tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582585744614656229.post8131978154180168504..comments2024-02-19T09:19:13.164-08:00Comments on Bookbinder's Chronicle: Family Bible RestorationMHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05865432334906927871noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582585744614656229.post-33237226559299039442021-11-16T02:35:04.441-08:002021-11-16T02:35:04.441-08:00Thank youu for thisThank youu for thisCamilahttps://www.camilaperkins.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582585744614656229.post-85808766656206888002019-05-11T21:34:56.116-07:002019-05-11T21:34:56.116-07:00Thanks, MHR, I will email you soon. Yes, it's ...Thanks, MHR, I will email you soon. Yes, it's extremely satisfying to bring a well-worn, note-filled Bible back to life. The fact that it's beat-up and falling apart is proof enough of the use it's gotten and the value it has to its owner.<br /><br />And yes, I always straighten out all those folded-over page corners :-)Toddnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582585744614656229.post-306093556890260622019-05-11T18:14:09.675-07:002019-05-11T18:14:09.675-07:00Hi Todd,
I restore books with great monetary as w...Hi Todd,<br /><br />I restore books with great monetary as well as sentimental values, but out of all books I handle, I love restoring personal Bibles because I know they are the closest friends one can have and will be cherished by the owner everyday till he parts. It's an honorable task to fix someone's personal Bible even if it just needs a cover replaced. Make sure to iron every page which corners are creased/folded, though. Also, I often add new blank pages at the end of the Bible, so that the owner can write notes. As long as you treat them with the greatest consideration and respect as if you are handling a book worth thousand of dollars, you are fine. ;-)<br /><br />I think it's better to answer your questions via email. E-mail me at your leisure.MHRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05865432334906927871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6582585744614656229.post-40228155668965318872019-05-11T13:18:31.330-07:002019-05-11T13:18:31.330-07:00Good to see you back here! Tremendous work as alwa...Good to see you back here! Tremendous work as always. As a non-professional, but with a couple of decades of bookbinding experience and study, I feel a slight twinge of guilt reading your comments, wondering how a "real" bookbinder would view my work. Much of what I do is repairing, not family Bibles, but falling-apart personal Bibles, the object being to make them strong and usable again. They almost always get a new leather cover, along with repairing loose pages and sections, fixing tears, etc. While I'm always conscious of, and have used various traditional techniques, I often have to employ some ingenuity and expediency, and find myself asking, "How would MHR handle THIS?!" Alas, you're not around to ask...<br /><br />Not that I'm making excuses for the poor work previously done on this family Bible. I DO pare the turn-ins (however, with a homemade Scharffix-like parer and a replaceable-blade skiving knife, followed by titling, not with gold leaf and hand-held tools, but foil-stamped with an old tabletop KwikPrint machine -- see what I mean?).<br /><br />I do have a couple of questions, if you're willing:<br /><br />1) In the "before" pictures, it appears that there are a few loose pages. If that's what they are and not just inserted things falling out, did re-inserting them involve sewing? If so, I'll have another question later!<br /><br />2) Blending old and new leather: I imagine it involves much careful paring of edges, but then do you color the edges and apply some sort of finish overall? I've often marveled at how well you do this.Toddnoreply@blogger.com