It’s a nice little minimalist case made with a very lightly parafin-waxed cotton canvas material and a clear plastic front so that one can see the internal contents. The sides of the flexible case fold in accordion-style when not full so it collapses to fit the space it needs. In addition to the primary internal space, the case has a thin internal pocket that would accommodate some credit cards, a handful of 4 x 6 index cards, or perhaps a Field Notes pocket notebook. Similarly on the outside back, there’s an angularly cut external pocket for a few slips of paper, or to place the cover of your A6 notebook while writing. The front has an envelope-style closure flap with a reasonably strong magnetic snap.
I purchased the case primarily to carry my 4 x 6 inch index card “notebooks” as well as a variety of loose index cards and dividers I carry regularly. It has the benefit of going reasonably well with my collection of Lochby waxed canvas holders and covers as well. I usually keep a copy of today’s schedule and priority to do list on top of the interior pocket so they’re easily visible during the day through the clear plastic front of the case.
For the curious, I’ve tried them variously and can verify that the case also comfortably fits the following (separately):
- A Samsung S22 cell phone and a few Field Note notebooks
- An Amazon Kindle Paperwhite and a pack of 100 4 x 6 index cards
- A reasonably thick A6 sized notebook along with some additional pens or simple office supplies. A small Hobonichi would easily fit with space to spare.
The case is small enough to comfortably fit into the back pocket of my blue jeans, for walking around, but it’s not super comfortable for sitting on that way, particularly for long periods. I like its portability and the ability to take out a few cards and work on them using the reverse side as a mini-desk while moving around throughout the day. In some sense it acts like a custom made folder for filing my index cards on the go as a everyday carry. It made for a reasonably comfortable mini-office while on an airplane last week.
The inside top left corner of the case has a small loop that would allow one to attach a string, key chain, carrying handle or other loop to attach the case to a purse or other bag if necessary. This might also be convenient for those who might want to use this case as a bag in a bag, though I’ve not personally had the need for it yet.
Even with only a few index cards inside, the case is easily capable of standing upright in front of my card index/zettelkasten on my desk to take up less space than lying flat. Doing this also keeps all my immediate cards easily accessible while also being ready to travel if necessary.
Thus far, after a few weeks of use and even some airplane travel, it’s shown itself to be sturdy, convenient, useful, and a lovely addition to my daily zettelkasten workflow.
@chrisaldrich https://anagora.org/zettelkasten
Node [[zettelkasten]] in anagora.org
@chrisaldrich The alt text is missing the fountain pen’s name.I’m calling #fountainPen #Police 🚨
fountainpen
police
I’m just wrapping up a year of maintaining my bullet journal practice using index cards instead of the more popular notebook form factor. It’s heavily inspired by the century+ old Memindex method. AMA
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Hi! I don’t remember how I stumbled across your content but I’m loving it – thank you for sharing so much! I’ve been searching without luck and came back to ask: Have you ever seen anything similar to these Flatty Works cases in a 3×5 size? (They don’t make the 4×6 anymore either, sadly. I may have to resort to procuring some duck canvas and make one.)
I’m in the process of moving my time & knowledge management (aside from a single shared calendar) to analog and I’m flying through Field Notes, but would like to proactively catalog permanent stuff on index cards in an ADHD-friendly Franken-Zettel-Memindex. I’ve been using Westenberg’s Object Notes in my Field Notes for a couple of weeks and that’s been really great, worth a look if you haven’t heard of the concept. Anyway, a little water-resistant bag of this sort with a window in front seems like a perfect way to make a modern Memindex work on the go!
Thanks Allison. I’m sorry to hear that Flatty Works isn’t making these any more. I’d always intended to pick another one up in a different color. They may still be available on the secondary market, and given how well they seem to be made, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pop up used from time to time.
If it helps, here’s some of my original research when searching for form factors like this: https://hypothes.is/users/chrisaldrich?q=tag%3A%22index+card+pouch%22
I suspect that it wouldn’t be hard to custom make one for yourself, then you’ll have the benefit of being able to choose the color/material.
Thanks for the reminder about Object Pages. I’d tinkered with the idea a bit at one point and had meant to circle back on them. I too used to blow through Field Notes on a regular basis before converting to index cards.
Hey Chris, thanks for the reply. After a bit of digging and saved-search-ing I actually found one store (Penosaur(dot)ca) that has a few of the canvas Flattys in stock online, so I was able to snag an A6 after all! It arrived quickly and is so perfect that I immediately ordered a backup. If you’re still looking to pick up another they’re having a sale as of this writing, and it seems worth noting that they are down to light blue only.
I wasn’t sure the 4×6 size would suit me, but it has quickly turned out to be quite useful. My modest collection of zettels is connecting quickly and it’s nice to have the room to add additional references on a single side– plus, I can fold one card into 3rds and use it as a weekly summary (similar to Levenger’s Triple Decker Pocket planner) which I slip into the Field Notes I have continued to use as a capture method. Adding 3×5 cards to use as grocery lists, beers and wines tried at restaurants, and tracking where I’ve left off in my favorite video games has very quickly made a difference in my daily life.
Keeping more information offline, but still compartmentalized and portable, has already been game changing for my cognitive capacity. I thank you for your significant contributions to the inspiration for this system.