Galen Leather Magnum Opus 12 Slots Hard Pen Case
Magnum Opus 12 Slots Hard Pen Case shown here in Crazy Horse Navy Blue, sitting in front of Galen Leather’s Tote Bag in Crazy Horse Tan
If you follow my Instagram then you’ll know how much I love Galen Leather products. I’ve bought many of their items for myself, as well as received a bunch as gifts from my SO.
Recently Galen Leather was kind enough to send me their Leather Magnum Opus 12 Slots Hard Pen Case w/Removable Pen Tray as a gift for my support of their brand. While this particular item was complimentary, on them, I am a huge fan of their brand and have supported them for years prior to ever receiving anything in exchange. I just like to be completely transparent about these things in an age where we as the consumers are often being sold in ways that we don’t fully understand.
Now that I’ve used this case for a couple of weeks, I felt the need to do a mini review on it. Galen Leather did not ask me to review this product (or any of their products) but I honestly love this case so much I might just buy a second one and I want to share the love.
As you can see in the photos above, the case is beautiful. As described on their site and in the name of the case, it is a hard shell case covered with extremely soft and smooth leather. I chose the Crazy Horse Navy Blue because I already owned products from them in their Crazy Horse Tan, Crazy Horse Forest Green, and their Undyed Leather so I was very interested in seeing the blue in person! But if blue isn’t your color, the case is offered in seven (7) different dye choices and they’re all beautiful.
I absolutely love it. I honestly don’t know if I could pick a favorite of these color options because they’re all so rich and stunningly produced. I know I might sound really intense about this, but it is just a fact that Galen produces so many excellent products of quality at reasonable prices that I have a hard time not yelling about it to anyone who will listen.
OK without further ado, I’ll be succinct about the reasons I love this particular case:
It’s beautiful to look at, but also well-made with durable materials.
I appreciate the aesthetic of the case and that it is both elegant and yet not “perfect.” The distressing of the leather and aging process it will go through the more you use it give off that well-loved inner beauty of items that patina and therefore no two cases would ever be exactly alike.
It does mean that you’ll see where the magnets close on the case and the outline of the flap (visible already in my pictures), but to me that just means you know it’s being used and loved.
The stitching is simple but sturdy. The tray is covered in velvet so your pens won’t get scratched, and it has dividers to keep them from mingling in an unapproved manner. (This is probably one of the only minglings that I do not approve of because scratches O_O)
Easy to use.
The case closes with a flap over top and is easy to open and close with the two magnets embedded in the lid that snap to the body with a satisfying pull. It feels secure enough to not open on its own, and yet it doesn’t feel difficult to pry apart when you want to get to your pens.
I like that there is no un-zipping, no snaps, no cords to undo. I have cases with things like that, and I like them, but it’s nice to have a “no fuss” option in a way that still feels very secure.
The pen tray comes fully out of the case.
I love that this doubles as a pen tray that you could realistically just pull completely out of the case and keep on your desk for convenient pen-grabbing. There is a lip at the bottom of it, so your pens won’t slip out as you pull the tray out or even if you propped it up a bit. I don’t have any other pen trays and my other pen cases are mostly Rickshaw pen rolls or coozies (which I also adore), but I find this very convenient for when I’m at home or in a more stationary setting (pun fully intended).
Of all the cases I own, it is also the only one that offers a significant glimpse of the pens that are in it. As I mentioned, I mostly use pen rolls, sleeves, or “coozies” and while they have many pros, being able to see which pens are housed in those cases it not as easy at-a-glance.
The hard shell offers excellent peace of mind when it comes to your pen protection.
If you are going to take this case with you, however, the hard case definitely makes me feel that it would take a pretty intense blow for anything to actually cause damage to the pens.
The case is about the same size as a Rickshaw 12-pen roll, as you can see in the picture above.
Which brings me to my “negatives” - though I hate to really even call them that because I really just think there are different situations where different cases would be most useful in.
The biggest thing is that this case is not compact. It takes up space and there is nothing you can do about it. So while the hard exterior is great for pen protection, I find this more useful as an “at home” case or potentially a travel case if the pens will be traveling not on my person.
For on-the-go pen portability, I will likely stick with my Rickshaw rolls, sleeves, and coozies because they offer more in terms of flexibility and less added weight.
A small note about Galen Leather as a company -
You can read their full story on their website here, but I just want to say that I love that this is a family company, the products are handmade, and their customer service is top notch. I’ve enjoyed every interaction with them and never had any issues.
Additionally, they’re always producing new things and adjusting and changing with the feedback they receive from customers. They often ask for direct input and feedback from their customer base to ensure they’re hitting the right marks and on top of the “next big thing.” I appreciate their creativity and their vision and eagerly anticipate new products!
Middle Earth Rating: Hobbits
I was tempted to rate it humans or dwarves, but I think the best thing about this case is its simplicity and practicality. There is beauty in that, and I think only a Hobbit could truly appreciate the full extent of that sort of beauty.
It isn’t adorned with a design, nothing sparkles, it isn’t an “interesting” shape, and yet it is lovingly made with durable materials and almost anyone could find a use for it.
Now, after all this writing I think it might just be time for second breakfast…