Beginning the Year with Something Tried and True

When I began this blog a year ago, I started with a post about the Smythson Panama Diary. I've been using one for the past year. And a few weeks ago I placed an order for another. Why? Well, once you've used a Smythson Panama Diary, the reasons are obvious.

 
I'm a fan of pen and ink, and with the variety of electronic organizers, it's nice to be able to quickly pencil, or in my case to pen ,something in my pocket diary.

Today, we have so many different ways to plan our schedules with electronic devices. But unlike so many modern organizers, nothing comes close to the compact size, light weight and elegant appearance as the Panama Diary. With its grained lambskin cover, it is durable, flexible and floppy, capable of being rolled up and squashed without damaging it at all.

The paper within is half the thickness and weight of normal paper. And there really is no paper like it. It was designed to handle the ink of a fountain pen and it does without fail or hesitation.
It's compact size, which easily fits in a suit coat pocket or even the hip pocket of a pair of trousers, is virtually unnoticeable. You can carry it anywhere conveniently. And unlike modern electronic organizers, it won't break if you drop it or need to be charged to be ready at a moments notice.

While I personally have not tired it, Smythson also makes a smaller version of the Panama Diary with a miniature pencil , small enough to fit in a ladies handbag, a specialty they have been making since 1924.

So as we say goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013, one thing will remain the same. I will continue to keep track of the days ahead using which for year was, remains to me, the height of style and sophistication, the Smythson Panama Diary.

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Keeping track of the year to come...

With the beginning of this blog, and a new year, I thought I'd begin with keeping track of the events of the coming year.

Today, we have so many different ways to plan our schedules with electronic devices.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but I prefer to do this with paper. Now granted, I make my entries in ink, rather than pencil, but I like doing this with good old fashioned paper. How old fashioned you ask?

Smythson Panama Diary

For this year, I've decided to keep track of my life with the iconic portable Panama diary from Smythson. Their most famous innovation, it was first introduced by Frank Smythson in 1908, and remains virtually unchanged today. Called the ‘Panama hat’ of books, the distinctive, durable, flexible, floppy Featherweight Panama can be rolled up and squashed and will improve with age. The binding of traditional grained lambskin is handmade in Hertfordshire, England with stitched spines and gilt-edged pages.

1908 Featherweight Diary - From the Smythson Archive

Originally called the Featherweight Diary, its creation was a bold move and revolutionised the way in which people used their diaries. Using a navy blue, supple leather binding and a lightweight, pale blue paper, half the thickness and weight as normally used, this new pocket-sized diary was specifically designed to fit into the inside pocket of a gentleman’s jacket. And this it does quite well.

This Featherweight paper is half the thickness and weight of normal paper so many more pages can be contained in a very slim, light book. Normally such thin paper is not appropriate for use with a fountain pen, which is my preferred type of pen, but Featherweight paper is tested rigorously to ensure that it is strong and opaque enough to be used with fountain pens without bleeding through the paper. And I can assure you that this paper lives up to its reputation.

Featherweight is made in the trademark Smythson pale blue color and watermarked with a distinctive globe and feather design, which appears at least once on each page and can be used to ensure the book is not an imitation. Creating a watermark in a paper this light is difficult, so the paper has to be made at a specialist mill in England that produces international security and bank note paper.

In 1924, Smythson designed the elegant Wafer Diary for women. It is identical in content and layout to the Featherweight Diary but is designed as a much smaller version for ladies, small enough to fit inside their handbag. With added details such as a miniature pencil and tuck fastening, this little diary was the height of fashionable sophistication.

1924 Wafer Diary in Leather Wallet - From the Smythson Archive

And one might say like the Panama diary, it still is the height of style and sophistication. The rest of the world can have their electronic organizers. I'll make mine a Panama.

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