Making A Medieval Book By Hand - Part 1 - Folding Pages, Endpapers, Piercing & Sewing

Hello everyone, and welcome to my bindery!

In this new in-depth video series I'll be taking on the challenge of making a medieval-style book. Follow along while I use traditional bookbinding techniques and a combination of historic and modern materials to craft a unique artisan book. This film has no speaking and a minimal amount of music for those who want to enjoy the peaceful simplicity of quiet hand-work. For those seeking insights into my materials and techniques, you can turn on subtitles to read my full commentary on the process as you watch!

The style of book I'm making is properly called a 'Gothic' binding. This type of binding was characterized by raised cords, wooden boards, leather covering, blind tooling, and metal clasps and corners. It was in use as early as the 14th century, and remained the standard technique in Europe well into the 17th century. Much of my knowledge of this binding was drawn from 'The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding' by John Szirmai, which I recommend if you are interested in further reading.

It is not my purpose with this book to make a 100% accurate historic reproduction using authentic period materials. That being said, much of the craft of traditional hand-binding has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, and the medieval binder would have found many of the tools and techniques to be very familiar. The single biggest anachronism is my use of synthetic PVA glue rather than period-appropriate animal glue. The second historic anomaly is my use of marbled paper, though it could be argued that the earliest European marbled papers of the mid 17th century do overlap with this binding style. The 'nonpariel' pattern I have chosen for the endpapers, though, dates from the 1820's, and so is distinctly out of place. But apart from those, virtually all of the other materials in this book would have been available to the medieval bookbinder.

In the next video I will glue the spine, trim and round the book, smooth, sprinkle, wax and burnish the edges, line the spine, and weave the endbands. If you enjoyed the film do consider subscribing so you won't miss future installments. Thanks for watching!

List of Materials

Text Paper: Fabriano Accademia 120 gsm drawing paper, 65 x 50 cm, long grain
Endpapers: Four Keys Book Arts handmade marbled paper, Fabriano Accademia 120 gsm drawing paper, red handmade paper
Thread: Undyed Linen 25/3, unknown brand
Cords: Leather, unknown type, roughly 3 oz/ 1 mm
Wax: Natural Beeswax
Glue: Mix of Acid-Free PVA and Methyl Cellulose, 3:2 ratio.

List of Tools

Paper Knife (made from an old kitchen knife)
Bone Folder (handmade in-house)
Scrap book board, various sizes/thickness
Pressing Boards (1/2" maple plywood, made in house)
Cast-Iron Book Press (Patrick Ritchie, Edinburgh, circa 1850)
Stainless Steel rulers, various sizes
Small Stanley Knife
Maple Laying Press (handmade in-house)
Small Carpenter's Square, unknown brand
Pencil (Blackwing)
Steel dividers, unknown brand
Lithography Stone (circa 1925)
Cotton Rag
Agate Burnisher
Piercing Cradle (handmade in-house)
Awl
2" natural bristle brush, generic
parchment release paper
blotting paper
Acetate barrier sheets, .01 gauge
Dahle Vantage 12e Guillotine (found at a thrift store)
Scissors
Bookbinding Needles
Sewing Frame (handmade in-house)
Brass H-Keys (handmade in-house)
Linen sewing tapes, 12 mm
Pins

Selected list of Suppliers (Not affiliated)

Bookbinding Tools & Materials: George Hill & Co. - https://www.georgehillco.com
Paper: Wyndham Art Supplies - https://www.wyndhamartsupplies.com/
General Hand Tools: Lee Valley Tools - https://www.leevalley.com
Writing Materials: Wonder Pens - https://www.wonderpens.ca
Agate Burnisher: Vintage Paper Co. - https://vintagepaper.co/

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Music Credits:

'Yonder Hill And Dale' by Aaron Kenny -    / @contactkennya  

'A Song Without A Name' by Poor Inked Endings - Listen to and support Poor Inked Endings here: https://noisetrade.com/poorinkedendin...

Image Source Bibliography:

'Fig. 21: Mediæval Book-Binding', from 'Gately's World's Progress', Edited by C. E. Beale. Édition de luxe, Boston : Gately & Co, 1886, p. 283.

'Fig. 8: 'Travail de la Reliure', from 'Procédés de la gravure (Nouv. éd)', Lostalot, Alfred de, A Quantin, Paris, 1882. p. 26