"Real Simple" brand Card Wheel

January 8, 2010

About a year ago I picked up this thing at Target

And I always like a nice new journal or stack of paper or whatever and often never find a legit use for things. This time, I did.

This "card wheel" has a number of cards in it (it's about 3/4" thick with them) A hard cover top and bottom, a stretchy cord that holds them together on one end, and a hole with a chicago screw in the opposite corner. This allows you to fan the cards out. The cards have color-coded ends, and a perf along one end of each card (near the screw) where you can fold/tear one out if you need to.

You can also undo the screw and rearrange the cards if you care to.

A useful way to keep a bunch of cards together.

I found it the (finally) ideal way to record all those blasted internet website logins and passwords, software serial numbers, phone# and addresses for credit card help numbers, insurance info, and all that innumerable data I inevitably will need at some point for some darned thing on the fly.

The best part? This has to contain the most FP friendly 3x5" cards I've come across yet. The cards are substantial (real cards, not "slightly heavier paper"). They are pretty slick, akin to writing on Clairefontaine or Rhodia (drawback: similar ink drying times). The FP's don't write as well on the color-coded end tabs, but sharpies work great to "title" each card on the colored end.

I just wish I knew what papermill made these cards, because I'd like to order a case or two of the cards (color-coded or not). I have yet to find a current-production brand of acceptable 3x5 cards. Not that I've tried them all, but have tried all available in local stores. I found an old package in a drawer not too long ago, from at least a decade ago, and those were thick, and wrote well. Everything else I've picked up more recently (have tried everything available at walmart, staples, etc) either feels like writing in mud, is bleedy/feathery, or is too flimsy to call a "card" etc.

I did find some "index card stock" at my printer's (manila-like) that worked very well for FP's, but I have yet to do the deed and have them cut and pad up a bunch of them for me.

I use a lot of cards. Notes, scribbles, addresses, whatever. Transient stuff gets tossed, important snippets of info go into a card box. It's as organized as I'll ever get. That "card wheel" however, is a really good deal for me. A bit pricey ($7.00 list), but considering I use it almost daily to refer to... in that sense a total steal. Actually, I think I paid $4 for mine, on sale, and it has a bright orange cover. Easy to spot on the workbench.

While I'm at it here on the dubious qualities of 3x5 cards in general... can anyone recommend a good brand of nice decorated Recipe Cards that are FP friendly? It's getting to the point in life here where the kids want mom's old recipes and I'd like to make each of them an album of the best ones they remember.

--Carol