Intermediate Bookbinding: Week 8

Scharf-Fix, the ultimate leather paring machine (unless you like another brand)

This past Wednesday was leather paring night, meaning that we spent all 3.5 hours of class time shaving off layers of our leather until it was thin enough to cover our books. 

Our evening began with some cookies for us early birds. Unfortunately, the rest of my evening was not as good as this cookie.

I gathered all the necessary tools (new blades, wrench, etc) and eagerly set to working using the Scharf_Fix, a leather paring machine that allows you to remove larger areas of leather than a paring knife does.

I did a quick test patch to see how much I was paring off before setting to work on my larger leather piece.

But... it wasn't long before I had made my first hole.

I pared away the damaged edge using my paring knife, shook off the mistake, and went back to work.

And it wasn't long before I had made my second hole. I continued on, determined to pare my first ever piece of leather, and wound up making 4 holes in all. The moral of the story is that leather paring is much harder than it looks or sounds, but I can't wait to get back and practice so I can develop the finesse needed for proper leather paring.

This apron covered with leather dust is from the first half of the evening, by the end of the evening, my classmates told me my whole face was covered in leather dust as well!

Intermediate Bookbinding: Week 3

Leather scraps

This past week, in my bookbinding workshop, after learning how to sew our own silk endbands, we practiced leather paring, with both paring knives and paring machines. I loved sewing the endbands, I happily would have sewn endbands for everyone in my class! The leather paring was a different story. It is very unlike anything I have done before, so, needless to say, after 3 hours of attempts at paring, I don't know that I'm any better than when I started. I am determined to become proficient but, I think it'll be a while before you see anything more than crumpled leather scraps from me.

Sewing an endband

Yay, a finished endband!

Getting down to business with my paring knife (on the wrong side of the leather)

A lot of unsuccessful starts

While I was still struggling with my paring my edges, one of my classmates was using a paring machine (it pares in wider strips, kind of like lawn mowing)

The goal for the night was to pare a thin strip of leather with our knives. The strips look like noodles; here's me and my first noodle!

Bookbinding, The Next Level

Hammer+knife=books?! Why yes, it does! In November I completed my first traditional bookbinding course learning 4 hard cover, multiple signature bindings covered with various book cloths and papers. Two weeks ago I moved on to the intermediate level where I will make only 2 books but learn a whole lot of other, more complicated binding techniques including rounding and backing (the part involving a hammer) and leather paring (the part involving a knife). Last week I successfully rounded and backed for the first time. This coming Wednesday I will learn to wield my leather paring knife--I'm so excited! Here are some photos from the first two weeks.

Once again our fearless class instructor is Juliayn Coleman. This one page handout makes it all seem so easy...

14 signatures (groups of folded pages) whoa, this is gonna be a big book!

End sheets. This purpley/pinkish color reminds me of the black raspberry ice cream at Peaches N' Cream in Litchfield, Connecticut (best ice cream ever).

Sewing stations punched

That kettle station (far right) is a little inconsisent up but I successfully sewed on frayed cords

In the job backer just waiting for me to mold it with the hammer. How else would I get a nice round?

Aw, yeah, look at that 'perfect' rounded spine. Well, perfect for a rounding and backing virgin, at least.