Why Our Handcrafted Books Last a Lifetime (and Beyond!)

Want to know why our handcrafted books can last a lifetime and beyond?

Before the cover is crafted, there is a lot of work that goes into preparing the book block to get it strong and ready for the binding.  The short clip at the bottom of this post shows one part of the preparation of the book block before a new leather cover is made.  As you will see, the sections are hand sewn to form the basis for a strong, durable binding.

The completed sewn book block

This is a very simple sewing technique without sewing on tapes or using the sewing frame as I usually do.  It is the same technique that I teach in our Beginner's Bookbinding Workshops.  Even though this video isn't intended to be a tutorial as such, the different camera angles should give you a pretty clear idea of how to go about it if you want to give this style of binding a try.

Unlike a glued binding which will often come apart after the book has been used several times, a sewn binding (which is also glued later) can with proper care, last for a lot longer than the books owner!  For more information on looking after your books see this post on book care.

If you would like to learn more about bookbinding by taking part in our one day workshop please click here for further information.

 Hope this gives you some insight into the bookbinding process.  Enjoy!

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