How To Repair Bible Binding

A topic of perennial interest at Bible Design Blog has been bookbinding. My own efforts to learn the craft take led to relatively dismal results, though they've taught me a great deal about how books are fabricated, and how hard information technology tin can exist to make them well. Recently Matthew Everhard took upwards the challenge, and after seeing some of his early results I reached out to see if he would share his story with us. Off-white warning: if yous linger over the pictures and follow the links, you lot may find yourself skinning the neighbor'south burrow and trying your hand at a little recreational binding! -- JMB

THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO BIBLE REBINDING

by Matthew Everhard

There is no book called The Complete Idiot'south Guide to Bible Rebinding, just if such a book is ever to be written, I have a feeling that I may inadvertently be its protagonist.

Let me tell yous my story.

I got into Bible collecting as a hobby a couple of years agone, due largely to this very blog. Searching for a new ESV, I came beyond Mark'southward reviews of the (and so) new Legacy Heirloom edition by Crossway. I barbarous in honey with the photography every bit well as Marking's writing, and began breaking the Tenth Commandment regularly—a sin that I take repented of many times.

Mark's site, of course, led me to other bully editions by Cambridge, Schuyler and the like, including my Wide Margin ESV, which has now get my mainstay. With great paper, goatskin leather, a flexible binding and a gorgeous overall appearance, my Cambridge Bible became the dearest of my life. (Next to my married woman, I should land clearly).

AN Idea IS Built-in Equally many of yous collectors already know, this is an expensive hobby. Very expensive. As a local church building pastor, my income steam is sufficient, only non improvident. That led me to the idea of Bible rebinding. If you could buy a Bible (cheap) and then cloak it with a goatskin comprehend, what is there to lose?

Rebinding, of grade, can be an first-class way to turn any regular Bible into a super-Bible. My friend Matt Bassford wrote an article about how to get one washed in calfskin for as little as $75. But even and then, if you lot get-go picking up the fancy options, a good rebind can easily ready you back triple digits.

And so then I had an idea. Every bit Dr. Suess once said, "a terrible … awful thought." I'll begin rebinding Bibles myself! Afterwards all, how hard could information technology be?

The tools are simple plenty, sure: a razor blade, some Aileen's tacky glue, a carpenter's square, a cut mat to preserve the kitchen tabular array, and a $12 leather skiving pocketknife that I bought from Asia. This dangerous implement is complete with actually cool characters that I believe are loosely translated: "Warning: white guy with a sharp blade!"

LEATHER FOR PRACTICE What about the leather, yous ask? Quality leather is the sine qua non of a good rebind. Thankfully, there are a number of keen places to order loftier quality leather, such as eBay or Springfield Leather. The central here is to get a proficient calfskin or goatskin leather, somewhere in the neighborhood of 1-two ounces in thickness. Anything more than than that will be too thick to fold well, and yous will have to use that skiving knife a lot more than than you want to. A good uncut, pre-dyed goatskin will run y'all about $30 - $40, so endeavor not to mess up a lot. (On that ominous note, see more beneath.)

I am cheap. If I didn't mention that before, now would be a adept time to bring that upward. I wanted yards and yards of complimentary leather to use for do then I could afford to brand the predictable beginner'south mistakes. And I found that leather—in my neighbor'south trash one night.

When my block-buddy recently threw away his huge, 2-piece soft leather couch, I knew I'd struck gilded. My wife Kelly and I brought the couch home—with my friend's permission, of course—and skinned that thing like a domestic creature bred just for its supple hide.

As a result, I now own dozens and dozens of foursquare feet of rich, red-dark-brown leather that has been worn to a soft comfortable country.

BOOK BLOCKS FOR PRACTICE With a total investment still nether $50, I was ready to begin with i more stop: the church lost and institute. There, nosotros take several dozen Bibles that take been missing their owners for many months. I checked through the pile and found a few one-time beaters that didn't take any identifying marks, annoying name stamps on the comprehend, or personal items inside. In fact, I chose some of the ones that really did demand repair, so that in the happenstance that the possessor reappeared, they would thank me for the work.

HELP FROM A MASTER The smartest move that I fabricated was contacting a true master before kickoff. Although there are many professionals that do Bible rebinding (Leonard's Books, AA Leather and others come to mind), I contacted a immature artisan from California who does cute work—right out of the shed near his habitation. I've written about Diego Caloca hither, and you lot actually should cheque out his stunning work. Diego kindly transport me the 40-step pictorial procedure that he uses, and I was glad to follow his lead without reinventing the wheel. He'due south made himself bachelor to give me tips and pointers when necessary, and I appreciate the help greatly.

THE Piece of work BEGINS I rainy Florida evening, my wife and I ready out together to become Bible rebinders. We made our first cuts, and laid our first glue line. Allow me tell you that it is much harder than it looks. If there is ane rule of Bible rebinding that you should be aware of before you lot begin, it is this:

There are more than means to make mistakes than there are to succeed.

Believe me, we have made every error 1 can peradventure brand. (I call up.) Nosotros have cut too much off and we have left likewise much on. Nosotros have cut too jagged and as well straight. We have made our yapps too brusque, and nosotros accept fifty-fifty fabricated i that looks like some kind of alien brute. Nosotros have gotten glue on the gold folio edges, and not enough mucilage on the liners. If there is a style to ruin a Bible, I've done it. I'd show yous the pictures, but I'one thousand afraid you'd unfriend me on Facebook.

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Logically, I suppose, if we proceed learning and making those rookie mistakes, we volition eventually amend enough to the point where nosotros can be content with our work. Equally husband and married woman, we have spent several skilful, quality evenings together rebinding Bibles, which is always ameliorate than watching reruns of The Carbanaro Upshot .

Will nosotros always exist professional Bible rebinders like Leonard'southward or master artisans like Diego? Probably not. But we do promise to ameliorate just enough to evidence off a few good looking Bibles at our church's craft evidence this fall.

And one day, perhaps I can even author The Complete Idiot'due south Guide to Bible Rebinding.

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Matthew Everhard is the Senior Pastor of Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church building in Brooksville Florida. He is the author of Concord Fast the Faith: A Devotional Commentary on the Westminster Confession of 1647 and a few other shorter books. You tin read more by Matthew at AChristianManifesto.com.