Galen Leather Product Review Part 2 – Hard Pen Case and Notebook

You may have recently read the first post in this review of Galen Leather products in which I take a look at the pen case with notebook holder. If not, consider reading it first since I give a bit of background as to how I came by these items and talk about the leather and packaging. Due to how long the post would be with both reviews, I’m going to split it into two parts. This is Part 2 where I’m going to take a look at two different Galen Leather products and let you know my thoughts.

Read Part 1 Here

Disclaimer: The items in the post were provided to me for free for the purposes of this review. All opinions in this review are my own and were not influenced by the generosity of Galen Leather.

Hard Pen Case

I was pleased to find this pen case included in my shipment, even though I didn’t request it as an item to review. Of course, I wouldn’t feel right not saying anything about it, so here are my thoughts on the Magnum Opus 6-Slot Hard Pen Case. Just like the pen case with notebook holder, this is also in Crazy Horse Brown leather.

This particular case holds up to six pens. It is a hard-sided case that offers a lot more protection than a soft case ever could. It has a flap with a hidden magnetic closure that attaches very firmly. I wouldn’t think twice about tossing it into a bag with a variety of items. I feel confident that it would stay closed and protect my pens.

Opening up the case you’ll find six different pen slots. Each of these slots extends almost the full length of the case, so there is no danger of your pens knocking together. I tried some of the same pens in this case that I did in the pen case with notebook holder. It was able to hold my longest pens and still close easily. While the top of my longest pen fell right at the hinge of the flap, it still closed without issue. I wouldn’t recommend this case for pens longer than 6 inches (15.5 cm) long, as it may not close.

As I was trying a variety of pens and generally playing with this case, I found that the insert is removable! You can take it out of the case and set it next to you for quick access to your pens. If you have any short pens (like a Kaweco AL Sport) that might be difficult to remove due to their length, this feature makes them a lot easier to access. You could also completely remove the pen tray and use the hard shell of the case to carry other items if you’d like.

The construction of this case is very solid. With leather reinforcements around the sides and bottom, I imagine this is a pen case that can be passed down to future generations.

Cosmo Air Light Notebook

I don’t know if Yusuf knows I’m a paper guy or if he just thought a notebook holder should come with a notebook, but he also included a Galen Leather Everyday Blank Notebook in this shipment. They offer a variety of notebooks that come in different sizes, page counts and paper options. This particular notebook is A5-sized, blank, has 144 sheets (288 pages), and contains Cosmo Air Light 75gsm paper. They also sell notebooks with Tomoe River paper.

This notebook came in a soft cardboard case with a magnetic closure. While I personally wouldn’t keep my notebook in this case, it’s a great touch. The case also holds more than just the notebook. It also came with a few different guide sheets and a leather hand rest that will protect the paper from skin oils while you write. The guide sheets are printed on both sides of heavy card stock and feature both 5mm and 10mm graph and 7mm and 10mm lines.

One thing that drives me crazy is when I have to fight with a notebook to get it to lay flat. Fortunately, these stitch-bound notebooks have no problems laying flat, even at the front and back of the notebook. Pick your page and they’ll fall right open. I’m not sure who makes the notebooks for Galen Leather, but they are definitely a quality product.

Conclusions

I feel very fortunate that Yusuf reached out to me and offered to send some products my way. Not only was I sleeping on a company that makes fantastic products, but I probably would have never learned about their story. I highly encourage you to take a minute and give it a read, as it is both touching and inspiring. It feels good to know that there are still companies out there who care about producing a high-quality product. While my experience with Galen Leather products is limited, I have no doubt that they are made to last a lifetime and will do just that.