c/bookbinders

I finally got the spine right on that clothbound journal after three whole days

I was making a gift for a friend and wanted a rounded spine with headbands, something I'd done before. The rounding kept collapsing when I put on the super, and the headband thread kept snapping (I went through a full spool of Gutermann). It took me about 18 hours over three days to realize my backing was too shallow. I had to take the whole text block apart and start over. Has anyone else had a rounding job turn into a multi-day puzzle?

My grandpa told me to use a bone folder on the spine before gluing, and it changed my whole process

For years, I just used my fingers to shape the spine of a text block before adding the mull. My grandpa, who did this for fifty years, watched me once and said, 'You're leaving hills and valleys. Use the round edge of your bone folder and roll it down the spine, firm and even.' I tried it on a small poetry book I was making last month. I pressed hard and rolled it slowly from head to tail three times. The difference was huge. The spine went from lumpy to perfectly rounded and tight. The glue went on smooth and the cover fit like a dream. I feel silly for not listening sooner. Has anyone else got a simple tip like that that fixed a big part of your work?

My sister, a librarian, said 'a book's spine is just a hinge, not a sculpture' when I showed her my latest leather-tooled cover. It's been bothering me for a week.

Update: Found a book at the library with the wildest repair job I've ever seen

I was at the downtown branch last Tuesday, pulling a copy of 'Moby Dick' for my nephew. The spine was held together with what looked like three layers of duct tape and a single, thick rubber band. It was so tight you couldn't open it past page 50. I asked the librarian about it and she just sighed, 'That was a volunteer project from 2012. We don't talk about it.' Has anyone else found a public book with a truly baffling fix? I need to know I'm not alone.

A customer in Portland once told me my headbands were too tight

I was making a custom journal for her about five years ago, and she said the book wouldn't lay flat because the headband was pulling too hard. I always thought a tight headband was just part of a solid binding. I tried her suggestion to ease up on the tension, and the next book opened perfectly. Has anyone else had to unlearn a 'rule' like that?

Visited the library in Salem and saw a display of modern rebinds with exposed spines.

They used neon thread and industrial fabrics, which really made the structure pop. Has anyone else worked with non-traditional materials for a contemporary look?

My leather paring knife was tearing up calfskin until I tried a new sharpening angle.

I was getting ragged edges on some 2 oz calfskin for a journal cover, so I watched a video from a binder in Chicago and changed my sharpening angle from 25 to 20 degrees. After a week of practice, my cuts are clean and I waste way less material. What angle do you all use for your paring knives?

Warning: I was using way too much glue on my headbands

Found a 1920s binder's manual at a yard sale in Toledo that said you only need a thin line of paste, like a grain of rice thick. I was basically soaking mine. Tried it on a test piece and the joint held way better without the mess. Anyone else have old book tips that go against modern habits?

Rant: My first leather spine looked like a sad accordion, now they're actually smooth

About six months back, I tried my first leather spine on a small journal and the leather puckered up bad along the rounded back. I was using a bone folder to set it, but I was rushing and the leather was too dry. Last week, I took my time, kept a damp cloth handy to keep the leather workable, and used a smaller, rounder tool to really work the leather into the curve. The difference is night and day, no more wrinkles. Anyone have a favorite tool for this job that isn't just a basic bone folder?

Appreciation post: The old library in Beacon, NY has a display of 19th century binding repairs

They had a book from 1872 with a spine rebacked using what looked like handmade marbled paper. The hinge was reinforced with a super thin, almost translucent leather I've never seen before. Anyone know a modern supplier for that kind of material?

I finally gave in and tried a bone folder for my endpapers

For years I just used my fingers or a smooth rock to press down the hinge. Last month, I picked up a basic Teflon bone folder on a whim. The difference on my last project, a small poetry journal, was night and day. The crease is perfectly sharp and the paper lies completely flat without any of those tiny wrinkles I used to get. Has anyone found a particular brand or material works better for delicate papers?

TIL a library in Portland has a book bound with actual duct tape

I was at the main library downtown last month looking at their special collections. They had this old repair manual from the 70s that someone had clearly tried to fix themselves. The whole spine was covered in thick gray duct tape, and they'd even tried to reattach a page with a strip of it inside. The librarian said it's been holding up for over twenty years, which is wild. It made me think about what we consider 'proper' materials versus what actually works in a pinch. I'm not switching to hardware store tape for my projects, but it did make me laugh. Has anyone else run into a weird or totally wrong repair that somehow lasted forever?

A client in Charlotte asked me to bind a book with a plastic cover, and it's been on my mind for weeks.

I was finishing a custom leather journal for a regular, and she brought a friend who wanted a family cookbook bound. She pulled out a stack of printed pages and a sheet of thick, clear plastic, asking if I could use that for the cover instead of board or leather. She said, 'I want it to look modern and clean, like it's from a store.' I explained that plastic can crack at the hinge over time and doesn't age like traditional materials. She just shrugged and said she didn't care about it lasting, she just wanted that specific look right now. It stuck with me because I always thought our job was about making things that last. But maybe for some people, the immediate look is more important than the long-term hold. Has anyone else had a client ask for something you knew wouldn't stand the test of time? How did you handle it?

TIL using a bone folder instead of my old plastic one changed the game for my endpapers

The extra weight and smooth edge gave me way cleaner creases on a batch of 50 notebooks, and I'm never going back. Anyone have a favorite brand for heavy-duty scoring tools?

Rant: I glued my headbands for a decade before a binder in Portland convinced me to sew them.

I switched last year after a project came apart, and now I won't go back. Anyone else make a big change to their core method after seeing a better way?

My new bone folder snapped on the first project

I was working on a custom leather journal yesterday, trying to get a sharp crease on the cover. I pressed down with the bone folder like normal and heard a small crack. The tip just broke off clean, about an inch from the end. I bought it from a craft store in Austin maybe a month ago for $15. Has anyone else had a bone folder just give out like that? What's a more durable brand you'd recommend?

Showerthought: I just learned the average 19th century bookbinder used about 6 miles of thread a year.

Read it in a footnote of a library book on trade guilds in Bristol. Does anyone else track how much thread they go through?

My sister said my hand-stitched spines are 'too perfect' and it's been bugging me

We were looking at a copy of 'The Hobbit' I bound last month, and she pointed at the headband. She said, 'It's beautiful, but it looks like a machine did it... where's the person?' I've always aimed for clean, tight work, but now I'm thinking maybe a tiny bit of visible thread or a slight variation shows it's made by hand. What's the line between quality and character for you all?

A client in Portland handed me a book and said 'it just doesn't feel right in the hand'

I realized the spine was too stiff from using a 90gsm paper, which made it awkward to hold open. Anyone have a go-to paper weight for a more flexible case binding?

Vent: I keep seeing people skip the rounding and backing step on their first case binding

I learned the hard way after my first three books developed a terrible forward lean because the text block wasn't shaped. Has anyone found a good workaround for when you don't have a proper backing press?

Just finished my 50th full leather binding and the number made me think

I hit 50 full leather bindings this week, which felt like a big deal because I only started offering them two years ago. On one side, it shows real skill growth, but on the other, I worry about getting stuck in a style rut. Has anyone else felt this way after hitting a personal milestone in their work?

Spent $80 on a bone folder from a museum shop and it's the only tool I've ever regretted buying.

The edge is too sharp for delicate paper and the weight feels wrong, so has anyone found a good use for a tool that's basically a fancy paperweight?

My old boss in Chicago told me to never skimp on the kettle stitch, and he was dead right

I was binding a small poetry book about six months ago and thought, 'it's only 40 pages, a simple glue job will hold it.' I ignored his advice and just glued the spine block into the cover. Looked fine for a week, then the whole text block just fell out into my hands. He used to say, 'the kettle stitch is the backbone, not the glue,' and I finally get it. That one little stitch at the head and tail of each signature makes all the difference for holding the sections together. I had to take the whole thing apart and redo it properly, which took me three days. Has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way with a specific binding?

Thought I'd try a hot foil press on leather and it went sideways

I got a cheap foil press from a craft store last month to try titles on leather covers. The first test on scrap leather looked okay, so I went for it on a finished cover. The heat was way too high and it burned right through the leather grain, leaving a dark brown patch. My friend saw it and said, 'You cooked it.' Learned that leather needs a much lower temp than paper. Anyone know a good temp setting for vegetable-tanned leather?

Pro tip: I finally figured out a way to keep my headband from slipping during a long sewing session, after three years of fighting it.