistance from other bidders on ebay. I've already dubbed her Jemima, continuing the Beatrix Potter theme.

I've already decided that she shall be used as a travel fax; a slimmed down version of Jeremy with the bare essentials, plenty of lined paper for notes, and possibly use her as my wallet whilst away, so there will be a few saleable pockets in there too. As a pre-loved filo, the plastic has been stretched much further than I thought achievable from a Metropol. We're talking 2 cards+ per slot. Maybe one day I will be able to fit more into Jeremy if my needs increase.

Personal top. Compact bottom.

I'm glad to see that the vibrant Kingfisher colour doesn't vary through the range like leather binders tend to. Both have the same kitsch stitching throughout, but Jemima has more noticeable stress around the spine and a Biro mark here or there. All things which give this binder character and make it perfect for worry free travel.

Compact top. Personal bottom.

While Jeremy is already stuffed to the gills (though I have reorganised since taking this photo) you can still see how tiny Jemima's rings are in comparison. Prioritising on what I travel with will be exceptionally important whilst using the compact.

Personal top. Compact bottom.

At first glance the two binders seem almost identical, but on closer inspection the differences become clear.

Personal left. Compact right.

 The compact is down two card slots on the personal, only having 4 before the long vertical pocket. This is probably why they are so stretched.

Personal left. Compact right.

Another significant difference is the back pocket. While the personal has a horizontal mesh pocket designed to take a notepad, the compact instead has a vertical solid pocket. As a travel fax, this pocket will be perfect for holding all my less important scraps of paper like used parking tickets and receipts.

I have a short trip coming up next week so I'll get to try out my pre-loved find :)