The big announcement from this past week is that T.G.S. is now an authorized retailer of Roterfaden, which represents a big step for our shop! With Roterfaden, TGS now offers directly most of my favorite notebook systems that I’ve used and enjoyed for years, and each brand that we add furthers our mission of bringing you tools that are not only well-made but truly useful items that you can incorporate into your everyday analog life. Given that Roterfaden is less well-known to our (primarily) US readership than other companies, I thought it might be helpful to answer some of the more frequent questions I’ve received over the past few days.
What Does “Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter” mean? “Roterfaden” is the company name, which translates to “Red Thread” in German. Roterfaden notebooks use red thread on the binding, which is a signature design touch, and many of their standard organizers incorporate red accents such as elastic bands and pen loops. “Taschenbegleiter” is the product name of Roterfaden’s signature binder, which translates to “Pocket Companion”, though I have also seen “Bag Companion” used.
Do I Need to Purchase Proprietary Refills? Absolutely not. I’ve personally owned multiple Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters over the years, and until recently I’ve never used an actual Roterfaden notebook. As it turns out, Roterfaden notebooks are nice, with multiple different rulings and a lie-flat binding, but they are NOT required to use the Taschenbegleiter system.
Are the Roterfaden Clips Difficult to Use? The most unique aspect of the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter is it’s clip-based binding that holds notebooks/refills inside the organizer. Most Taschenbegleiters come with two or three clips, which lift easily with a fingertip and are hinged so that they close smoothly. This system works well, and also allows you to swap out notebooks quickly. It goes without saying that the only limitation is thickness. If you want to use your Taschenbegleiter to carry a particularly thick notebook, you may not be able to fit multiple full-sized refills. In this case, you can use the extra clips as bookmarks, or to hold slimmer refills or folded papers, receipts, or even a file folder (which is how I have set up my A4).
What Size Notebooks Fit the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter? The current lineup of Taschenbegleiters includes A6, A5, and A4. In the past, Roterfaden has made B6 and Personal (Traveler’s) sized organizers as well, with periodic special releases. We carry a wide range of notebooks that will fit Roterfaden products as long as they match one of the general sizes currently available.
Can You Pair a Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter with Other Notebook/Organizational Systems? Yes, and in fact I’ve done this for years. The beauty of the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter is that it’s not necessarily a stand-alone notebook “system,” but rather a portfolio for organizing your individual notebooks. Not only can you use the notebooks/paper of your choice, but this also allows you to pair a Taschenbegleiter organizer with more structured systems such as Plotter. For example, I’ve experimented with carrying multiple Plotter notebooks and refill pads inside the Taschenbegleiter (shown above). During the day, as I’m working, I can take notes directly in the Plotter pads, and if I want to retain the notes for later reference or organize them for further work I simply remove them and save them in the relevant Plotter (or Plotter-compatible) binder.
I know that a few of the Taschenbegleiters have sold out, and we will be restocking as soon as possible. We do still have stock of all sizes, A6 through A4, but if there is something specific you are looking for, please reach out and I can special order it for you with the next restock.
The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Roterfaden.