19th Century Half Leather Library Binding Part 4 of 4 // Adventures in Bookbinding
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- This series of 4 videos will cover the construction of a robust half leather binding used for library books in the 19th and early 20th century in England. The design is a combination of techniques covered in 3 books, Advanced Bookbinding by J. Kay (1932), The Thames and Hudson Manual of Bookbinding by Arthur Johnson (1978), and Bookbinding by William Matthews (1929). The characteristics are split board attachment, tight-back binding with tape supports, a wide French groove joint, minimal edge paring of leather and no paring of the joints. The minimal paring make it an excellent introduction to leather binding.
This fourth video will cover covering the spine, covering the boards with cloth, and pasting down the endpapers.
These videos are only possible thanks to the support of Patreons, and if you are able, your support would be greatly appreciated.
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The tools and materials I use can be purchased from specialist suppliers and manufacturers in my suppliers list. If you are in Australia I have a limited range of items I supply by mail or by pickup from the bindery in Brisbane.
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The #DASBookbinding Channel is the perfect starting point for learning #bookbinding. It covers foundation skills, simple projects, technical methods, materials and more advanced bookbinding projects. The videos are presented in a tutorial or lesson fashion, which I hope are easy to follow. The knowledge presented is based on traditional techniques which can be used to create traditional books or as a foundation to quality journalling or creative artists' books. The best way to find what you are looking for is the DAS Bookbinding CZcams Channel guide.
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English Closed Caption titles by Carrie Snyder. Thank you!!
The music used in this video is performed by Jon Sayles. Jon has some great classical guitar music on his website, which he shares freely. - Jak na to + styl
I have enjoyed every minute during hours of watching your craft work. Well done sir. So satisfying.
While I, for one, rather enjoy the background sounds, when it's hot it's hot; run that fan!
Before retirement I was a bookbinder at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England having trained under an apprenticeship with Ivor Robinson at Oxford Polytechnic also attending courses with Jim Brockman both terrific instructors, your videos are extremely well constructed & informative and faultless in your techniques - well done.
Thank you. You had great teachers. I have a nice copy of Mr Robinson's book with an inscription to Peter Guy (book designer I believe). Do you still do any binding in your retirement? All the best, Darryn
You are not only a bookbinder... you are also an artist. I thank you so much for helping me with my birthday projects for my two sons. Blessings from Vancouver Canada
You're welcome. I hope they enjoy the presents! DAS
I gained a lot of information from your video, I will use this knowledge for rebinding.
Just be careful what you rebind and don't rebind books of historical significance. Happy binding! DAS
Darryn - Once again, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. That was an excellent series of four tutorials on the half-leather library binding - nicely paced and comprehensive. Well done!
I look forward to future projects.
Thanks! Maybe a bit longer than I originally hoped. But we got to explore leather corners a bit.
@@DASBookbinding The corners detour was an interesting aside. What I like about your videos are that they are as long as they need to be. I never get bored watching craftsmanship and learning new stuff.
I tip my hat.
A genuine pleasure to watch and so well explained.🦊
Glad you enjoyed it! DAS
I'm glad you made this series. I have not looked at all of them. My first comment is that you should wrap the text block with paper before you begin any of the cover work. It will protect the edges and make handling the book much easier. (It stays wrapped until you are ready to paste the ends down.)Also when I turn the head and tail I always used a board and stood the book so that I was always working on the top of the book whether it was head or tail.
I also pared the leather for the spine and for the corners, it made turning in much easier and guarantees that the paste will hold at the edges. Then, necessarily the edges of the corners and the spine were trimmed before filling the blank part of the boards. I also wrapped the filler paper around the fore edges and head and tail as the trimmed leather also wrapped around those edges and it makes for a more uniform edge.
I have to look at your end paper construction, have not seen any sewing in the end paper visible in a Library Style binding and they do not show in mine.
I had always wanted to do a series on library Style, ( I used to teach that at the Center for Book Arts in New York) but I had already said good bye to my laying press in the home studio. Thank you for doing this, I also have series of Binding videos. I originally learned in England at Croydon College of Art from a teacher who had been a finisher in the West End of London. We could probably have some interesting conversations.
Hi Sage. Great to hear from you. Your videos were an inspiration when I first got started. They gave me confidence there were enough people interested to warrant making bookbinding videos.
It's been ages since I made these videos, so don't remember them that clearly. I'm surprised I didn't cap up for the video. It is a lazy habit I have developed to not cap up for quarter bindings. People keep telling me to use cling wrap. I've tried it and didn't like it.
I started doing these split board library bindings when I was learning springbacks. My first bookbinding book back in the early 90s was Johnson. I was always intrigued by the "library binding" but was told no one did them anymore. I've tried to keep them fairly historically accurate based on Johnson and Matthews. They both describe the stationery style endpapers. I assume this came out of the early development by Cedric Chivers in the 19th century. I like this little historical quirk. It's the only letterpress style binding I do with sewing visible between the pastedown and FFE. I've never seen a genuine Chivers library binding. It would be fun to compare to what I've produced.
I thought I did pare the headcaps. With the tight-back it would produce a lot of thickening at head and tail, which I dislike. Maybe I was trying to keep it beginner friendly? I deliberately don't pare the joints for this binding.
All the best,
Darryn
I always admired hand bound books, but I never saw the process behind it all. Great and clear explanation.
I saw nearly all your videos technics and projects, thanks for all you've done for us
♥️♥️ from Morocco, Africa
Wonderful to hear from you! Happy binding! Darryn
Love your work,awesome!
GRACIAS EXCELENTE TRABAJO SALUDOS DESDE GUADALAJARA MÉXICO
Bookbinding is a relatively new hobby of mine, and just when I managed the basics and was prepared to do some more "professional" work, I came across your channel and found out just how much I still DON't know :-) Your videos are by far the most comprehensive, clear and informative I have found on the internet so far - thank you so much! (That said, I just spent half a Sunday afternoon paring scraps of leather with my hobby knife, as I cannot buy a proper paring knife now owing to shops being closed for quarantine. And must say, after lots of harsh words I'm almost satisfied now :-) )
I'm glad you like the videos. You will be an outlier if even after years of doing it there are not regular harsh words while paring:) A lot of people use scalpels for paring, but you have to change the blade regularly. I think they use the big curved blade. Good luck and happy binding! DAS
Thank you so much! You videos are genuinely useful, you're a great teacher!
Amazing technic and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing the video ❤️👏👏👏
Another great project series. Really enjoyed this and learned a lot. So glad to see your subscriber number climbing!
Thanks Lisa. I was ready to give up after a few months. But then the numbers slowly picked up. It's nice to know people are getting some value from the videos.
Wonderful work! I've been wondering how so many binders are able to make their grooves so pronounced. Your video was super helpful. Thank you!
Thanks. Not all joints are made with rods. Another common way is to use boards with a strip of brass that sticks out a bit. This pushes the material down into the joint, especially if it is a thin joint.
Thank you so much for your videos. What an amazing work you are doing sharing your knowledge.
Really enjoyed your videos, I bound my first library binding forty years ago while studying at Camberwell School of Art in London. It also was a copy of Cockerels Bookbinding and the Care of Books. We also produced a library binding in quarter leather with vellum corner tips which I like.
That is awesome! Who was your teacher at Camberwell? I've got a project saved up for vellum tips. A lot of other details to work out on that project first. All the best, Darryn
Hi Darryn, I am now struggling to remember names but I'll never forget Brian Hoy, the main man. We had visiting masters also. Maureen Duke who you know, Bernard Middleton, a true gent. The head of Bookbinding and Conservation back then was Bob Acres.
I now work at the National Records of Scotland in Archive Conservation and like to explore adhesive free structures. (my latest technical interest).
I love your videos, very good. We have similar techniques.
I was wondering why you used paste only (almost never PVA) for leather, and here I can see one reason probably being the less tack and greatly more work time. I didn't know if I might be able to approximate this using PVA with runny methyl cell mixture... I also thought perhaps you dialed in your full leather board covering with some lining that equals the tension for non-warping success when using paste. I am inclined to just follow your world class example and get more used to paste adhesive. You've also solved my leather soft cover bible lining and endpage woes with the introduction of paste paper, anyway, since it replaces the expensive synthetic coated paper with more flair in the process, God willing, plus I have clear acrylic medium to mix with paste for DIY buckram. You're a game changer who condenses these specialty sources all into one great teacher.
For most traditional leather bookbinding you need the open time of paste. PVA/paste (or MC) mix still won't give enough open time and there are other potential issues (if PVA tacks and you break the tack, will it still stick?). And MC doesn't have sufficient adhesive strength compared to starch paste. Thus, I use wheat flour paste for covering in leather. Happy binding!
Great video's Darryn, thank you for sharing everything and taking your time to make these video's.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge
Really well done. Thank you. I'm better prepared to do this now.
Great videos on this project! I just watched all four. I love your teaching style and techniques. They work very well with your bookbinding projects.
unfortunately I have no skills to make any of these, I can barely print a booklet and put a stapler in the middle, but I immensely enjoy watching your videos to get inspired!
These were so fun to watch... thank you! My family uses something called the Robinson Curriculum for homeschool and we print all of our own books. I don’t think I could do such an elaborate job as you did on this one but I will definitely be looking for more of your videos to see how you might do more basic book binding. I learned a lot for having never bound a book before! Thanks!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. The book I'd recommend getting started with is the Steifbroschuren with the French link and no supports and simple tipped on endpapers. The single section pamphlet binding is a good early project too. All the best, Darryn
czcams.com/video/PGcG2v4TXw0/video.html
Amazing
Tank you so much
Maestro!
Amazing, great skill, thank for posting this video, just wanted to bind my Bible, I am going to try with your ideas, God bless you
Thanks, and I wish you the best for you project! Darryn
Obrigada por ensinar essa técnica .
I want to try this style binding soon! This video was so helpful. Question, if I may: Did you paste the full endpage, or leave a 1/4in gap towards the spine?
I'm going to be attempting the split board style on my next book. I'm a complete novice. My question is, when you attach the end papers to the text block what happens to the 4th page? I see two are used to have the decorative end pages glued to them. One is used for creating the insert tab for the split back. What do you do with the 4th blank page? These videos are very good and I really appreciate all the hard work that goes into them. Keep up the great work!
If it's the one I'm thinking of, then nothing. It's just an extra blank page.
I just discovered your videos, and they are great. Would you be able to make a video about leather joints and leather hinges? I'm very interested and i haven't found any online resources at all. Thank you in advance.
There are some Guild of Book Workers videos that cover variations of this (on vimeo). I'm not a big fan as leather when pared very thin isn't very strong and does not last like other materials. But for fine binding it is expected, like silk thread, which also doesn't last. It is an advanced subject that goes with an advanced book, which is a lot of video work! I am sort of planning such a project to celebrate reaching 100 video which should be in about 4 months if I don;t burn out first:) Or, have a look at the last project, the buckram library binding. Imagine replacing the strip of cloth at the hinge of the endpaper with a thin strip of leather. The paste down looks just like a doublure and you wrap a guard around the outside of the endpaper and first/last sections and not sew through the endpaper. Good luck, Darryn
Amazing video, I just watched all 4 parts in one sitting and learned SO MUCH! Thank you for making these videos, they are invaluable.
I have a quick question. I have some Kangaroo leather that I'm making a set of books with (Not library Binding but I was watching this video for techniques for the corners and half leather binding)
I LOVE the lines you put in right at the end of the video with the sharp bone folder as accents. I have some scrap kangaroo leather and I thought I'd give it a go. However, when I do it, instead of getting those lovely dark grooves that you get I get a line that is Lighter than the surrounding leather and doesn't really last (I can rub at it and it fades leaving a very light line that isn't particularly pronounced.
Am I pushing too lightly? I feel like if I push harder I might tear the leather? Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?
I would start with more pressure. You can also moisten the leather a bit. But do all of it. Also check on the back turn-in first to make sure the leather doesn't go dark. I think more pressure will do it. Good luck! DAS
Great videos, sir! Thank you very much!
Do you use vegetable tanned kangaroo leather in this project?
Yes, veg tanned roo from a tannery in Brisbane. I've been told they are almost out of stock of "bookbinding" leather and don't plan to do any new runs until next year at the earliest. The drought has made quality skins hard to get and they are focused on their more profitable customers - expensive shoes and leather jackets. But if you are interested in their leather you should let them know. They might reconsider waiting so long if they know enough people want their product. So far I've not been happy with the roo leather I've got from any of the other tanners in Australia.
packerdirect.com.au/product/bookbinding-leather/
Awesome; I can't wait to try this project myself! I have very thin calf skin, .4mm. Would you recommend such leather for this, or something else?
Can't wait to see the book you make! I think keep the calf for another project. A feature of the library bindings is the thick strong leather and minimal paring. It doesn't require much leather. Hewit's have leather starter packs which would have pieces large enough for this project. And you get a nice selection of leathers to try out on other bindings.
Did you measure correctly, it's so thick, 4 mm ??? it's too thick,
from 4 mm you make belts, you don't use it for bookbinding,
but if it's 0.4 mm I think it's too thin, I think at that thickness it's better to go on goatskin
Is there a particular reason why you didn’t use head or tail bands in this project? I like the idea of a durable binding, but i also like the decorative aspect of the bands.
Also, is it possible to add strips of leather to the spine for false bands? Or would that negatively impact the strength of the binding?
Yes, the piece of cord that I put in the head caps end up sitting over the head and tail of the spine and would clash with an end band on the text. I think it looks really nice like this.
Yes, you could put false bands on the spine. Or you could sew it in real raised cords and fray the cords out and paste them onto the insert for the split board. Then it would have real raised bands.
Would sowing the leather to the cloth work?
If you are doing a full leather library binding, how do you keep it all moist while you are forming the spine and head caps? I'm concerned that it would dry out and make forming the corners tricky.
Keep wiping the leather with a damp sponge. I think I demonstrate that in the couple of full leather bindings I've done. DAS
I have a bit of a mystery binding question. I have a stab bound book of English poetry from the 1930s that has a hard case cover. It seems like a strange combination of styles to me and I can’t seem to find any information about it. The text block has a rounded spine so that it sits in the case correctly and the end papers are glued to it. The text block seem to be attached to the case with a bit of glue and mull just at the hinges. Have you ever come across this kind of binding?
Sounds a bit of an odd ball. There is probably an interesting history to it, if only it could tell it's sorry. In the 18th and 19th century I believe the sections of a book were sometimes very crudely with a simple stab binding and then put in a wrap around paper cover, like a paper back, but it was meant as a temporary measure until the customer had it rebound to match the books in their library, or whatever gentlemen did in that period. I've read that often the binder who did the final binding would sometimes not pull the original stab binding out, and they are sometimes found in books from this period. I've only read about these, never come across one in Australia. Your is a bit late for this, but may be a throw back. Certainly worth preserving in this original form. DAS
@@DASBookbinding thanks!
Could i use a different coloured book cloth instead of leather?
Maybe. I'd do a hollow spine if I used cloth on the spine. If you want a tight back with cloth I would line the spine a bit more to make it very smooth.
Thanks. I gave it a go and it worked! Can’t wait o try with leather it once i can get some.
Hello ! I don't understand an aspect, why bother with the canvas over leather ??? why don't you put on the cloth first and stick the skin over the cloth? I see no plausible reason for the canvas to sit over the leather and not the other way around, the leather over the canvas
If you try it you will know. You won’t get a nice straight clean edge on the leather for a start. There will be an issue around filling in - if this done. There is a functional aspect which is clearer in other styles. Been done this way for so long one must suspect it is for good reason. But always worth questioning these things. Maybe you’ll make the big break through like Brockman’s concave spine.
@@DASBookbinding I doubt you can get a clean, straight edge on leather, I've done this many times, and many others who work in leather, the problem I see is that this is probably how it was worked in antiquity and it continues. technique from inertia, now you really aspire to me and I will make a book in reverse of the tradition
😂😂😂