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Basic Bookbinding
Beginners and experts alike can benefit from this remarkably easy guide. It starts with a complete list of necessary materials and tools. Step-by-step instructions and more than 260 photos show how to collate a book, sew it, back it, trim it, and then how to make boards and attach them to the book.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 22, 2008
This book is so British and boring. It's all about the "proper" way to bookbind, which is great: I believe you have to know the rules to effectively break them. BUT I couldn't get through the proper way to do it. The book is marketed for those who have no previous experience (that would be me), but they just dropped me in there and I didn't get it. The sequence didn't make any sense to me.
Sample: "All imitations should be avoided as they are merely a form of deception; the frank use of a material in its natural state, making the most of its own particular qualities, is much to be preferred." "The distance is best measured by means of a pair of dividers but accurate measuring with a ruler is quite sufficient."
Sample: "All imitations should be avoided as they are merely a form of deception; the frank use of a material in its natural state, making the most of its own particular qualities, is much to be preferred." "The distance is best measured by means of a pair of dividers but accurate measuring with a ruler is quite sufficient."
June 17, 2026
Says it’s for basic book binding but then talks about materials that cost thousands of dollars to get. Is very pretentious and says substitutions of materials will cause the books to be inferior - lol. I know a small bit about book binding already and this book is wild.
June 15, 2018
I keep this in my box of book mending gear, and read as needed.
June 28, 2011
A beginners guide on the repair of damaged books. Contains clear directions and illustrations as well as descriptions of materials. A must for anyone with a personal library that might contain old or salvaged works and those wanting to preserve their books.
January 23, 2009
Eh... pretty elementary in my opinion.
March 29, 2012
Very informative, but hardly basic. If you have a couple of grand to splash on equipment, this is great, otherwise, you might want to look elsewhere for inroads into the craft.
February 21, 2015
Decent case binding instructions. Appendix includes simple, brief lists of steps for each bookbinding technique, which of course I put on index cards instead.
March 26, 2009
There are many more recent bookbinding manuals out there.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews