Micro knife slightly extended in its mechanical pencil holder.Micro knife fully extended.
This is the smallest knife available on the conservation market, with a .9mm width. The M2 steel blade retracts into a standard supplied mechanical pencil handle, so it can be retracted when not in use. The blade can be extended to about 20mm to reach into recessed areas. It has a double bevel, and can be used for cutting complex fills, working under magnification, miniature bookbinding, anywhere you need to make precise small cuts. Can be resharpened and stropped. Or the blade could be dulled to use as a micro spatula. The M2 steel blade is hardened to Rc 65. Just don’t mistake it for a pencil!
In this variant of sewing support extensions that I came up with, new thread is carefully looped in signatures and under or through existing cords, without having to lift the leather on the spine. Unlike joint tacketing, this method does not restrict the movement of the book spine at the shoulder.
I’ll be teaching this week long workshop for at Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana, March 9-13, 2020. The workshop will be devoted to a wide variety of contemporary book conservation techniques to deal detached boards, arguably the most common place books fail. There was much lively and informative discussion when I taught this two years ago at Emory University, and plenty of demonstrations and hands-on work time. The workshop details forty-six methods — although many are combined in practice — organized into five basic groups.
In this week-long intensive workshop, students will be introduced to a wide variety of current techniques used to conserve leather bookbindings. Book conservators, technicians, and bookbinders who wish to learn, expand, refresh their treatment skills are all welcome. Previous bookbinding or conservation experience is required.
Detached boards are the most common place leather bookbindings fail, and all five of the primary methods of treating this will be taught: mechanical sewing extensions and tacketing, inner hinge repairs, outer hinge repairs, interior-board repairs (both splitting and slotting), and several styles of rebacking. Many treatments involve a combination of these techniques. Questions concerning methods of consolidating older leather, the archival qualities of modern leather, and leather dyes will be discussed. A variety of methods to pare, consolidate, and lift leather will be introduced. Since a sharp knife is crucial to success in leather work, sharpening and easy ways to maintain a sharp edge will also be taught.
Participants should bring six to eight non-valuable leather bound books to practice on. It would be best to have a mix of tightback and books with hollows, and avoid case bound books. Skills to be learned include leather paring with a knife and paring machine, how various tools and machines for leather paring including a modified 151 spokeshave, and how to choose an appropriate lifting knife or tool for the task at hand.
There will be individual consultations with students before the workshop to discuss potential treatments for their chosen books, and determine if extra materials or tools might be required. Decision making based on the actual books brought to the class will be foundational.
The primary goal of this workshop is to equip participants with a more nuanced understanding of the pros and cons of currently practiced leather conservation techniques, gain supervised experience while performing them, and feedback when they are completed.
A mid 20th century Alvin 450, a triangle and engineers square, and some one sixth scale miniatures.
Proportional dividers are ancient tools, dating back to Roman era, though as late as 1955 some thought they were a Renaissance invention. The Alvin 450 is really handy when making miniatures, like the triangle and engineer’s square above, that I made for Fritz Otto Buchbinder. They allow you to quickly see and measure what a reduction in the actual reduction size would be. Using one is a much more intuitive than having to divide 100ths of an inch into something. But don’t get me started on numeric measuring!
Other uses are to convert a given length of line into equal parts, divide a circle into equal parts, and even generate angles. All of which are useful for bookbinders. The 450 can generate proportions down to 10:1 for lines, and 20 :1 for circles. A regular dividers can do these things, but it takes some set up time.
They make a great addition to my dividers collection. I found them at a flea market, still in a fake leather covered wooden box, with a nifty sliding pin latch, all for $10. They originally sold for $9.75, so they have held their value. New ones are still available, though considerably more costly, having a list price of $216, though commonly found for $132.
Obviously, though, one can never have too many tools. I’m still looking for a used 458 (10 inches long) and a 950 (stainless steel)….
Peachey Conservation 