Case Review: Galen Leather Magnum Opus 12-Pen Case in Two Different Options

Lately, one of my favorite high-capacity pen cases has been Galen Leather’s “Magnum Opus,” specifically the 12-pen version. After this year’s D.C. Pen Show, I’m lucky enough to have two of them: the original hardshell version with the fold-over magnetic flap, and a new zippered version introduced this year, which includes some useful new features that I’ll highlight today.

View fullsize

The zippered Magnum Opus in “pen stand” mode. The “stand-up mode” generally works well, unless you’re on a particularly slick surface.

The main benefit of the “Magnum Opus” is the combination of capacity and protection. This hardshell case will not only allow you to carry a large number of pens, but it will protect them well, something that’s especially important to me when I’m attending events like weekly pen club or pen shows. (My “Magnum Opus” in natural undyed leather - shown at top - is what I had with me at the table in D.C., and used as a display for the “tester” pens I had available.)

View fullsize

Yunus from Galen Leather wanted me to point out that those concerned about the zipper coming into contact with larger pens can reverse the tray for extra protection.

This year’s release, the zippered version of the Magnum Opus, adds two new features: a magnetic front flap that folds down and a back flap that lets you stand the case upright. The zippered case still contains a removable tray - some people prefer removing this tray while they’re working, or when they’re displaying pens at a show/swap meet/sale.

Both 12-pen Magnum Opus cases are the same size and hold the same number of pens. You’re not making any sacrifices in capacity choosing one or the other.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

After teasing the original hard-case design during the 2021 pen show season, Galen decided to make it part of their standard lineup, and I’m happy it stuck around. While I love the original case, the zippered version is likely to serve as my go-to carry when I want to bring 12+ pens along in a backpack, especially on an airplane. The zipper offers just a bit more security, and if I want to work with multiple pens, I love the opportunity for “stand mode”.

View fullsize

I’m still working on accumulating a nice collection of ink stains on my natural undyed leather case. You people are much too careful at pen shows. :)

Currently, you can order the Magnum Opus pen cases directly from Galen Leather, or from select retailers including our friends at Vanness Pens. The zippered model is shown here in “Crazy Horse Smoky” leather, and the standard 12-slot hard case is shown in undyed natural leather. Each of these cases will develop its own unique patina as it ages, with the natural leather taking on the most scuffs, stains, and discoloration. (Be aware of this before you purchase - undyed leather is SUPPOSED to get dirty/stained/worn/whatever, and you can read about this further here.) At $159 for either case, it’s not an inexpensive purchase but all of my Galen Leather products have been well made and hold up over time.

Disclaimer: Galen Leather provided me with the grey case featured in this review, and Vanness Pens provided me with the undyed leather case, free of charge for review purposes. Otherwise, this post does not contain paid affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Thursday Drops: More Pencil-Related Content

As I mentioned on Tuesday, when I noted that we had restocked on M+R pencil sharpeners and replacement blades, one goal of mine has been to establish a small curated retail outlet that continues to stock specialty pencils and high-end pencil accessories. While you can always read more in the “Resources” section of the blog, and specifically the “Best Pencils” section, I thought I’d take some time this morning to talk about five of my favorite pencils that I enjoy so much I want to continue to offer them to you directly.

1. Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Pencil. Sure, some people call it the “Stinkwood,” but I actually enjoy the smell of the classic beech pencil, which to me isn’t overpowering or unpleasant. (For an unscented Swiss Wood experience, you can always opt for the lighter pine version instead of the beech.) This is a pencil that I think every stationery enthusiast should experience at least once. It’s pricey, but the point retention on this pencil is beyond exceptional - I have a few Swiss Wood pencils in rotation that have lasted for years. You can read my full review here.

2. Tombow 2558 Pencil. If you forced me to declare loyalty to one yellow office pencil for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Whether in the HB or B grades, this Japanese pencil works quite well with nearly all long-point sharpeners and holds a reasonable point while leaving a dark (but non-smeary) line. (I actually need to do a stand-alone review of this one. I can’t believe i haven’t already.)

3. Caran d’Ache Fixpencil. Do you enjoy the larger core of a woodcase pencil, but still appreciate the feel and convenience (no wood shavings!) of a mechanical? Consider trying a leadholder. Originally conceived as a replacement for woodcase pencils due to wartime materials shortages, the Fixpencil features a hexagonal barrel and a clip for convenience. We highly recommend pairing with a dedicated M+R lead pointer, which will give you a much finer point than the integrated in-cap version.

4. Caran d’Ache Edelweiss 3B Pencil. Typically 2B is as low on the “dark” scale as I can go, but given Caran d’Ache’s generally harder graphite, this 3B pencil hits the sweet spot. Exceptional value for the quality here.

5. Full Pencil Sets. Unsure of your preferred hardness and looking to explore the different grades of graphite? We currently offer two separate options: One pencil set from Midori MD featuring 6B, 4B, 2B, B, and HB pencils (plus a sharpener and pencil caps), and another from Mitsubishi, featuring 22 high-quality Hi-Uni Pencils in all grades on both the H and B scales. We also sell certain grades of Midori and Mitsubish Hi-Uni pencils individually.

We currently have both the standard matte black Fixpencil and the colorful Fixpencil 884 in stock, along with leadholder refills.

If there are specific pencil and pencil accessory brands that you feel are not adequately reflected at retail, and you would like us to stock, please reach out and let us know. That said, we can only continue to stock them if you spread the word among other enthusiasts and let us gain visibility (pencils are a very niche market, as you all know), so we greatly appreciate anyone spreading the word in forums, Facebook groups, on social media, etc.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Market Watch: What's Up With All the Rainbow Pens? (NOT A COMPLAINT)

Unless you’ve been completely ignoring new releases over the past two years, you’ll have noticed that nearly every pen company, ranging from larger manufacturers down to small-batch makers, has begun to release pens in a “rainbow” finish. How this coating is described varies from company to company: TWSBI has dubbed their Diamond 580 and Vac700R models as the “Iris” finish, Conklin and Fisher Space Pen both use the “Rainbow” moniker, and Ben Walsh of Gravitas Pens has branded the finish “Skittles.” Even Leonardo has released a limited edition Momento Zero (the “Prisma”) in collaboration with Italian retailer Stilo e Stile.

View fullsize

Gravitas pens offers a wide variety of “Skittles” finishes. The two shown here are Matte Paisley (center), as well as the darker TiSiNX finish (right), discussed further below.

So how exactly do companies achieve the “rainbow” effect? While most companies protect their exact processes - trade secrets and all - from what I read it appears to be achieved by applying a Titanium Nitride PVD coating, with different companies varying the formula to achieve unique looks. For example, Ben Walsh is releasing the Gravitas TiSiNX, which adds Silicon Nitride to the coating in order to achieve a darker blue/purple tone, and I was lucky enough to take home one of these pen from the D.C. Pen Show.

View fullsize

Comparing the standard Gravitas “Skittles” finish to the TiSiNX finish (right).

View fullsize

The coloring on the Conklin All-American is pretty intense, and also leans much more orange/yellow than the TWSBI Iris finish, which has a pink/purple/magenta tone. I think I prefer the more subtle options.

Because PVD coating is extremely durable, you shouldn’t have to worry about the finish wearing away. In my experience to date, the PVD coating has not affected writing performance, even where the nibs have been treated. And while the special finish typically comes with a small upcharge to the standard pen, it’s not much. The prices I’ve seen have remain reasonable, ranging from $80 for the TWSBIs to around $180 for the Leonardo.

Takeaways and Where to Find This Finish

I’m actually enjoying the “rainbow” trend far more than the “glitter pen” trend that preceded it, especially as companies such as Gravitas experiment with darker tones. Of course, any trend can suddenly seem overdone (looking at you, shimmer ink), and given how successful these pens have been, I think we can expect more pen manufacturers to release their own titanium nitride pens if they haven’t done so already. So far, most companies have exercised retraint, trying to differentiate themselves with unique design touches. For example, Leonardo paired the “Prisma” trim with a bead-blasted, matte acrylic. Kaweco has even released an “Iridescent Pearl” acrylic that achieves something of the same look, and it’s safe to assume that at some point, a rainbow AL Sport or Steel Sport will follow.

View fullsize

The variations in tone between the various models is not necessarily apparent until you compare different pens from different companies side-by-side.

What are your thoughts? Do you find this trend played out, or do you want to see more? Personally, as long as companies keep experimenting, I’m interested to see what manufacturers can do. I generally love PVD coated pens for their durability, and it’s interesting to see colors other than black.

This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or affiliates, though the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI, which is featured here. T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

In the Shop: M+R Brass Sharpener Restock (Including Replacement Blades)

Our top selling products over the past two years have included the brass pencil sharpeners from M+R (Mobius & Ruppert), ranging from the simple brass bullet sharpener to brass lead pointer to the fancier long-point Castor and Pollux. As we re-envisioned how we wanted the shop to look going forward, we considered reducing pencils and pencil accessories, but so many of you were vocal about needing a retail outlet specializing in pencils (especially these sharpeners and their specialty replacement blades) that we decided to keep them on, and potentially expand the segment moving forward!

View fullsize

In addition to M+R Sharpeners, we carry high-quality erasers from Tombow, and a range of woodcase pencils, mechanical pencils, and leadholders from brands such as Caran d’Ache, Tombow, Midori, and Uni-Mitsubishi. We have focused primarily on high-quality Japanese and Swiss graphite to date, since I have found that it works best with the longer-point sharpeners and also tends to offer the smoothest writing experience.

Both the Tombow Mono 100 and Mitsubishi Hi-Uni are stocked and available in a range of graphite hardnesses. All pencils are sold individually and by the dozen.

If there are specific pencil and pencil accessory brands that you feel are not adequately reflected at retail, and you would like us to stock, please reach out and let us know. That said, we can only continue to stock them if you spread the word among other enthusiasts and let us gain visibility (pencils are a very niche market, as you all know), so we greatly appreciate anyone spreading the word in forums, Facebook groups, on social media, etc.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Sunday Reading for August 14, 2022

1. 2022 DC Pen Show, Part 1 (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel has a huge 4-part review of the 2022 DC Pen Show, which will kick off “DC Pen Show Recap Sunday”!

2. DC Pen Show Recap, 2022 (via The Looped Square). Joseph fired the blog back up after the show! It was great to spend time with him and Dan behind the T.G.S. table.

3. 2022 DC Pen Show - A Really Quick Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly has her usual incredibly thorough review of the DC Show, as seen from behind the Franklin-Christoph table.

4. DC Pen Show (via Figboot on Pens). David has a nice video recap of the show, including the pens he brought home.

5. My Big Red Ink Swab Fest (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love a good red ink swab-fest! One of my favorite color families that inexplicably gets very little love.

6. Galen Leather Medic Bag Review in Pen World (via KraftyKats). Congrats to Chloe on her first Pen World review! Be sure to check it out.

7. Some Thoughts on Paper: Maruman Mnemosyne Notebook (via a fleeting ripple). Mnemosyne paper continues to be the reasonably priced workhorse paper in my everyday carry. The perforations are key.

8. Esterbrook Phaeton 300R (via Dapprman). I’m glad Esterbrook dropped this one; it just didn’t go well with the rest of the line.

9. Namiki Emperor Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The absolutely massive urushi pen from Namiki/Pilot gets the review treatment. For good reason (they’re expensive), you don’t see many of these out there.

10. KWZ Prairie Green, Galen Leather Exclusive (via Well-Appointed Desk). Galen apparently had this exclusive release at the D.C. Show, and it sold quickly.

In Case You Missed It….

I posted my own thoughts on the 2022 D.C. Show, and pen shows in general, on Wednesday, and it’s provoked some thoughtful discussion in the comments, as intended. I also posted this article on “practical planning,” which I wrote in response to questions I received at the table in D.C. on how I use undated calendars and planners.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We’ve been making an effort to consolidate and focus the store, and things are starting to take shape, including more unique offerings from our favorite brands. This week saw the arrival of both the Platinum Plaisir Aura limited editions (which really are stunning, especially if you enjoy pearlescent white finishes), and the latest releases from Caran d’Ache, including the 2022 Claim Your Style Pens and the Dark Violet and Pastel Yellow 849 ballpoints. I’m especially excited about carrying more Platinum fountain pens, as I believe they make some of the best lower-cost pens on the market, which provide an enjoyable writing experience for both new and veteran fountain pen enthusiasts.

Caran d'Ache

Traveler's Company

TWSBI

Lochby

Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

I would love for the T.G.S. Patreon to become a core method of support for the T.G.S. website, and have tried to streamline it. I’ll also need to be a bit more vocal about its availability and what it offers. The Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens.