diff --git a/bin/mapitool b/bin/mapitool
index ff8f582..7f68271 100755
--- a/bin/mapitool
+++ b/bin/mapitool
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ require 'optparse'
 require 'rubygems'
 require 'mapi/msg'
 require 'mapi/pst'
-require 'mapi/convert'
 require 'time'
 
 class Mapitool
diff --git a/lib/mapi.rb b/lib/mapi.rb
index 64e0daf..df9d422 100644
--- a/lib/mapi.rb
+++ b/lib/mapi.rb
@@ -1,108 +1,5 @@
 require 'mapi/version'
+require 'mapi/base'
 require 'mapi/types'
 require 'mapi/property_set'
-
-module Mapi
-	#
-	# Mapi::Item is the base class used for all mapi objects, and is purely a
-	# property set container
-	#
-	class Item
-		attr_reader :properties
-		alias props properties
-
-		# +properties+ should be a PropertySet instance.
-		def initialize properties
-			@properties = properties
-		end
-	end
-
-	# a general attachment class. is subclassed by Msg and Pst attachment classes
-	class Attachment < Item
-		def filename
-			props.attach_long_filename || props.attach_filename
-		end
-
-		def data
-			@embedded_msg || @embedded_ole || props.attach_data
-		end
-
-		# with new stream work, its possible to not have the whole thing in memory at one time,
-		# just to save an attachment
-		#
-		# a = msg.attachments.first
-		# a.save open(File.basename(a.filename || 'attachment'), 'wb') 
-		def save io
-			raise "can only save binary data blobs, not ole dirs" if @embedded_ole
-			data.each_read { |chunk| io << chunk }
-		end
-
-		def inspect
-			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}" +
-				(filename ? " filename=#{filename.inspect}" : '') +
-				(@embedded_ole ? " embedded_type=#{@embedded_ole.embedded_type.inspect}" : '') + ">"
-		end
-	end
-	
-	class Recipient < Item
-		# some kind of best effort guess for converting to standard mime style format.
-		# there are some rules for encoding non 7bit stuff in mail headers. should obey
-		# that here, as these strings could be unicode
-		# email_address will be an EX:/ address (X.400?), unless external recipient. the
-		# other two we try first.
-		# consider using entry id for this too.
-		def name
-			name = props.transmittable_display_name || props.display_name
-			# dequote
-			name[/^'(.*)'/, 1] or name rescue nil
-		end
-
-		def email
-			props.smtp_address || props.org_email_addr || props.email_address
-		end
-
-		RECIPIENT_TYPES = { 0 => :orig, 1 => :to, 2 => :cc, 3 => :bcc }
-		def type
-			RECIPIENT_TYPES[props.recipient_type]
-		end
-
-		def to_s
-			if name = self.name and !name.empty? and email && name != email
-				%{"#{name}" <#{email}>}
-			else
-				email || name
-			end
-		end
-
-		def inspect
-			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}:#{self.to_s.inspect}>"
-		end
-	end
-
-	# i refer to it as a message (as does mapi), although perhaps Item is better, as its a more general
-	# concept than a message, as used in Pst files. though maybe i'll switch to using
-	# Mapi::Object as the base class there.
-	#
-	# IMessage essentially, but there's also stuff like IMAPIFolder etc. so, for this to form
-	# basis for PST Item, it'd need to be more general.
-	class Message < Item
-		# these 2 collections should be provided by our subclasses
-		def attachments
-			raise NotImplementedError
-		end
-
-		def recipients
-			raise NotImplementedError
-		end
-		
-		def inspect
-			str = %w[message_class from to subject].map do |key|
-				" #{key}=#{props.send(key).inspect}"
-			end.compact.join
-			str << " recipients=#{recipients.inspect}"
-			str << " attachments=#{attachments.inspect}"
-			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}#{str}>"
-		end
-	end
-end
-
+require 'mapi/convert'
diff --git a/lib/mapi/base.rb b/lib/mapi/base.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f5410bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/mapi/base.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+module Mapi
+	#
+	# Mapi::Item is the base class used for all mapi objects, and is purely a
+	# property set container
+	#
+	class Item
+		attr_reader :properties
+		alias props properties
+
+		# +properties+ should be a PropertySet instance.
+		def initialize properties
+			@properties = properties
+		end
+	end
+
+	# a general attachment class. is subclassed by Msg and Pst attachment classes
+	class Attachment < Item
+		def filename
+			props.attach_long_filename || props.attach_filename
+		end
+
+		def data
+			@embedded_msg || @embedded_ole || props.attach_data
+		end
+
+		# with new stream work, its possible to not have the whole thing in memory at one time,
+		# just to save an attachment
+		#
+		# a = msg.attachments.first
+		# a.save open(File.basename(a.filename || 'attachment'), 'wb') 
+		def save io
+			raise "can only save binary data blobs, not ole dirs" if @embedded_ole
+			data.each_read { |chunk| io << chunk }
+		end
+
+		def inspect
+			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}" +
+				(filename ? " filename=#{filename.inspect}" : '') +
+				(@embedded_ole ? " embedded_type=#{@embedded_ole.embedded_type.inspect}" : '') + ">"
+		end
+	end
+	
+	class Recipient < Item
+		# some kind of best effort guess for converting to standard mime style format.
+		# there are some rules for encoding non 7bit stuff in mail headers. should obey
+		# that here, as these strings could be unicode
+		# email_address will be an EX:/ address (X.400?), unless external recipient. the
+		# other two we try first.
+		# consider using entry id for this too.
+		def name
+			name = props.transmittable_display_name || props.display_name
+			# dequote
+			name[/^'(.*)'/, 1] or name rescue nil
+		end
+
+		def email
+			props.smtp_address || props.org_email_addr || props.email_address
+		end
+
+		RECIPIENT_TYPES = { 0 => :orig, 1 => :to, 2 => :cc, 3 => :bcc }
+		def type
+			RECIPIENT_TYPES[props.recipient_type]
+		end
+
+		def to_s
+			if name = self.name and !name.empty? and email && name != email
+				%{"#{name}" <#{email}>}
+			else
+				email || name
+			end
+		end
+
+		def inspect
+			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}:#{self.to_s.inspect}>"
+		end
+	end
+
+	# i refer to it as a message (as does mapi), although perhaps Item is better, as its a more general
+	# concept than a message, as used in Pst files. though maybe i'll switch to using
+	# Mapi::Object as the base class there.
+	#
+	# IMessage essentially, but there's also stuff like IMAPIFolder etc. so, for this to form
+	# basis for PST Item, it'd need to be more general.
+	class Message < Item
+		# these 2 collections should be provided by our subclasses
+		def attachments
+			raise NotImplementedError
+		end
+
+		def recipients
+			raise NotImplementedError
+		end
+		
+		def inspect
+			str = %w[message_class from to subject].map do |key|
+				" #{key}=#{props.send(key).inspect}"
+			end.compact.join
+			str << " recipients=#{recipients.inspect}"
+			str << " attachments=#{attachments.inspect}"
+			"#<#{self.class.to_s[/\w+$/]}#{str}>"
+		end
+	end
+end