Expert guide to creating fine books by hand. Thorough, detailed instructions, with over 270 helpful illustrations, cover materials, tools and equipment, making a slipcase, rebinding an old book, and more. Also includes 8 specific projects: dust jacket; blank book, single signature; folio; manuscript binding; music binding, and 3 others. Introduction.
Hand Bookbinding: A Manual of Instruction
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
200 of 201 people found the following review helpful
By R. Watts
Format:Paperback
I have several books on bookbinding but have not found a single book with all of the information I need. This book comes the closest but is weak on doing leather covers, split covers, and alternative sewing methods. The Craft of Bookbinding by Manly Banister covers those subjects nicely but does not help you on making tools, which this book treats reasonably well. I recommend you obtain both of these books for a complete treatment of bookbinding in a fair amount of detail. I'm still looking for that all-encompassing book, though...
133 of 133 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The author covers the basic skills of hand bookbinding using clear, concise language and illustrations. He shows you how to build your own equipment using elementary woodworking skills for a small fraction of the cost of commercially made equipment. I have built all of my own equipment based on his plans and have successfully used it to bind books. Several example bookbinding projects are covered step by step. I found the chapter on binding manuscripts particularly useful for binding some academic work. The headbanding chapter is quite interesting as it explains how to add to the aesthetic appeal of your book as well as its structural integrity. I think that this is one of the best how-to manuals that I have read on any subject. I highly recommend this book for those wanting to get started in bookbinding with a small investment. Building your own equipment and binding books with it is quite a rewarding experience.
78 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book, and "The Craft of Bookbinding" by Manly Banister, on the advice of other reviewers. These two books really compliment each other. This book has great, easy to follow instructions for binding books in several different styles, as well as instructions for making slip covers and boxes for boxing sets of books. There is a chapter on making many of the basic bookbinding tools you will need. The illustrations that go with the instructions are large, clear, and easy to follow.
The book by Banister has instructions for making some tools not included in this book. In addition, Watson makes the statement that "perfect bound" books, which include most of the trade paperbacks we own, cannot be rebound. Banister, on the other hand, has a ten page section on perfect binding, and how to rebind your favorite paperback.
Aldren Watson has put together a wonderful book, clear, easy to understand, clearly illustrated, and depending on what you are trying to accomplish, it may be the only one you ever need. I gave it four stars only because it did not cover "perfect binding".
Buy both books and you should be able to tackle just about any bookbinding situation that comes up.
The book by Banister has instructions for making some tools not included in this book. In addition, Watson makes the statement that "perfect bound" books, which include most of the trade paperbacks we own, cannot be rebound. Banister, on the other hand, has a ten page section on perfect binding, and how to rebind your favorite paperback.
Aldren Watson has put together a wonderful book, clear, easy to understand, clearly illustrated, and depending on what you are trying to accomplish, it may be the only one you ever need. I gave it four stars only because it did not cover "perfect binding".
Buy both books and you should be able to tackle just about any bookbinding situation that comes up.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Informative
My first book on book binding and I really liked it. It is easy to understand for a novice. Looking forward to trying it out. Recommended.
Published 4 months ago by Tracy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really great book especially for the beginner.
Very clear illustrations, 273 of them , large, clear ilustrations, and explicitly written insturctions every step of the way ,clearly written and easily understood. Read more
Published 6 months ago by bas bleu
5.0 out of 5 stars
Useful!
An incredibly detailed and useful, no frills, guide to bookbinding. Much more in-depth than a lot of the more contemporary bookbinding books out there that focus on decoration,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Deary
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent basic guide to classic bookbinding
It's exactly what I wanted. A very comprehensive guide to the original method of bookbinding. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I look forward to making books with this... Read more
Published 22 months ago by S. M. Cox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Book Binding
This is a great "Book Binding" book. The book has great illustrations, along with simple to understand explanations. Read more
Published on May 11, 2010 by George E. Collins
4.0 out of 5 stars
First-rate practical guide
Good clear illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions make this a first-rate PRACTICAL guide for the novice book-binder and probably for those with some book-binding... Read more
Published on February 5, 2010 by Dino
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hand Bookbinding
This book is very helpful and has step-by-step instructions accompanieed by diagrams. It also explains why you need to do certain things, such as mark the signatures, so that... Read more
Published on September 2, 2009 by J. Kunz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hand bookbinding
My fault - I had hopes that it would contain a hand method for tape-binding small booklets. Should have looked further.
Published on August 30, 2009 by C. Cameron
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Resource
I recently took a course on coptic bookbinding and want to continue with the craft. I looked for books that provided clear instructions for this art as well as covering other... Read more
Published on February 24, 2009 by Bonnie Brody
5.0 out of 5 stars
hand bookbinding
this is a classic book - get it if you find the one that is published in 1963 - i think that is it - they are roman numerals in the copyright!! Read more
Published on October 6, 2008 by Aneesah Mcnamee
