Bible Design and Binding

A Pitt Minion Rebound in Horween's #8 Shell Cordovan

"After reading you for about a month and looking at your photos," wrote a reader named Kate earlier this week, "I've concluded ... You are simply a leather freak. You love leather. Period." Guilty as charged. While I wouldn't say I only love leather, there's no question that it's near the top of my list. If we judge love based on action and not mere sentiment, however, there is one man whose love I can't compete with in any way, shape, or form. 

Vincent Ramirez has gone where no man has gone before, and he's taken his Cambridge Pitt Minion with him. Where? To world-famous Horween Leather in Chicago, perhaps the most exalted name in the tanning business. Horween has provided leather for top-drawer shoes, bags, and even footballs. But as far as I know, they've never provided the leather for a Bible binding.

Now they have.

And it's not just any leather, either. Vincent's Pitt Minion was rebound by Mechling Books using Horween's coveted #8 shell cordovan. For a certain type of leather lover, shell cordovan is the holy grail of hides. It comes from the "fibrous flat muscle (or shell) beneath the hide on the rump of the horse" (thanks, Wikipedia!) and "is prized for its toughness, longevity, and protective qualities." The way I've always heard it explained, shell's dense, smooth grain makes it very hard-wearing. Thanks to the way it takes dye -- somewhat unevenly -- you see fascinating color variation in shell cordovan as it ages.

DIY Bookbinding: Stripping Stiff Boards from an REB New Testament

In the 1990s, Cambridge produced a special New Testament to commemmorate a visit by the Queen, an edition of the Revised English Bible bound in red calfskin. The little volume remained available until a few years ago, but there was trouble matching the beautiful shade of red. The true red calfskin edition is one of my favorites -- a single column setting of a very readable translation bound elegantly.

Because of its scarcity, I went in search of duplicates. One to use, one to save, that's the theory. I ordered them online, and instead of getting the true red, I kept receiving a plum-colored burgundy calf. In addition to the change in color, the later edition cover was considerably stiffer. I ended up with four or five copies of the burgundy NTs. This week, I decided to rebind one.

I stripped the text block out of its cover with a razor knife, planning to discard the cover and put a simple hardback case binding on. But as I pulled apart the cover components, the plan started to change. When I'd pulled out the book boards, the calfskin turned out to be every bit as pliable as the more flexible edition of which I was so fond. The headbands and ribbon pulled away nicely, too. I saw an opportunity to re-use them. 

Let's pause a moment and consider how headbands and ribbons work. As you can see in the photo above, the headband isn't integral to the binding. Instead, it's pre-made and pasted on. This is typical of bookbinding these days. While it's possible to specially sew a headband, most binders simply attach them with glue, as shown. This is how ribbons are inserted, too. As you can see, the ribbon goes on first, then the headband is glued on top. The band of fabric to which they're attached is called mull; we'll talk more about that below.

Once the liners and boards were stripped out, this is what I was left with (above). The underside of the calfskin turned out to be bright red. Too bad it has to be hidden. The edges of the leather pulled right up, leaving the entire cover perfectly intact. I left the board on the spine for structure.

If you're wondering what I pulled out of there, here it is:

The culprit is on the right. That's the book board. It's a lot thinner and more flexible than the standard board used in a hardcover binding, but still too rigid for a little New Testament. A very stiff cover combined with a thin text block like this makes it particularly difficult to flip through the pages. Now we won't have to worry about that. On the left are the synthetic liners. 

And there's the text block (above). Removing the liners did take some of the front matter away. As far as I can tell, none of the signatures was compromised. A proper bookbinder would have pulled them apart, examined them, and resewn them. I'm just a crazy man with a razor, so none of that for me.

I didn't have the material (or for that matter, the skill) to rebind the book in the same way it came from the factory. My ability ends with the simple case binding. So the plan was to glue marbled end papers on either side of the text block, then paste them down on the leather. I'd have to make some modifications to the leather (a snip here and there) to accommodate the change. I should say right up front that this is going to result in a technically weaker binding than the book had before. Instead of vinyl pages holding the text block into the binding, it'll have marbled paper. But this is an experiment. To paraphrase a former defense secretary, you go to rebind with the materials you have.

Plus, I'm a sucker for marbled paper. Look at that stuff! You could hang it in a museum and call it art. Each end paper will be double the width of the text block. It'll fold in half before being glued in place. The actual gluing (below) is accomplished by screening off everything but the strip of paper you want the glue on. As you can see, the reverse of the marbled paper is bright yellow:

Now the end papers are attached. They aren't trimmed to the size of the text block yet. If we were binding a book from scratch, this would be no big deal -- the end papers would be trimmed to size when the text block was -- but since I'm using an already-existing block, I need to trim in closer. 

Remember the headband and ribbon? They're safely detached and waiting for re-use:

To apply them, I first need to cut a strip of meshy fabric called mull. This will be pasted down all along the spine (below) and then trimmed to size. 

With the text block weighted down, I paste on the ribbon and then place the headband above it, making sure everything's straight before it dries:

Now comes a step that wasn't captured on camera. It involved a lot of glue and cameras don't mix well with adhesive. Basically, I applied glue to the back of the end paper and pasted it down onto the calfskin binding. After that, I glued down the leather tabs and made sure they were nice and smooth.

To keep the glue from spreading moisture throughout the text block, some plastic sheeting went between the covers. Then the freshly glued book was weighted down again. I don't have proper laying and finishing presses, so I had to improvise along the way.

Glue takes time to dry. While waiting, I had some coffee and thought about how much nicer these photos would be if they'd been taken with a Leica. I was able to pass a surprising amount of time with these ruminations.

All done! The results aren't perfect, but I'm pretty impressed. I think the marbled paper looks fantastic. Tastes vary, I realize, and to you it might look like something was spilled on the Bible. The paper adhered perfectly to the leather, and the flaps closed down nice and tight. My modifications near the spine are a bit sloppy (I had to figure them out as I went, thanks to a lack of pre-planning). Still, mission accomplished.

I'm sure someone at Cambridge is having flashbacks of the 1970s right now!

So what we have is basically a paper-lined cover. There's nothing but a thin layer of marbled paper on the calfskin, which restores its natural suppleness. This isn't a limp cover, but with those boards stripped out, it's surprisingly similar to the true red counterpart. 

(And no, the spine isn't horribly misaligned, though it certainly looks that way in the photo above.) The fit and finish on this thing aren't as painstaking as I would like. There are a couple of things I'd do differently if I were executing this modification again. For example, I'd make the cuts to the leather later in the process, to ensure as little material as possible is removed. I would also make a die based on the text block and use it to trim the end papers before tipping them onto the text block. All in all, though, I'm happy with the outcome.

What do you think?

A Couple of Things to Share

Some Bible-related, some not. First, Joseph Nally was inspired by a rebinding project of mine to send his bilingual edition (RV60/NKJV) for a transformation featuring "unembossed, natural soft-tanned premium goatskin in delicious chocolate." I'm not sure how he knows the leather is delicious, and I was afraid to ask. But the whole story, along with some tasty (!) photos, is online here: Family Reflections: Bible.

Here's a teaser:

Thanks for sharing, Joseph! Now for a couple of non-Bible-related notes. In addition to writing the books listed in the right-hand margin, I occasionally publish other stuff which I like to share with my readers here. In this case, it gives me an opportunity to introduce some publications which, if you're not already clued into them, you should be.

BOOKS & CULTURE
The first is Books & Culture, the brainy review published by Christianity Today under the editorial direction of John Wilson. When my novel Back on Murder came out, they ran a favorable notice. Considering how big an influence B&C has been on me, you can imagine how pleased I was. Now I've had the pleasure of writing for them -- and about something I love, too: the novels of James Lee Burke. Follow the link and enjoy: "The Glass Rainbow" | Books & Culture.

BY FAITH
The second piece is a long article on "the theological value of noir fiction" published in the latest issue of By Faith, which is now available online. This one was quite a personal coup, too. If you've never heard of it before, By Faith is the magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America. Long before I was a presbyterian, I was impressed by the magazine. It's not what you expect when you hear the term "denominational publication." Not to mention, in the print edition, my contribution is listed just under an illustration of Tim Keller, which means I've finally managed to do something that impressed my wife! You won't see that online, but you will see a very film noir looking clip art man in his undershirt, tapping away at a typewriter: "Writing About Reprobation: The Theological Value of Noir Fiction" | By Faith.

AND FINALLY...
Every so often, I put together a piece about things tangentially related to Bible study -- notebooks, Filofaxes, sermon-writing. These posts have always generated interest, and I'm hoping to do more of this, especially in light of a "notebook epiphany" I've recently experienced. In preparation, I'd love it if some of you with obsessions along these lines would open up about them and share what you're using: tools, methods, etc.

Blank Bible Rebind Project by Paul Sawyer

David Ernest Sumrall did everything right. He started with an excellent edition. He went to an excellent binder. He got an excellent result. The photos speak for themselves:

 

David wrote to me about the project:

I stumbled across your blog one day and must admit I fell in love. There are few things that I enjoy in life as much as a good Bible to read. I have filled so many Bibles with notes that I can no longer find that I was completely intrigued by your blank Bible concept. I contacted Paul Sawyer and had him make three sets of blank Bibles for me based on the Cambridge single column NIV. I had one set  done in red for my wife, a brown set for a friend and a black with blue interior for myself. I thought I would send you the pictures. Paul did an excellent job and I am having so much fun. Thank you so much for the wisdom your website has presented. 

Here's how the exterior turned out:

 

Obviously, the NIV Single Column Text Bible was divided into three parts. Interleaving all that extra paper -- a blank page between each printed one -- would have increased the heft considerably, especially with thicker paper. The spines look great. With those raised bands and the crisp lettering, they'd look nice on a shelf of antiquarian volumes.

 

A single column text setting is ideal for the wide margin treatment, since you can make notes right beside the relevant passage. As you can see, the same principle applies to blank Bibles. The NIV Single Column from Cambridge is an ideal starting point for this kind of project.

 

 

    
If you search the site, you can find other examples of Paul Sawyer's work. I'd like to offer a special thanks to David for sharing the photos with us. This is an inspirational project, to be sure!
 

Deluxe Compact ESV in Tan Pigskin by Leonard's Book Restoration

I get a lot of e-mail asking questions along these lines: "I've just purchased the amazingly beautiful new Bible you recommended. Now how can I take care of this thing so it stays pristine?" Sometimes I'm tempted to suggest dropping it from a second floor window. Not because the sudden impact will preserve the cover's glossy sheen, but because the resulting damage will make the idea of "taking care of" your new Bible seem silly. 

Don't get me wrong: I understand the impulse. And share it. But the reason to invest in a quality Bible isn't so it can look shiny and new for years to come. You spend the extra so, when you don't take care of it, the thing won't fall apart. 

After all, if regular use turns into abuse and things get really bad, you can always have your Bible rebound. That's what I did recently, though in this case it was a preemptive rebind. I'll warn you now, it won't be to everyone's taste. But hopefully this will serve as a first-hand introduction to the subject of rebinding, and introduce you to an excellent rebinder: Leonard's Book Restoration. 

So what did I do? I had a Deluxe Compact ESV rebound in natural tan pigskin, simple as that. (In the photo above, you can see the result on top, compared to a vintage pigskin wallet below.) First let me explain why I chose the Deluxe Compact, and then we'll get to the pigskin.

For years now, by bang-em-up, go-everywhere Bible has been one of the original Compact ESVs rebound in tan calfskin, which my wife ordered for me from LeatherBibles.com as a Christmas present. It's a rugged little Bible, giving the lie to the notion that there's anything "delicate" about quality editions, requiring special love and care. 

But it suffers from a couple of drawbacks, the main one being that the text is smaller than a Cold War microdot. Now I happen to like small type, because it goes hand in hand with a compact Bible. But even I think there's a problem when I'm holding a book six inches from my eyes just to make out the words. Crossway agreed, which is why they introduced the Deluxe Compact, which is ever-so-slightly larger than the original, with a darker, easier to read font. The moment it came out, I decided to upgrade. Sadly, while the Deluxe Compacts feature sewn text blocks, there wasn't a calfskin edition available. To replace my stand-by, I'd have to have the Deluxe Compact rebound.

Leonard's Book Restoration

One of the things I try to do here is share information about Bible rebinding. We've shown off quite a few rebinding projects (and I have a backlog of new ones, just waiting for me to post), and I provide a list of Rebinding Links in the right-hand column to point you to various sources. Having a Bible rebound is an exciting process, opening up a world of possibilities, but as always, it's important to have realistic expectations. Our community is fortunate to be served by a number of skilled craftsmen, and I hate to see the quality of their work obscured by the disappointment that "it isn't perfect."

I've had a link to Leonard's Book Restoration for awhile now, but it wasn't until this morning (thanks to Matt Blair) that I discovered their blog, which includes this charming demonstration of what bonded leather sounds like when it rips! 

 

Proprietor Eric Haley, who's featured in the video, has written about why he doesn't like "floppy" Bibles. His rationale has to do with durability:

"So my case against floppy Bibles is this. To achieve it nearly always requires a very thin leather with no interior liner, and almost no glue to secure the end pages. Because it's so floppy, the reader is then tempted to fold the Bible over backwards while holding it. <wince!> This stretches the sewing, warps the spine, and/or breaks the glued binding. The end result is a short-lived Bible. Eventually, that result will reflect on the one who made it a floppy Bible in the first place."

It's no surprise that I value flexibility in a cover, so you might think reading this would induce a <wince!> in me. Not so. 

NKJV Thinline Rebound by McSpadden Bookbindery

Nick Potratz recently purchased an thinline NKJV and sent it to McSpadden Bookbindery for a rebinding. Here, in his own words, are the results:

I was browsing the latest selection at my local Christian bookstore a month ago, and I came across this Thomas Nelson NKJV thinline reference. It had a brown imitation leather cover, but what really got my attention was the superior sewn binding. In fact, I was really surprised to discover that most of the low-priced Bibles that I looked at that night had sewn bindings! I think they are finally catching on that they need to offer quality bindings now, even in the low-end products. Maybe this website is partly to blame!

Above: Nick's rebound NKJV nestled between two R. L. Allan's editions -- the Ruby KJV on top, and an NIV on bottom, both in highland goatskin.

I also really liked the verse-by-verse layout, because I need this format while following along with teachings, as well as sermons at church. So I purchased the NKJV Bible ($24) with the full intention of having it rebound by McSpadden. I had seen the photos of the NASB New Testament that Alan Cornett sent in to Mark, and was impressed with the color of the caramel calfskin that they used.

NET Bible Rebound by McSpadden

Brian Fox decided to send his print copy of the excellent NET Bible to McSpadden Bookbindery for an overhaul. (If you don't know about the NET Bible already, do yourself a favor and check it out: print editions / online edition.) I'll let Brian tell the story in his own words -- set off, as always, in italics:

I have been a fan of the NET Bible for several years now. One thing that prevented me from being too excited was the "premium" bonded leather. It wasn't quite premium enough. I had paid $50 or so for it, and was considering replacing it with a $100 top grain leather edition. I had two problems with that idea. The first is that I would still be stuck with a bonded leather Bible; I could put it into a box and try to forget it, but that doesn't work, and its sewn binding seemed to almost call to me. The second problem I had was that I wasn't too sure that the top grain leather would be tops, and I realized that I could solve both problems for $100 at McSpadden, and I would get nice black calfskin.

The whole process took about a month, and I am very happy with what I got. I sent my Bible off, and shortly after they received it, I received a phone call from Corry McSpadden. He's really easy to work with, and he didn't nickel and dime me. Raised bands, semi yapp (he calls it turned edge), extra lines of imprinting on the spine, and imprinting my name did not add to the cost of the rebind. This rebind would have cost $128 at Mechling, and it would not have the semi yapp cover. I am happy with my Mechling rebind, but I like the semi yapp a lot, and Mechling doesn't do that.

Spanish Bible: "Dios Habla Hoy," Rebound by Abba Bibles

We've already seen three of Cristian Frano's editions bound by Abba Bible, and here comes the fourth and final one. It's the Bible Cristian uses for preaching, study and everyday reading.

As I said before, in each of these posts, I'll begin with Cristian's description, then share the photos. The captions are written by me. So with no further ado:

Spanish Bible "Dios Habla Hoy"

This Bible is the "Dios Habla Hoy" translation (like the CEV in English), made by the United Bible Societies directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. This is the best Bible I know to share the Word of God with non-believers, because it's easy to understand and is very fine in its language.

March was my birthday month, so I gave myself a gift! I sent a copy to Mexico (yes, from Argentina...!), and they rebound it for me in my favourite color: blue! I love this Bible, and nowadays it is my primary Bible, which I'm using in preaching ministry, study and everyday reading.

It's Smyth-sewn and bound in blue calfskin with leather linings, red under gold page edges, and two ribbon markers. My name is embossed in gold on the cover.

-- Cristian Franco

Above: It's always risky to judge from photos alone, but this one looks especially soft to the touch.

TNIV Reference Bible Rebound by Mechling

Jeremie Wade sent me a detailed write-up and a host of pictures of his TNIV Reference Bible, rebound by Mechling Bookbindery. The fact that the TNIV Reference Bible features a Smyth-sewn binding makes it an ideal candidate for a rebinding, so Jeremie had the bonded leather cover stripped off in favor of Chocolate Katsina goatskin. Let's take a look at the results!

Jeremie writes: I'm a long time reader (but lurker!) of your blog. I wanted to share a rebind experience with you.

I'm a big fan of the TNIV but haven't found a good edition (I'm not alone in this). But the new single-column, cross-reference edition is great. It's not as compact as I'd like, but that isn't a show-stopper.

My plan all along when purchasing this edition of the TNIV was to have it rebound. With a lot of research and help (Matt Morales!) I mailed off my TNIV to Mechling Book Bindery for a nice new paint job.

Here's what I asked of Mechling:

1. Deluxe Package (includes goatskin, leather lined cover, raised bands). The deluxe package also comes with two ribbons. I asked for three and upon seeing the bill, I noticed he didn't charge me for the 3rd ribbon! Great guy, that Al Mechling...gotta love him.

2. I requested a brown leather goatskin. But instead of the standard goatskin, I also asked to upgrade the leather. Al advised that I should get a Chocolate Katsina goatskin. You can view the leathers here.

3. The original bible had a silver gilt to it. Silver + Brown = Not so good. Sooo I asked him to trim it off. I would have LOVED for Mechling to re-gilt it, but it was not an option.

4. I also asked for "TNIV" and "Mechling Bookbindery" on the side.

So, the final product can be seen in some photos below. The worst thing about the rebind is the lack of gilt and being able to see where the blade trimmed the page edges. You'll see the striations in some of the photos. I really tried to capture it in the pics.

Overall, I love the Bible, it is very flexible and very durable. I've handled a Mechling rebind with the standard goatskin, and I have to say this Katsina upgrade was the best choice I made. The photos do not do it justice. I'd recommend the leather to anyone.

And now the photos: