Interview With Rhodia Drive
Today I am very happy to share with you my interview with Zeynep of Galen Leather!
Please tell us about yourself and your business.
Hi, my name is Zeynep . I work with my brother Yusuf.
Galen Leather was found in 2012 in Istanbul.
Our journey started as a hobby, making some small leather goods. Our first product was a very simple journal cover. And now it is our full time job. We love working with all natural aging materials like leather, brass, wood.
Galen is the name of our favourite precious stone. Also Galen is the name of the famous philosopher Claudius Galenus, who was born in Pergamon (present-day Bergama, Turkey-City of the leather).
We focus mainly on Leather journal covers compatible with popular notebooks.
Our entrance into the online marketplace was a natural progression. Knowing we could never get our work to the right audience via traditional retail channels—which would have surely resulted in sizeable price increases— the internet was an obvious choice.
Tell us about the products you make. What is the manufacturing process?
We make mainly leather goods for pen & paper addicts. Leather notebook covers, pen cases and some tech accessories like phone and laptop cases.
For production we use modern tech advantages with old school methods. For example, everything is laser cut and stitched by hand. All production is done at our workshop In Istanbul.
Last year we made a cooperation with a wood crafter company, and started to make a vintage inspired writing box/desk and wooden notepad holder.
Why do you think people enjoy using paper notebooks and writing pads in this digital age?
We have a very popular journal cover, which keeps a digital tablet with an A5 notebook and some writing tools. The motto of this product is “Balance the analog and digital”. So I think this explains why people use analog writing tools in this digital age. People want to balance their life. It is impossible to stay away from tech in this age but personally I think, any app is not as practical as taking notes in a paper notebook.
What are some of your favorite Rhodia products? Do you use them for work, personal use, or both?
I use Rhodia stapled pads at work. It is a work horse for daily use. I use fountain pens and the Rhodia notepads have the most fountain pen friendly paper. Perforated sheets, various options (sizes, page layout etc.)
Personally I am a fan of the A5 size notebooks. Since I use fountain pens I don’t have a lot of options. Last year I started using Rhodia Heritage edition notebooks for my journaling. Love the cover designs, raw binding and cream paper.
Anything else you would like to add?
I am a fan of all stationery goods including fountain pens, notebooks, planners etc.
So I am very happy to make this hobby a fulltime job. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce myself and business.
Many thanks to Zeynep!
You can find Galen Leather at GalenLeather.com.
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