Bookbinding at Home

As a papermaker, I have been interested in bookbinding for many years, and I am familiar with a good number of the books which have been published on the subject. Most of them leave a lot to be desired. Some are just not very well written and others make the subject so complicated that they put it beyond the reach of beginners.

I was therefore delighted to see this book when it first arrived from Denmark. Here at last was a well thought out description of the basics of bookbinding with simple, clear illustrations. The book does not demand a large range of complicated, specialist equipment; it recommends only the essential tools, some of which can be made at home.

Naturally, such a book does not set out to be a complete account of an ancient and highly skilled craft. When you have read it you will not be able to go out and rival the masters who have had years of training and even more years of experience. You will, though, be able to make a fair job of binding some of your own favourite books. (Some of the techniques described are not common practice in Britain but there’s no great harm in that.)

One word of warning. The techniques for repairing books described here are generally sound but no one should attempt to use them on old or valuable books without seeking advice from an expert.



Takes the beginner stage-by-stage through the complete process of bookbinding, each stage being explained in words and illustrated with clear diagrams.

The various styles of binding are described — from fully sewn quality full leather binding to the more basic ‘perfect’ binding — and a review of all the tools and equipment, as well as materials needed, is given. With this book you can begin a rewarding adventure into the fascinating and satisfying craft of book binding.