I have to go back and try to find the episode, but at one point, Wang is looking through a small notebook with a aluminum clam shell cover, roughly about 5 X 7 inches. It's bare metal and has USMC and 58th insignia stickers on the cover. West also has one when he's first told he's kicked off the colony mission in the pilot episode (If I recall, that one was dark red or another color). These are clam shell designs, would be about an inch or two thick when closed. They would have some ribbing to the cover for strength, looking sort of like a small scale suitcase with no handle. I have spent a lot of time on line trying to find the brand, and can't find anything even close. I ask as many of you already know the sources of a lot of these things, I was hoping maybe someone here would know what I'm talking about. I'm trying to find one to make a copy of the one Wang was carrying (still can't recall the episode, he's in his bunk reading in it when something happens where everyone has to run out of the bunk area quickly).

A screen cap would help ID this item. Almost sounds like a police man's ticket book holder.

Aw man, I just knew someone would ask me to find the scene. I swear it takes so long to get it up on my DVD player, find the scene then cut and paste the image, it's almost not worth the answer. Anyway, I found it at minute 28 of "River of Stars" while trying to find the scene I was thinking of. Instead, I found an even better shot of it here. Around minute 12 of "Farthest Man from home" West is shown stuffing a pen into a special hole in the spine of his, and everyone has one at briefing.

You can make out the hole in the top for the pen to slide into. In another episode, it's too far away to make out details, but West clearly has a shiny metal pen he pulled out of the hole in the top of the spine. I'm sure it was something they bought from somewhere, but I'd love to know who made it and when!

Oh, one other thing, it doesn't close like a clamshell like I thought originally and has open sides when shut. It has what appears to be a black lining and apparently has a spiral insert of some kind to write on. I searched online with these details and didn't turn up anything even close...

It looks like some kind of Filofax, it has a pen that slides into the spine.



SM....

These could be reproduced via vacforming and silver paint Need better images of the sides.

My how times change... at first I thought you were talking about a laptop computer.

Russ

Yep, and I’m sure it was from the early 90s as well. Great screen capture, by the way, my computer just won’t make them this clear at all! I don’t know, I think it’d be even easier to find the actual source of these. Kind of like the Zelco lights, it’s easier to work with a real one once you have it than to make one from scratch (more durable, too).

Just snagged this on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=370196301118

SM.....

Whne I first saw this, I was certain that I then hated you! Then I found another on ePay with a listing, saying the company was The Time Organisation and the cover sheet on the insert called it "The Milenium Organizer" The one I found was in England and closes tomorrow. You won't know by bidders as you can't see them, but I'm sure you can find it there. I only hope the person I outbid wasn't someone here!

Aaawwww dude you don't hate me
Mine is off to Dan to be vac formed.

Can ya post the link to yours, the pic in my auction was crap, i nearly went right past
the auction.....

SM....

Sure thing, and I won it pretty cheply, too! Here is the link for that...
A good friend of mine runs a sign business, I'll be getting him to make either a paint mask for the lettering or decals for same, as well as the 58th insignia in vinyl as soon as I get this and measure them off for the right size. Anyone want a set for that for themselves? Once he's gotten something going, it's almost as easy to make a batch as opposed to just one....

Thanx for the link, I'll take a set of decals......

SM....

Anybody know what typeface "SCVN SARATOGA," is in?
I'll need to get mine and measure the areas involved. I'll probably have him make the text as a stencil but a decal would work best for anyone not using it very much...
Now I just need to figure out what kind of pens they used in these...

Put me down for a set of graphics, and I'll Paypal you when you find out the cost.

Thanks!

Wildcard, out...

I'm reasonably sure I can make this work and work well, but I still have no idea what the font was they used on the covers. Anyone know what typeface that is?

It was a custom font made by Geof Mandel called Saratoga, but it could also have been Marine.

I agree, looks like Marine to me. That's going to present a real problem...

Just make the letters you need on Photoshop save it as a Jpeg and your
graphics guy can use the Jpeg to make the decals.

SM....

Let me know if you want this edited / suggestions ?



SM....

You can also try browsing this site: http://www.space-readyroom.de/images/Graph...=7&ct=image and see if they have a matching font. This way you can type anything you want at whatever size your want.

Once I get the notebook itself I can measure out the areas exactly to figure out the size of the insignia and the writing. At that time, I may likely ask for assistance with the text itself.

I actually have a Marine font that was made up by a guy I know. I used it actually on a couple of my
paper props (that have yet to see the light of day... but that's another story. ). It's not 100% accurate, but pretty darn close.

PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it to you. I just don't want it floating around the public domain without his approval.

Also, is there a reason you're going with decals as opposed to maybe having it laser etched like Taj does to her flasks and zippos?

Just curious.

Russ

I think Rook is on to something with the laser etching, why don't you send the case along with the type to Taj and get it laser engraved? Going that route it will be nice and permanent, no worries about it wearing off, peeling, or anything else.

PM sent, Russ!

I can think of several reasons I would not want to do the laser engraving.

• The originals weren't done that way.
• Laser engraving probably wouldn't give the same look.
• What happens if I sent my original (and difficult to find) notebook and they have an "Oops"? With a decal, you can always peel and try again.
• Laser engraving plastic (as on the reproductions Dan will be working on) would be difficult, to say the least. I've seen it attempted, and rarely with good results.

What I have in mind for mine when it arrives is to make the writing as a stencil and paint the lettering onto the cover as I have a lot of experience doing such things. It’s more permanent that way and I can then use it for anything I want. Once I get the notebook to measure, I’d think getting the decals ready wouldn’t take all that long as my supplier is hurting for business as it is right now. I have been putting together info snatched from various online sources about the show and have slowly been putting together a basic guide n the perspective of a “welcome aboard the Saratoga” pamphlet for new crew members. My plan now is to print it out in that size and put it into the notebook.

I just got mine today. Going back and looking through the screen caps, I now realize I must have gotten an updated version of this binder. It is very close but the cover is just a little bit different. The center divded section steps down toward the edge of the outside. The ones on the show went straight across.
Darn it!

Well a Metal case showed up at my door step Very cool looking!

Before I try to replicate these I figured I better see if it is a ready found item (other then ebay). I've contacted the manufacturer to see if I can't buy some, I think the minimum will be 1 carton of 33 units imported from China. I'm also looking for distributors of this note book. They seemed to have been made as a promotional item and sold to companies that do promotional items where they put your company logo on them.

I found a couple of promotional places that carry this model of Aluminum Organizers, looks like it will run about $23.00 USD each with a minimum order of 25 units = $575.00 + shipping + taxes, etc...

I'm going to check to see if I can't get a lower price for not getting them imprinted and if I can do a smaller order.

Yeah, the first thing I thought when mine showed up was, "Dang, Dan has his work cut out for him to make a good copy of this thing!" Like I said earlier, it seems they changed the design sometime around 199-2001, so what they sell now might not be exactly like the one on the show...

Hey now, I dont 'ooopsy' on stainless Steel or chrome Zippos any more!!
I have yet to buy alumimark (black marky stuff for aluminum)
and if I was to even attempt it I would buy one myself for testing (like I have everything else I run)
honestly tho, lasering is expensive, most of the cost is for the lasering its self not for the item being lasered

As for plastic well I have had some good results with certain plastics, but not all

The ones I found are exactly the same as the ones on the show on the outside.

I just occurred to me, if you can get these in bulk, why not check to see if they can actually print all the 58th info on them at the same time? It couldn’t hurt to ask.
As for mine, while it’s not 100% like the show ones, I still feel it’s an extremely good representation as I have it already (you’d only be able to see the minor differences with a freeze frame on the DVD), so I’ll go on with what I have.

They can print on them, in fact they rather do that, but that could drive up the costs of the note book to $75.00 + shipping since there are the words at the top and two color 58th logo on the bottom.

I guess it really boils down to how many people really want them.
Are there that many of us to make it worthwhile to do a bulk buy?
I honestly don't know if I'd use such a thing, personally.

Thoughts?

Good point. I think even with the decals I’ll have made I’ll have less than $30 total in mine. I’m not sure I’d shell out that much for what has to be one of the most obscure props out there. I can’t imagine hardly anyone would know what it is or appreciate what you went through to get one. I would say it would be one of the few things like this you could get that could be a useful thing in general, though.

I recently got the second catalog for the BSG auctions and did a double take as one of these notebooks was used by Billy early in the series. It’s in the catalog, but it’s opened and you can only see the inside. The listing said the cover was painted bare metal color.
I was putting stuff in my new bookcases, and I forgot where I’d put my notebook and just found it. I can have the 58th insignia printed easily by a friend with a sign company but I need help with the lettering. I can have him make a few extra sets at the same time but I have no way to make the text itself. He can easily make them as stencils as well, which is how I’d have him make mine.
I know a few of you have said it would be simple to make the lettering. I can’t say that myself. Help!

Post the text up and I can see if it matches anything I have. If it does then it should be pretty quick and easy to do the lettering,

If you look up through this thread, there are a few screen captures from the show and at least one good representation of the text (but incomplete). The typeface used was apparently something they made for the show.

Cool deal. Also, anyone else notice the changes around here?

What changes?? Are you seeing things???

Hey Dan.. After the big D I might be in for a couple of these note books if you can do the bulk order.

Hey Dan
Hows this going with numbers or are there any left? What prices etc all the usual questions

Jason

Still hoping someone can get the type done up correctly. I still have the notebook all bare...

IF this is good enough for what you want you can use this ?



Karl..

Just out of curiousity has anyone seen that SA43 tech readout sheet Wang has in one of the photos? Would love to get that or a copy of it

Karl that looks great mate

Jason

I was going to order some of these, but the price was about $40.00 USD each and I would need to meet a minimum order or 6-10 units.

GREAT! I have e-mailed this and youy 58th insignia (the one without the rocker at the bottom) to my sign guy with questions on how much they'd cost in bulk. It shouldn't be too terribly expensive, I wouldn't think.
I'll have him make mine as a stencil for the lettering so it'll be more permanent than a sticker, but I'd think most others would want the lettering as a decal.