Galen Leather Zippered A5 Notebook Folio: What Fits
The Galen Leather Zippered A5 Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Folio is a zip-around leather cover for an A5 notebook, handmade in Turkey. Galen lists it at 18.5 × 23.5 cm (7.3 × 9.2 in) in vegetable-tanned cow leather with a velvet lining and YKK zip, holding an A5 notebook, an iPad mini, a removable four-pen holder and four card pockets.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Galen Leather Zippered A5 Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Folio (Crazy Horse Brown and other leathers)
- Brand
- Galen Leather
- Brand origin
- Turkey
- Made in
- Turkey*
- Material
- 100% vegetable-tanned cow leather; velvet-lined interior; YKK zip
- Price range
- $$$$over $75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
- Colors
Brown
- Rate it
Notes on these facts
- Made by Galen Leather Co. (Istanbul). Made in Turkey: Galen Leather's US listing says "100% Handmade in Turkey", Goulet Pens' listing says the same, and Galen's Turkish store marks its zippered A5 leather organizer "Türkiye’de elde üretilmiştir" (handmade in Türkiye). Source. Price: example listing.
- Colors: names per Galen Leather, checked October 27, 2026. Galen Leather sells each color of its Zippered A5 Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Folio on its own product page; these eleven are the colors its store lists for this folio (read through the store's public product feed on October 27, 2026), named as its pages name them. Galen's folio photos show the open interior, so the tints are hand-picked from the same-named leather on Galen's Traveler's Notebook cover photos; Aged Copper (Pueblo Cognac), Crazy Horse Graphite and Crazy Horse Honey Ochre have no such photo and carry no tint. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- Galen and Goulet Pens both list the folio at 18.5 × 23.5 cm (7.3 × 9.2 in), 3.7 cm wider and 2.5 cm taller than an A5 page.
- Galen says it takes hard or soft A5 notebooks such as the Leuchtturm1917 A5, Hobonichi Cousin, Stalogy 365 and Midori MD A5, plus every iPad mini.
- Inside are a removable 4-pen holder, 2 more pen slots, 4 card pockets, a long pocket, a key loop and a loop for a charger or cable.
- Galen's Turkish store sells a zippered A5 leather organizer at ₺6,344 (about US$128); US listings fall in our $$$$ band (over $75).
- It was the 4th product in Galen's own best-selling sort on October 22, 2026; Galen says it's 100% handmade in Turkey.
What is the Galen Leather Zippered A5 Notebook Folio?
It’s a zip-around leather portfolio that holds one A5 notebook on the right and pens, cards and an iPad mini on the left. Galen Leather, a family company in Istanbul, named it for the Leuchtturm1917 A5 but lists many A5 notebooks that fit; Goulet Pens sells it as the “Galen Leather Zippered A5 Notebook Folio”.
It’s one of Galen’s best sellers. On October 22, 2026 it was 4th in Galen’s own best-selling sort, and Goulet’s Galen page showed 39 reviews for the brown folio and 32 for the green, second only to Galen’s Zippered 10 Slots pen case. Galen’s US listing dates from May 2019.
Galen A5 folio specs
| Spec | Galen Zippered A5 Notebook Folio |
|---|---|
| Size, closed | 18.5 × 23.5 cm (7.3 × 9.2 in) |
| Notebook | One A5 notebook, hard or soft cover; top-bound pads |
| Tablet | iPad mini, all generations (7.9 and 8.3 in) |
| Pens | Removable 4-pen holder plus 2 pen slots |
| Pockets | 4 card pockets, a long pocket for a passport or phone, a loop for a charger or cable |
| Other | Removable key loop |
| Leather | 100% vegetable-tanned cow leather |
| Lining, zip | Velvet; YKK zip |
| GTIN | 8682431660095 (Crazy Horse Brown; Galen and Goulet agree) |
| Made in | Turkey |
Galen doesn’t publish a thickness or weight. Its Turkish store sells a zippered A5 leather organizer and pen case (“A5 Deri Organizer ve Kalemlik Fermuarlı”) at ₺6,344 (about US$128).
Which notebooks fit the Galen A5 folio?
A5 notebooks with hard or soft covers; Galen’s listing names more than a dozen. They include the Leuchtturm1917 A5 (145 × 210 mm), the Hobonichi Cousin (210 × 148 × 18 mm), the Stalogy 365 Days and the Midori MD Notebook A5.
Galen also lists Moleskine Large, LIFE, Apica CD, Logical Prime, Kleid, Yamamoto, Nanami and Yu-Sari A5 books, plus its own Everyday Notebook A5. The Gadgeteer fitted a hardbound A5 bullet journal and still closed the folio easily.
What goes on the left side?
Pens, cards, a passport or phone, and an iPad mini underneath. Goulet lists four card holders, a long pocket for a passport or phone, a removable four-slot pen holder, two more pen slots and a slot for a charger, earbuds or a cable; the iPad sleeve sits under the left side.
The Well-Appointed Desk, which reviewed a Forest Green folio Galen sent in May 2019, also found secretary pockets for loose papers. It liked that the pen board is removable, because the elastic is the part most likely to wear out first.
How does it compare with a Traveler’s-style cover?
The folio protects one bound A5 notebook and your gear; a Traveler’s-style cover carries several thin refills. Galen’s own Traveler’s Notebook Leather Cover comes in an A5 size with four inner elastics, at a much lower price band.
| Zippered A5 Folio | Traveler’s Notebook Cover, A5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Closed size | 18.5 × 23.5 cm (7.3 × 9.2 in) | 16 × 22.2 cm (6.3 × 8.7 in) |
| Holds | One bound A5 notebook | Several A5 inserts on elastics |
| Closure | YKK zip | Elastic band |
| Pens and cards | Yes | No |
| Price band | Over $75 | $20–75 |
For a waxed canvas alternative that holds up to four A5 notebooks, see the Lochby Field Journal.
What are the downsides?
It’s pricey and adds bulk. Galen’s own listing put it at US$129 on October 22, 2026, and Galen doesn’t publish its weight.
The Crazy Horse leather arrives marked: The Gadgeteer found scratches on a new folio and liked the look, but buyers who want a clean finish should pick a smooth leather. Galen’s lead-time page says handmade orders typically ship in one to two weeks.
Where is the Galen A5 folio made?
In Turkey. Galen Leather’s US listing says the folio is 100% handmade in Turkey, and so does Goulet’s. Our Galen Leather history tells how the Istanbul family business began with a simple journal cover.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Galen A5 folio fit a Hobonichi Cousin?
Galen lists the Hobonichi Cousin A5 as compatible. Our Hobonichi Cousin guide gives 210 × 148 × 18 mm for the book, inside the folio's 18.5 × 23.5 cm.
Will an iPad mini fit in the Galen A5 Leuchtturm folio?
Galen says it fits every iPad mini generation, both the 7.9 in and 8.3 in models, in a sleeve under the left-hand flap.
Can I use a top-bound notepad in the Galen A5 folio?
Yes. Galen and Goulet say the notebook side has slots for side-bound or top-bound pads, and Galen names the Rhodia No. 16 A5 pad.
What's the difference between the Galen A5 folio and the Expansi-Folio?
The Expansi-Folio is Galen's wider A5 zip folio, which Galen suggests for anyone who needs more room; its US store listed it at a higher price, in the same over-$75 band.
Is the Galen A5 folio lining velvet or suede?
Galen and Goulet call it velvet lined. The Well-Appointed Desk described the inside as microsuede with leather pockets on the left.
Is the Galen A5 Leuchtturm folio made in the USA?
No. Galen Leather makes it by hand in Turkey and ships US orders from there; Goulet Pens also lists it as handmade in Turkey.
Sources
- Galen Leather Türkiye: A5 Deri Organizer ve Kalemlik Fermuarlı - Mor (zippered A5 leather organizer; handmade in Türkiye; ₺6,344)
- Galen Leather: Leather Zippered A5 Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Folio, Crazy Horse Brown (size, compatibility, pockets, materials, 100% handmade in Turkey, US$129)
- Galen Leather: Expansi-Folio Leather Wide A5 Zip Folio, Crazy Horse Brown
- Galen Leather: all products sorted by best selling (read October 22, 2026)
- Galen Leather: Lead time (typically 1–2 weeks)
- Galen Leather: Traveler's Notebook size guide (A5 cover 16 × 22.2 cm closed)
- Goulet Pens: Galen Leather Zippered A5 Notebook Folio, Crazy Horse Brown (size, pockets, materials, handmade in Turkey)
- Goulet Pens: Galen Leather collection (review counts)
- The Well-Appointed Desk: Galen Leather A5 Leuchtturm 1917 Notebook Folio (May 22, 2019)
- The Gadgeteer: Galen Leather A5 Leather Zip Folio review (November 13, 2019)
- Galen Leather: Zippered A5 Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Folio color pages (Aged Copper, Crazy Horse Graphite, Honey Ochre, Brown, Purple, Black, Smoky, Navy Blue, Forest Green, Undyed Leather)