<p>Back in August, I received an email from Yusuf at <a href="https://www.galenleather.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.galenleather.com/">Galen Leather</a>. &#8220;Hi Sarah,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;I&#8217;m thrilled to be connecting with you all the way from Turkey! I recently just stumbled on your blog and thought it would be a great fit for a collaboration. Would you be interested in receiving one of our handmade leather items item to review or include in a post on your blog? All of our products are handmade in Turkey using traditional leather making techniques including vegetable tanning.</p>



<p>&#8220;We love working with bloggers who respect craftsmanship of unique products like ours. Unfortunately, with the cheap, mass factory production of similar items these days, it is becoming a rare trade in Turkey but our hope is to see the craft live on. We&#8217;d love to send you a product of your choosing if you&#8217;re interested in working with us. Look forward to hearing back from you! Kind Regards, Yusuf&#8221; </p>



<p>Absolutely, I was VERY interested! Months before 9/11, I was fortunate enough to visit Istanbul and shop the Grand Bazaar. Wandering it, I fell hopelessly and eternally in love with pretty much everything I saw there in terms of passion and craft traditions. The light pink prayer rug I finally decided on depicts a cat napping in the sun; every time I look at it, I still feel that dry heat beating down on me as I bought it from the weaver. </p>



<p>With that said, I was really excited to immerse myself in this fantastic world again, albeit on a screen. And I immediately fell utterly and hopelessly in love with their selection of <a href="https://www.galenleather.com/collections/writers-medic-bag" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.galenleather.com/collections/writers-medic-bag">Writer&#8217;s Medic Bags.</a> Available in two varieties and several colors as well as undyed leather, these are simply a must for any stationery fan. </p>



<p>Pens, cords, phone, to say nothing of cards, notebooks, even tablets can find a dedicated home here. This really is an heirloom in that not only is a beautiful and beautifully designed object, but because every last square inch has been created not by a machine, but a pair of hands. </p>



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<p>And then of course everything neatly and brilliantly folds up to travel with you!</p>



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<p>Galen Leather is named for Claudius Galenus, a Greek surgeon, physician and philosopher who lived in present day Bergama, Turkey, during the Roman Empire. His work influenced medical science for centuries; the Medic Bag itself was envisioned as a physical means to bring his innovative ideas from antiquity into the present and future.</p>



<p>The bag itself was designed by Galen founder (and Yusef&#8217;s sister) Zeynap. She discovered a vintage Swiss army bag in a market, once used to transport medical tools, and that got her inspired to think about how she might make their already wildly popular <a href="https://www.galenleather.com/products/the-writing-box" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" title="https://www.galenleather.com/products/the-writing-box">Writing Boxes</a> portable. </p>



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<p>Sadly, Zeynep passed away of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare type of head and neck cancer, on July 3, 2019. The Writer&#8217;s Medic Bag was her last design, and as such, every last one is an enduring testament to her. </p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-40255" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-40255 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="40255" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-10020068 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-favorites tag-barnes-noble tag-barone-co tag-bloom-flower-gifts tag-design tag-elizabeth-boutique tag-empty-vase tag-everything-kitchens tag-girl-w-knife tag-greeting-cards tag-hazel-mazel tag-holliday tag-isadora-popper tag-lilla-beth tag-lovies-augusta tag-magnote-gifts tag-miss-mahjong tag-momma-pots tag-paper-anchor-co tag-park-avenue-yarns tag-postscript tag-robotime tag-sarah-schwartz tag-soap-cute-california tag-stannie-lloyd tag-stationery tag-stationery-trends tag-thank-you-stationery tag-the-forest-store tag-the-merc tag-the-paper-nerd tag-workman-publishing" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/my-stationery-trends-gift-guide-maximalist-edition/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=120%2C120&;ssl=1 120w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=275%2C275&;ssl=1 275w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=372%2C372&;ssl=1 372w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=567%2C567&;ssl=1 567w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=882%2C882&;ssl=1 882w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?resize=50%2C50&;ssl=1 50w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/miss-mahjong_Cowgirl-full-and-mini-Darling-tiles-2-2-copy.jpeg?zoom=2&;resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1 200w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/favorites/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Favorites</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/my-stationery-trends-gift-guide-maximalist-edition/">My Stationery Trends Gift Guide: Maximalist Edition</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2025-12-04T15:18:48+00:00">December 4, 2025</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="10020068"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



<p>I so enjoyed discovering every last treasure tucked inside this amazing creation: information on the bag itself, its care and keeping; a postcard of Apollo&#8217;s temple; samples of Turkish teas and coffee; even two evil eye charms to bring good fortune and peace.</p>



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<p>Now all I can think about is how this will up my organization game at my next trade show. There&#8217;s a spot for every conceivable item I need on the show floor: business card, pens, phone, notebook, charger, room key &#8230; plus plenty of space for whatever ephemera I pick up on my journey. </p>



<p>I will definitely think of Zeynap with much gratitude and more than a little wonder each time I use it or spy its lovely smooth surface.</p>



<p>So, I&#8217;ve can&#8217;t close without strongly recommending that any lover of paper — and certainly anyone with a shop — check out this amazing, family-run house of handmade leather goods. Your stationery will never be quite the same! </p>