Tag: bookbinding tools

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Temple Thorold on Quality in Tools

“Good tools are necessarily expensive, nevertheless our apprentices must use none but the best; for in the end they are the cheapest. Always remember the old and true saying, “A workman is known by his tools.”  A good workman may do a tolerable job with indifferent tools, but a beginner should never attempt to use any but first-class implements, or he will never become a first-class craftsman. If you use bad tools, and try to cast the blame of bad work on them, recollect that “A bad workman always complains of his tools.” A really clever mechanic cherishes his reputation far too highly to allow his tools to lapse into an inefficient condition; therefore, next to his character, the honest workman prides himself, and justly so, on the superior quality of his tools.”      -Temple Thorold, Out Workshop, 3.

Temple Thorold may not be a household name, but his book, Our Workshop: Being a Practical Guide to the Amateur in The Art of Carpentry and Joinery is the earliest (I think) woodworking manual written for or marketed to amateurs. Gary Roberts, publisher of Toolemera Press, who reprinted and sells this book, writes:  “Our Workshop is taken from Routledge’s Every Boy’s Annual where it was serialized, along with Thorold’s serial on wood turning. Only Our Workshop became a book. Both were serialized in 1866 and 1867.”  Keep in mind the earliest bookbinding manual I have found written for amateurs is Crane’s Bookbinding for Amateurs from 1885, over 20 years later.

Of course I have a vested interest in selling high quality tools, but Thorold makes several valid points.  Many getting into a craft fear they might not stick with it, so purchase cheap tools, thinking they might buy better ones later, once they are “good enough” for them.  Not only does this make learning the craft almost impossible, but cheap tools are almost worthless on the second-hand market. High quality ones maintain their value. Additionally, high quality tools are much more pleasureable to use: isn’t having fun a big reason why we choose a hobby in the first place?

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Scalpel for Book and Paper Conservation

scalpel

In book and paper conservation, there are many times when a substance or material needs to be mechanically removed or scraped off. Standard scalpels with replaceable blades are ok for cutting, but less than ideal—even dangerous—for scraping. The blades are very thin, flex unduly, and are easy to break where they slide into the handle. The blades often stick out wider than the handle, making them uncomfortable if you choke up close to the cutting edge. Older surgical and dissection scalpels are useful, but often are flat or hollow ground which is not great for slicing thin layers and scraping.

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This precision instrument has a convex bevel which helps it to skate along the surface of a substrate, lessing the change of digging into it.  The shape of the cutting edge allows it to be comfortably held either at a very low angle or a higher, 45 degree one (similar to holding a pencil). This knife can be used for delicate lifting or separating adhered materials, and is very useful for removing encrusted glue on spines. Depending on the angle you hold the knife, the cutting edge can be a barely above the surface, and the knife rests on the rounded side bevel.

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The convex bevel creates a very durable edge that can be used for chipping hard glue, etc. The steel is softer than my paring knives, making it less brittle and easy to strop. The thread wrapped handle and carved hardwood handle make it comfortable for working long periods of time, even if your hands start to sweat.

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The sides of the blade are carefully rounded to make it comfortable to hold and well balanced to use. The high carbon steel is hardened to between Rc 50-55, is 1.5 inches long (40mm) and 1/16 inch (1.5mm) the hardwood handle 5.5 inches (140mm) long.  The knife is about .5 inches wide at the widest part. Overall length about 7 inches (180mm) and weighs .7 oz (20g), though the weight varies and depends primarily on the species of the wood handles. The current batch has Lignum vitae handles.

ITEM # WS: $175.00

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Big Bamboo Folders

Finally, the perfectly shaped bamboo folder?!?

Hand tools, in particular, need to be tested and evaluated by using them. A poor design aspect quickly becomes apparent. The simpler the tool, the more critical each aspect is. And tools don’t get much simpler than a smooth bone or wood folder.

Folders are used by bookbinders to fold paper, smooth covering materials, shape leather, and evenly adhere various covering materials. Bone, ivory, teflon, and sometimes wood, are the usual materials for western style folders.  Teflon has an extremely low coefficient of friction, making it ideal when you want to slide the tool over a surface that you don’t want to mark. Bone has a density and feels—for lack of a better term—traditional. I especially recommend the higher quality ones made by Jim Croft from wild elk and deer. Bamboo has been used in the east for many purposes. It has a higher coefficient of friction to it which makes it useful for pulling a covering material. A light touch or protective covering sheet must be used if marking is suspected to be a problem.

Bone folders —like most tools— have become smaller over time (technically known as ‘dinkification’).  Evidence from the eighteenth century France suggests folders, commonly wood at this time, may have been 12 -18 inches long.  The bamboo folders I’ve been experimenting with are a more modest  9-10 inches, though.

I keep tweaking and altering small aspects of these folders with successive iterations. The long straight sides can be used like a case folder, for turning- in. The flat areas at the pointed end are useful for pressing and forming headcaps. The angled tip useful in box making. The rounded end handy when defining joints or adhering board edges. The relatively long length makes them more comfortable to hold. This is the theory, at least. Quite likely there is no ideal shape, but what we prefer and use changes with our working habits. Or we choose tools to break us out of habituated working methods.

Bamboo is quite easy to shape and fun to work with.  I’ve written up some tips on working with it in an earlier post. If you discover the perfect shape, please let me know. I’ve already started on the next one, which will certainly be the absolutely most perfect….