🔧6 Essential Tools to get started bookbinding
My roundup is a list of tools to get you started on bookbinding
One of the biggest hurdles to starting your bookbinding journey is having the right tools. It can often be daunting especially since bookbinding is a niche craft.
First things first, you’ll need…
1. Bone folder
A bone folder is used to create sharp, crisp folds in your signatures (sections of the paper that are held together in the binding process). It’s typically made from bone and dull-edged because the smooth texture keeps it from scratching or ripping leather and paper.
For use, just drag it along the signature folds to create sharp, neat creases.
2. Awl
An awl is a sharp tool that’s used to create holes in paper, bookboard, and leather. There are different sizes, the thinner one is best for smaller holes and the thicker one is used for more heavy-duty material such as leather.
3. Bookbinding Needle
There are different types of needles that can be used, but the most common one is the curved needle which makes it easier to get through the stitches, especially for the coptic stitch.
4. Stainless Steel Ruler
A ruler made from stainless steel is handy for cutting paper without damaging the ruler since the cutting tools tend to be very sharp. It’s recommended that the ruler also has a finger guard and a non-slip grip.
5. Utility Knife
An all-purpose utility knife for cutting bookboard and paper edges.
6. Cutting Mat
A self-healing cutting mat can really save your table surface from any damage. They’re typically made from layered PVC and are pretty durable for all your cutting projects.
These are just recommended tools and depending on which type of binding you are doing, the list may be shorter or longer.
📚 Projects I’ve Been Working on…
Last week I attended a workshop at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center and created a beautiful leather book with a wrap-around closure, and a button to keep it in place. It was my first time working with leather and we bound the book using the long stitch method (I’ll cover this method in a future post).
It was a great experience, I highly recommend attending a workshop if you have one near you.
✨ I hope you found this list helpful. Stay tuned for my next edition where I list some materials needed for your first bookbind.