Galen Leather Zippered Single Pen Case Review

Pocket pens are such a fun form factor — one that I really enjoy using and carrying. They're small and generally lightweight, so why not carry one with you everywhere you go? Due to this common sentiment, it's not uncommon for pocket pens to get a little battered over time as they share pockets and bags with other objects. That's where a pocket pen case comes in handy — it protects your pen while also remaining easy to carry in a pocket.

The Galen Leather Zippered Single Pen Case for Pocket Pens is a single function pen case. It holds a small pocket pen — Kaweco Sport or similar. I'm tempted to call this a pocket pen sleeve, but I think that's an inaccurate term for this product because it has a zipper that provides complete coverage. In my mind, a sleeve doesn't have a zipper — just a small slit or open end to slide the pen in and out of.

This little case is solid. The full zipper means your pen will not fall out by accident, and it has an added benefit of helping to contain any ink spill incidents. Granted, an ink spill happening inside the case while it's zipped means something else catastrophic has happened, so take that with a grain of salt.

So, like the name implies, a standard Kaweco Sport model fits perfectly. But, there are many other pocket pens out there that will also fit. I gathered up all the pocket pens I could find in my collection, and they all generally fit. As long as they are roughly 106mm (4 and 1/8 inches) or less, this case can handle it. In some cases, you can even fit two pens into the case or a couple extra cartridges. But, you can't fit two Kaweco Sports.

Using the case is a nice experience. The zipper is smooth and easy to operate, which is necessary since a pocket pen needs to be easy to deploy and store. The smooth leather material makes it easy to slip in and out of a pocket or bag, and the outside of the zipper is also smooth and doesn't hang on other fabrics.

The leather is full-grain, and all the stitching and craftsmanship is top notch. I have the undyed version, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the leather take on character through its lifespan. The fold in the case was pretty stiff when I first started using it, but it's loosened and softened a bit over the past two weeks of use.

If you're not a big fan of the undyed look, there are plenty (8!) of other color options, as well as pristine or distressed finishes.

At $15, I can heartily recommend this case to anyone looking for a little extra protection for their pocket pens (or pockets!). The design is clean and well-thought out, and I love the single function aspect. Plus, being made of leather means it will hold up well and develop lots of character with use.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Galen Leather Co. Zippered 10 Slot Pen Case with A5 Notebook Holder Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Always in search of a good notebook and pen case, I couldn't pass up the chance to check out Galen Leather's 10-slot pen case with A5 notebook holder. This is essentially a combination of their 20-slot pen case and the notebook folio with plenty of pen storage and compatibility for A5 notebooks that are both side and top bound.

There are plenty of options for combining a notebook holder and a few pen slots inside a zipped case, but what's special about this Galen Leather case is that it holds 10 pens in their own individual elastic loops. In my mind, this was going to be a perfect case for holding my testing pens and testing notebook in one central location since I normally have between four and ten pens inked up at a time for testing.

Like everything in life, there are tradeoffs when it comes to this product, but it can be a perfect fit for you if you consider its strengths and limitations prior to buying. But first, let's focus on the exterior of this case.

Like all the leather goods that Galen make, this case is exceptional and looks fantastic. The semi-distressed dark green leather is beautiful, and feels great in the hand. This is my first time owning any kind of leather good that has a dark green hue, and I'm in love. It still has plenty of brown tones and unique marks to let you know it's real leather, but I love the color of the finished product with this dye treatment. Paired with the forest green zipper fabric and bronze-colored zipper, the color combinations are on point.

The stitching is all tight and clean, and the attention to detail is obviously high. I like the worn-in look and feel of this leather, and I'm looking forward to the patina it takes on as I use it over the years.

Inside the case, Galen use a soft velvet fabric to line the interior covers and the divider flap that keeps your pens separate and protected from the notebook area.

On the left side of the case are ten elastic loops. The loops are all the same size and can easily stretch to accommodate a pen with a diameter of 16mm (about 2/3 of an inch), but the relaxed size of the loops is closer to 7 or 8mm (quarter of an inch), which means smaller pens aren't held in place.

There's a large flap attached to the spine of the case that provides coverage for your pens and protection for the cover your notebook. The material isn't very thick, but provides just enough cushion to prevent scuffs and dents inside the case.

The right side of the interior is where the A5 notebook is stored. There's a flap for inserting the back cover of a notebook for a tight fit, and the flap even has a horizontal slit at the top so that you can use it with a top-bound notebook or notepad. Really glad that Galen Leather added this feature! Notebooks are held securely in either configuration, and the notebooks are easy to use when inside the case — similar to any other notebook cover.

When you're ready to go, just stash your pens in their loops, close and zip the case, and throw it in a bag. It's a beautiful little system that I've really enjoyed lately. But, there are some downsides regarding the capacity of the case.

In my testing, this case works best if you only use a thin notebook (80-100 pages) instead of a standard ~220 page hardcover book. The reason for this is that the total expand-ability of the case isn't enough for a full loadout of standard diameter fountain pens and and typical hardcover notebook. The case barely zips up in this scenario, and it bulges quite a bit once closed.

For me, I've been happy with a small softcover notebook paired with ten fountain pens. There's plenty of room to zip up the case without feeling like I'm compressing anything, and that's still a lot of pens to carry.

The other limitation is that you can't carry slim pens with the same level of confidence that they'll stay put. Slim pens (like typical gel pens) are too narrow for the elastic loops to hold, so they move back and forth inside the loop. When the case is closed, there's no way for the pens to come out of the loop, but they can fly out if you forget about them and open the case in a hurry. This is something to remember! Also, the loops are centered in the interior, so you also can't use pen clips to your advantage in most cases since clips are almost always located at the top third of the pen.

Still, despite these limitations, it's a great case. I don't think these cases were designed for gel pens and fineliners. There are plenty of other options out there for those writing instruments. This case excels at storing and organizing a collection of ten fountain pens along with a notebook.

I'm fairly confident that this case will continue to break in with use, and it will probably feel less strained when fully loaded with pens and thick notebook. Everyone will have a different threshold for what they find acceptable, and I'm sure every case is just a little different in thickness. At any rate, this is a great example of the typical quality and craftsmanship you get from Galen Leather products. If this configuration isn't right for you, they have several other A5 sized notebook and pen folios that might work better for you.

At $89, the Galen Leather 10-pen holder and A5 notebook zippered case is priced fairly. The materials and craftsmanship are top notch, and this is a case that you could hand down to the next generation as long as you provide basic maintenance and care. It also makes a fantastic gift!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Galen Leather Co. Wood Pen Holder Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

With all these pens I have inked up at any given time, I'm always in need of a storage or organization system. For me, the organization and storage of things is almost as much fun as the stationery hobby itself, and they also work really well together. What's even better than having a great place to store pens? Having a great pen storage system that doubles as a great decorative piece for your desk or table.

The Wood Pen Holder from Galen Leather out of Istanbul is a solid block of wood with several precisely drilled holds to accommodate pens of many different diameters. And the right side of the block also has a larger hole for other tools and trinkets. Being able to organize 15 pens in a way that's accessible is a fantastic tool for any desk. And being able to store scissors, small bottles, and other small items upright alongside the pens is a bonus.

The Wood Pen Holder is available in either Walnut (pictured here) or Mahogany. The design and finish is the same regardless of the wood species you pick, and they both feature a warm, dark brown that look classy and at-home with most decor. The clear finish or oil that they used to seal the wood is thorough and has a small amount of shine that enhances the natural beauty of the wood without making it look wet.

The finish is silky smooth to the touch, and there's a very faint smell from the finishing oil that diminishes over time. Based on the quality of the finish, I have no doubts that it will stay protected and looking great for many, many years. This isn't a piece that gets a lot of hard use (like a tabletop, for example), so refinishing the wood shouldn't necessary in most moderate climates.

The front of the block also features a debossed metal plate with the Walden Woodworkers brand (to distinguish from their leather goods), which adds a nice black and gold look to the warm brown wood.

The Pen Holder is a solid block of wood, so it feels stout while not being heavy. Each block is cut and then drilled with a drill press to ensure precise vertical cuts and smooth, rounded edges. There are four silicone feet on the bottom to prevent the block from moving around when being used.

The block is 7 inches long, 3 inches tall, and 2.5 inches deep (or 20x8x6.8cm), and the pen holes are 15.5mm (or about 5/8") in diameter, so nearly any fountain pen will fit with no trouble. I don't have any pens in my collection that are larger, and I think the number of pens that are larger than that diameter are few and far between. If you have one that large, you probably already know!

The larger hole on the right side of the block is about 39.5mm in diameter and can hold lots of office supplies or other writing instruments. I've using this hole as a small pencil cup for storing wood pencils, but it also fits scissors, erasers, a small ruler, and other slim tools. To add some frame of reference, I also tried some other objects that I had in the room with me. Most ink bottles are either too wide or too short, but the Robert Oster bottles fit nicely with a little room to spare. The small Ono roller that I keep on my desk also fit nicely. Unfortunately, the AirPods Pro case was just a little too big to fit.

For something so objectively simple and utilitarian, this pen holder does everything so well while also looking like a piece of decor. My list of nitpicks are short, and they wouldn't prevent me from recommending this to anyone that is interested in a desktop pen storage system. The first thing I noticed is that the inside of the drilled holes are no sanded smooth. As someone who dabbles in woodworking, I know that sanding the walls of the holes is not an easy or time-efficient task, but it can be done. That said, it's not something that detracts from the aesthetic, and it also won't affect how it functions. It's not something you touch, so it doesn't really matter that the holes aren't smooth on the inside.

The second nitpick is an even smaller one. I really appreciate that the drilled out holes are also finished with whatever sealing oil or solution as the outside, but there's some obvious build-up of this substance at the bottom of the large hole that wasn't wiped away when it was wet. Since it's cured now, there's no easy way to remove it. Again, not something that affects the functionality or appearance, but worth mentioning.

My nitpicks aside, I'm really enjoying this Wood Pen Holder from Galen Leather. It looks great on my desk, and I really appreciate having a place to store 15 pens upright in a neat fashion. Sure, I want to pare down the number of inked pens I have at any given time, but that's a problem for a different day. For now, this pen block does the job exceptionally well, and also has a built-in pen cup for other small bits and tools that I reach for regularly. Way back in the day, I bought a couple of walnut pen blocks from Mike Dudek before he closed up shop. His pen blocks were of the same concept — simple rectangles with drill-pressed holes to hold pens. The Galen Leather Pen Holder is a similar product to carry on this simple but timeless design. And at $38, it's easy to recommend.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!