I did reach out to Gillio just to ensure that the item I received was in fact the Croc Mat Charcoal since it was less matte/soft than others I have and what I'd seen. They confirmed I did receive the correct cover and provided this additional information: "There have been some differences in batches of the charcoal crcco, the more recent batches are less matte/fluffy compared to the first ones." They also indicated that they updated the listing photos to demonstrate this difference in what they have in a particular size/style. Just in case anyone was wondering - if the listing photo looks less matte/soft it's because it's a batch that wasn't quite the same as some other iterations.
Yesterday I put a store bought A6 planner, which pages are slightly smaller than the A6 size in the pocket moterm luxe with 20mm rings. Wow, this is match made in heaven! I love the squared pages so much in such small planner! And they are so huge compared to the pocket size!!! Love them! Yes, you're right, it's the matter of finding the right binder with the right pages! I was so tired of the small pocket size, but I didn't want to carry the bigger moterm, and this was just the right solution!!!
Definitely makes such a difference in whether you find you enjoy rings. Huge benefit of the planner community is being able to find these amazing products and learn about all the options.
What a timely review, as I just switched to A6 rings and am on the hunt for my perfect binder! I think I am leaning toward the more compact VDS senior in 25mm rings, since I would ideally throw it into my bag. I'm paranoid about the pen loop rubbing against the paper, so maybe I'll widen it a smidge? Thank you for sharing, it's great to see these two side by side!
VDS makes such beautiful covers. Definitely watch some videos on them or look at pics in the FB group. I don't think you'd have issues with the pages rubbing but if you wanted side tabs you might need a little extra width.
@@JustScribble Good to know! I already use top tabs, but I use the metal Midori tabs to mark pages I frequently turn to, and they have such a low profile that I don't think it should be much of an issue. Thanks so much!
Hi there! I really enjoyed your unboxing video of the Gillio A6 Compagna. I just received mine from the Gillio website today, and I noticed something similar to what you pointed out in the video. The back of the divider sleeve, on the suede side, has a whitish powdery texture. Should I be concerned about this? I initially thought it might be mildew, but it seems like this is common on the back of the Compagna divider page. Any insights would be appreciated!
Hi! Thanks so much for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. So the whitish powder is most likely leather bloom which isn't an issue - it's just a natural residue that forms on the surface of high-quality leather products. It occurs when the oils and fats within the leather rise to the surface. It can generally be rubbed out or warmed up to diffuse but it doesn't impact the cover. I think on the suede side it could also be from the gloves they often wear when handling the leather (like fuzzies). I hope that helps and congrats on your new Gillio!
Was there perhaps a TV on or something in the background? I kept pausing the video trying to figurer out where the background talking was coming from and I think it was the video. I do enjoy watching your videos and you have an easy voice to listen to!
There’s no TV or devices on in my studio. But I have a family - spouse, kid, pets. Often they are in the family room watching TV or playing games. I try to limit background noise as much as I can but life happens - and some days they are louder than others. Sorry if you found it distracting but I’m glad you are enjoying my videos.
Thank you! Some get really bothered by noises from life so I try really hard to mitigate it as much as I can...always improving my setup and how I process videos and sound :)
Can I ask what planners you think are comparable in quality and style that are less because I really love Gillios but if I could get something exactly like them for less. I would jump at that opportunity.
Moterm has an A6 ring binder and they offer it in their normal pebbled leather and also their veg tanned line. You can order from AliExpress or their website directly. It doesn't take too long to come and the price is good. The layout is virtually identical to the Gillio - just a little bit roomier. It's a great alternative at a better price. AuraEstelle also sells A6 rings and it's a good option that's less pricey but they aren't leather and they are a little wider cut I believe....but I don't have one. Another non-leather option that would be great for a starter to try out the size is PrintPression. They are having a huge sale basically liquidation sale so things are really inexpensive. Lastly shopping on Ebay, Mercari, and FB buy-sell-trade groups are also great to shop - you can sometimes find a really good deal for a planner. You just have to watch and see what you find but I found one recently that's VDS for about 40% of the price it would have been which was a great deal. Have to be patient but worth watching for a bargain.
Here’s one on Mercari from VDS that’s a good deal - and you can offer less and see if they take it. Just to give you an idea. item.mercari.com/gl/m37213768606?sv=0
@JustScribble dang, I thought maybe you knew of some obscure brands I wasn't aware of or something. Thanks though, i appreciate your quick response, those aren't comparable in my opinion, the leather is no where near the same quality and i cant stand the stiffner a lot of other brands use. I like VDS but I never see color combos or layouts I like in the size I want used and their customs usually end up being more expensive than Gillio. They are expensive though, I agree, probably a bit more than they should be, esspecialy those they're calling "good deals", I've got my fair share of criticism for Gillio but the fact remains that I've been unable to find anything comparable. My husband complains about it but then I remind him that at least I don't also have a shoe and handbag obsession too. I just want a new cover once a year. 🤣
Yes I'm excited to do my custom with what I need and want. But I think this is going to be a great option to carry too. I'm excited to get it all setup and share!
@@JustScribble that's going to be amazing! PS: did you see I posted the walkthrough of my frankenplanner prototype? (Also I ordered my leather for the real thing today! Yay!)
I ordered the charcoal matte croc because it's less shiny. This is definitely shiner than I anticipated but it's much less shiny than the black matte's I've seen. I may email them just to confirm they sent the right one.
Im away from home for another week so I haven’t made my comparison vid yet. I love my Gillio. Im waiting for the lotus to restock so that I can buy the a6 compagna. Yes, they are costly, however to get the exact specs from VDS is more, but the Janet leather simply can’t be beat. Moterm doesn’t make the a6 rings in the footprint that Gillio does. They have excess leather and I’m not a fan of overhang, plus I prefer the feel of higher quality. I received a magnetic paperclip in an Aqua color as the free gift from Gillio. Do you know why only the a6 has the leather ring protectors on their planners? It’s not on the other sizes. I love the 2 pen options. 🖤
Yes a custom from VDS is more than the Gillio (about the same if you don't modify it from defaults but still have it made as custom with your leather choices)...though their RTS is cheaper. Which made it a good choice for me for trying the size to start with. Yes Moterm's footprint is too big for me - their non-ring covers I've got are almost identical in layout, feel etc to the Gillios I've got (and used over the y years---I rented one for a while)...so in non-rings I find Moterm extremely comparable for a cheaper price. Rings definitely are a little different. Though I wouldn't get a Gillio over a VDS Janet leather - that leather is YUM and worth the extra cost to me. Hope your Lotus restocks soon! Colorise I love cloud - not sure why - just seems like the perfect neutral.
I did reach out to Gillio just to ensure that the item I received was in fact the Croc Mat Charcoal since it was less matte/soft than others I have and what I'd seen. They confirmed I did receive the correct cover and provided this additional information: "There have been some differences in batches of the charcoal crcco, the more recent batches are less matte/fluffy compared to the first ones." They also indicated that they updated the listing photos to demonstrate this difference in what they have in a particular size/style. Just in case anyone was wondering - if the listing photo looks less matte/soft it's because it's a batch that wasn't quite the same as some other iterations.
Yesterday I put a store bought A6 planner, which pages are slightly smaller than the A6 size in the pocket moterm luxe with 20mm rings. Wow, this is match made in heaven! I love the squared pages so much in such small planner! And they are so huge compared to the pocket size!!! Love them! Yes, you're right, it's the matter of finding the right binder with the right pages! I was so tired of the small pocket size, but I didn't want to carry the bigger moterm, and this was just the right solution!!!
That's awesome! I agree - smaller footprint with maximum page size is the best! And I love a square page :) Thanks for sharing!
You're right. A lot of people has never seen nice ring binders and think they are crap.
Definitely makes such a difference in whether you find you enjoy rings. Huge benefit of the planner community is being able to find these amazing products and learn about all the options.
That's really nice. I love it with the black rings.
Thanks! Me too! I think it makes it so special
What a timely review, as I just switched to A6 rings and am on the hunt for my perfect binder! I think I am leaning toward the more compact VDS senior in 25mm rings, since I would ideally throw it into my bag. I'm paranoid about the pen loop rubbing against the paper, so maybe I'll widen it a smidge? Thank you for sharing, it's great to see these two side by side!
VDS makes such beautiful covers. Definitely watch some videos on them or look at pics in the FB group. I don't think you'd have issues with the pages rubbing but if you wanted side tabs you might need a little extra width.
@@JustScribble Good to know! I already use top tabs, but I use the metal Midori tabs to mark pages I frequently turn to, and they have such a low profile that I don't think it should be much of an issue. Thanks so much!
@@HannaChoe oh yes I don’t think those would be an issue! Excited for your planner!!
Your Gillio is beautiful.
Thank you :)
I really love the cover! I’m not a croc girl, but that’s a cute one!
Thank you!! 😊
Hi there! I really enjoyed your unboxing video of the Gillio A6 Compagna. I just received mine from the Gillio website today, and I noticed something similar to what you pointed out in the video. The back of the divider sleeve, on the suede side, has a whitish powdery texture. Should I be concerned about this? I initially thought it might be mildew, but it seems like this is common on the back of the Compagna divider page. Any insights would be appreciated!
Hi! Thanks so much for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
So the whitish powder is most likely leather bloom which isn't an issue - it's just a natural residue that forms on the surface of high-quality leather products. It occurs when the oils and fats within the leather rise to the surface. It can generally be rubbed out or warmed up to diffuse but it doesn't impact the cover. I think on the suede side it could also be from the gloves they often wear when handling the leather (like fuzzies). I hope that helps and congrats on your new Gillio!
Was there perhaps a TV on or something in the background? I kept pausing the video trying to figurer out where the background talking was coming from and I think it was the video. I do enjoy watching your videos and you have an easy voice to listen to!
There’s no TV or devices on in my studio. But I have a family - spouse, kid, pets. Often they are in the family room watching TV or playing games. I try to limit background noise as much as I can but life happens - and some days they are louder than others. Sorry if you found it distracting but I’m glad you are enjoying my videos.
@@JustScribble it's not really an issue I just kept "hearing" something and have not noticed it before! Let your family live their life. lol
Thank you! Some get really bothered by noises from life so I try really hard to mitigate it as much as I can...always improving my setup and how I process videos and sound :)
Can I ask what planners you think are comparable in quality and style that are less because I really love Gillios but if I could get something exactly like them for less. I would jump at that opportunity.
Moterm has an A6 ring binder and they offer it in their normal pebbled leather and also their veg tanned line. You can order from AliExpress or their website directly. It doesn't take too long to come and the price is good. The layout is virtually identical to the Gillio - just a little bit roomier. It's a great alternative at a better price.
AuraEstelle also sells A6 rings and it's a good option that's less pricey but they aren't leather and they are a little wider cut I believe....but I don't have one.
Another non-leather option that would be great for a starter to try out the size is PrintPression. They are having a huge sale basically liquidation sale so things are really inexpensive.
Lastly shopping on Ebay, Mercari, and FB buy-sell-trade groups are also great to shop - you can sometimes find a really good deal for a planner. You just have to watch and see what you find but I found one recently that's VDS for about 40% of the price it would have been which was a great deal. Have to be patient but worth watching for a bargain.
Here’s one on Mercari from VDS that’s a good deal - and you can offer less and see if they take it. Just to give you an idea. item.mercari.com/gl/m37213768606?sv=0
@JustScribble dang, I thought maybe you knew of some obscure brands I wasn't aware of or something. Thanks though, i appreciate your quick response, those aren't comparable in my opinion, the leather is no where near the same quality and i cant stand the stiffner a lot of other brands use.
I like VDS but I never see color combos or layouts I like in the size I want used and their customs usually end up being more expensive than Gillio.
They are expensive though, I agree, probably a bit more than they should be, esspecialy those they're calling "good deals", I've got my fair share of criticism for Gillio but the fact remains that I've been unable to find anything comparable. My husband complains about it but then I remind him that at least I don't also have a shoe and handbag obsession too. I just want a new cover once a year. 🤣
The black rings do look sharp.
In general I agree with you, though, I don't like/need a lot of the extra "features" on either one.
Yes I'm excited to do my custom with what I need and want. But I think this is going to be a great option to carry too. I'm excited to get it all setup and share!
@@JustScribble that's going to be amazing!
PS: did you see I posted the walkthrough of my frankenplanner prototype? (Also I ordered my leather for the real thing today! Yay!)
It's in my watch list for today! I'm so excited for you...I'll comment when I get to watch it!
I think you you wanted characol matte croc and not the black matte that its shinier.😐
I ordered the charcoal matte croc because it's less shiny. This is definitely shiner than I anticipated but it's much less shiny than the black matte's I've seen. I may email them just to confirm they sent the right one.
Im away from home for another week so I haven’t made my comparison vid yet. I love my Gillio. Im waiting for the lotus to restock so that I can buy the a6 compagna. Yes, they are costly, however to get the exact specs from VDS is more, but the Janet leather simply can’t be beat. Moterm doesn’t make the a6 rings in the footprint that Gillio does. They have excess leather and I’m not a fan of overhang, plus I prefer the feel of higher quality. I received a magnetic paperclip in an Aqua color as the free gift from Gillio. Do you know why only the a6 has the leather ring protectors on their planners? It’s not on the other sizes. I love the 2 pen options. 🖤
Yes a custom from VDS is more than the Gillio (about the same if you don't modify it from defaults but still have it made as custom with your leather choices)...though their RTS is cheaper. Which made it a good choice for me for trying the size to start with.
Yes Moterm's footprint is too big for me - their non-ring covers I've got are almost identical in layout, feel etc to the Gillios I've got (and used over the y years---I rented one for a while)...so in non-rings I find Moterm extremely comparable for a cheaper price. Rings definitely are a little different. Though I wouldn't get a Gillio over a VDS Janet leather - that leather is YUM and worth the extra cost to me. Hope your Lotus restocks soon! Colorise I love cloud - not sure why - just seems like the perfect neutral.
SO MUCH YOU DON’T LIKE....?
Sorry, is that a question?