--- title: "Galen Leather Desk Pad: Sizes, Leather & Care" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/galen-leather-desk-pad/" description: "Galen Leather desk pad explained: 15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in sizes, 7–8 oz vegetable-tanned bridle leather about 2 mm thick, 13 finishes, monogram, Turkish-made." category: "Accessories" type: "Desk pad" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 7 products: - name: "Galen Leather Desk Pad (15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in)" brand: "Galen Leather" brand_origin: "Turkey" made_in: "Turkey" material: "Full-grain, vegetable-tanned bridle leather, 7–8 oz (about 2 mm); beeswax-burnished edges" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Galen Leather Co. (Istanbul)" gtin: "8682431668480" url: "https://www.galenleather.com/products/leather-desk-pad" --- # Galen Leather Desk Pad: Sizes, Leather & Care > The Galen Leather Desk Pad is a handmade leather desk mat from Istanbul's Galen Leather. It comes in two sizes, 15 × 24 in (38 × 61 cm) and 18 × 32 in (45 × 81 cm), cut from 7–8 oz vegetable-tanned bridle leather about 2 mm thick, with beeswax-burnished edges, rolled for shipping in a cardboard tube. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/galen-leather-desk-pad/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Galen Leather desk pads in brown leather, small and large, seen from above with an A5 notebook and pen to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/galen-leather-desk-pad-16x9.png) *Both Galen desk pad sizes, 24 × 15 in and 32 × 18 in, drawn to scale from Galen Leather's listing.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Galen Leather Desk Pad (15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in) | Galen Leather (by Galen Leather Co. (Istanbul)) | Turkey | Turkey | Full-grain, vegetable-tanned bridle leather, 7–8 oz (about 2 mm); beeswax-burnished edges | – | $$$$: over $75 per item | - Made in (Galen Leather Desk Pad (15 × 24 in and 18 × 32 in)): Turkey. The desk pad listing itself doesn't state a country. Galen Leather's About page says its products are designed and handmade in Turkey, and its 2018 Rhodia Drive interview says all production is done at its Istanbul workshop; the Turkish listing calls it "El yapımı masa sümenimiz" (our handmade desk pad). Source: https://www.galenleather.com/pages/about-us ## Key takeaways - Galen sells two sizes: 15 × 24 in (38 × 61 cm) for a 13–14 in laptop setup and 18 × 32 in (45 × 81 cm) for a 15 in laptop or desktop. - The leather is 7–8 oz vegetable-tanned, full-grain bridle leather, about 2 mm thick per Galen; Parka Blogs measured about 3 mm. - Galen's US listing offered 13 finishes on October 22, 2026, from Crazy Horse Brown to Undyed, plus 3 embossed initials as an option. - Its Turkish store lists the pads at ₺3,500 (about US$71) and ₺4,466 (about US$90); US listings fall in our $$$$ band (over $75). - It was the 3rd product in Galen's own best-selling sort on October 22, 2026, and Galen says it's handmade in Turkey. ## What is the Galen Leather Desk Pad? **It's a single sheet of thick vegetable-tanned leather that covers the working area of a desk, to write on, mouse on and protect the wood.** Galen Leather, a family company in Istanbul best known for pen cases, has listed it on its US store since November 2016. It's one of Galen's most popular products: on October 22, 2026 it was 3rd in Galen's own best-selling sort. Galen's Turkish store sells it as the "Deri Masa Matı – Deri Sümen" (leather desk mat, leather blotter). ## Galen desk pad specs | Spec | Galen Leather Desk Pad | |---|---| | Sizes | 15 × 24 in (38 × 61 cm); 18 × 32 in (45 × 81 cm) | | Leather | Full-grain, vegetable-tanned bridle leather, 7–8 oz | | Thickness | About 2 mm (Galen); about 3 mm (measured by Parka Blogs) | | Edges | Beeswax burnished; Parka Blogs found rounded corners | | Back | Rough flesh side, no grip layer (Parka Blogs) | | Finishes | 13 on Galen's US listing, October 22, 2026 | | Option | 3 embossed characters, lower right corner | | Shipping | Rolled, in a thick reusable cardboard tube | | GTIN | 8682431668480 (Crazy Horse Brown, 15 × 24 in) | On October 22, 2026 Galen's US store listed the small pad at US$79 and the large at US$98; its Turkish store lists them at ₺3,500 (about US$71) and ₺4,466 (about US$90). Galen's own text mentions 10 colour options, but its US listing offered 13 finishes that day. ## Which size should you choose? **The small pad for a laptop setup, the large one for a full desk.** Galen recommends the 15 × 24 in pad for a 13–14 in laptop, a mouse and a phone, and the 18 × 32 in pad for a 15 in or larger laptop, a desktop computer and other accessories. Parka Blogs bought the large pad in June 2022 and measured it at 81.3 × 45.7 cm, almost covering its 80 × 50 cm table, with room for a 13 in laptop, keyboard, mouse, phone and tablet. ![Galen desk pads, 24 × 15 in and 32 × 18 in, drawn to scale with an A4 sheet and an A5 notebook](https://stationerytimes.com/images/galen-leather-desk-pad-sizes.svg) *The large pad is 203 mm (8 in) wider and 76 mm (3 in) deeper than the small one.* ## Is it good to write on? **Galen says it gives a smooth, firm writing surface, and it sells it as a desk blotter as well as a mouse pad.** Galen describes the leather as medium stiff; we haven't yet tested how it feels under a pen. A leather pad pairs naturally with other desk tools, such as the [MUJI acrylic pen stand](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/muji-acrylic-pen-stand/) or a [TRAVELER'S COMPANY brass ruler](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/travelers-company-brass-ruler/). For a firm sheet under one page instead, the [Hobonichi pencil board](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-pencil-board/) is the small-scale option. ## How do you care for a leather desk pad? **Expect it to mark and darken; that's the point of Crazy Horse leather.** Galen says its Crazy Horse finishes look distressed and age more than its plain leathers, and that each hide keeps its natural scars and marks. Darker colours show fewer blemishes, according to Galen, while light ones take on a patina. The pad is rollable, so Galen ships it in a tube, which it says is thick enough to reuse for carrying the pad when you travel. ## What are the downsides? **It's expensive for a desk mat, and Crazy Horse leather shows every mark.** Both US sizes sit in our over-$75 band, and shipping comes from Turkey; Galen's lead-time page says handmade items typically ship in one to two weeks. Parka Blogs found no grip on the back, though the heavy large pad stayed put. Colour is a choice to make once: Galen suggests brown on white or oak desks, and black or green on antique or walnut ones. ## Where is the Galen desk pad made? **In Turkey.** Galen says its products are designed and handmade in Turkey, and its Turkish store calls it "El yapımı masa sümenimiz" (our handmade desk pad). Read how the company began in our [Galen Leather history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/galen-leather-history/), or carry your pens and notebook to the desk in its [Zippered 10 Slots case](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/galen-leather-zippered-10-slot-pen-case/) and [Zippered A5 Notebook Folio](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/galen-leather-zippered-a5-notebook-folio/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What size Galen desk pad should I get? Galen suggests the 15 × 24 in pad for a 13–14 in laptop, mouse and phone, and the 18 × 32 in pad for a 15 in or larger laptop, a desktop computer and other desk accessories. ### Will a Galen leather desk pad slide around on the desk? Parka Blogs found the back has no grip but the large pad is heavy enough that it doesn't move. We haven't tested the small pad. ### Is the Galen desk pad safe on a wooden desk? Galen says so: it says the vegetable tanning leaves no chemicals that would damage a wood finish, including old writing desks. That's the maker's claim; we haven't tested it. ### Can you personalize a Galen desk pad? Yes. Galen embosses any 3 characters in the lower right corner as an option, and takes bulk orders printed with a company name or logo. ### Does a Crazy Horse desk pad show scratches? Yes, by design. Galen says Crazy Horse leather looks distressed, ages faster and may have natural scars; its plain leathers have a more even colour, and darker colours show fewer marks. ### Is the Galen Leather desk pad made in the USA? No. Galen says its products are handmade in Turkey, at its workshop in Istanbul, and ships US orders from there; the desk pad listing doesn't state a country on its own. ## Sources - [Galen Leather Türkiye: Deri Masa Matı – Deri Sümen (handmade desk pad; 38 × 61 cm and 45 × 81 cm; 7–8 oz bridle leather, about 2 mm; ₺3,500 and ₺4,466)](https://galenleather.com.tr/products/deri-masa-mati) - [Galen Leather: Leather Desk Pad (sizes, leather, packaging, personalization, size guide, finishes, US$79 and US$98)](https://www.galenleather.com/products/leather-desk-pad) - [Galen Leather: About us (designed and handmade in Turkey)](https://www.galenleather.com/pages/about-us) - [Galen Leather: Interview With Rhodia Drive (March 15, 2018; all production at its Istanbul workshop)](https://www.galenleather.com/blogs/news/interview-with-rhodiadrive) - [Galen Leather: all products sorted by best selling (read October 22, 2026)](https://www.galenleather.com/collections/all?sort_by=best-selling) - [Galen Leather: Lead time (typically 1–2 weeks)](https://www.galenleather.com/pages/lead-time) - [Parka Blogs: Review: Galen Leather Desk Pad (June 16, 2022; measured 81.3 × 45.7 cm, about 3 mm)](https://www.parkablogs.com/content/review-galen-leather-desk-pad)