Salutations and Endband Smut

 Do let's get started, shall we? I make books. Actually I make a lot of stuff but lately the focus has been on books. By lately I mean the least few years, but who is counting. When it comes to learning a craft well, it often takes far more than a few years. I am totally self-taught, which is not as awesome as it sounds. Although, did you ever notice that bookbinding workshops tend to be hundreds of dollars? Kind of a turn-off. I tend to rely on internet tutorials and books for reference and to learn new techniques. I will be sharing and reviewing a lot of these references for you.

Which leads me to the following complaint: where is a good tutorial on French endbands, ughhhh?Throw me a bone, or at least a rolled paper cone. That would be funny if you were also trying to learn French endbands. The photo above is an example of my latest attempt at French -style endbands with a double roll and front beading. The process for this is a modification of simple endbands but made on rolled paper cores rather than cord. The upside is that the threads move very cleanly along the core when you are wrapping, leading to a smooth finish. The downside is that paper lacks the flexibility of cords and therefore the endbands don't conform as well to the curvature of the book spine when it is closed. I still like how they look, but I want to learn more. Good old trial and error, here I come. Unless I do end up finding a good resource. You will be the first to know!

These pictures are of my latest book, available here https://www.etsy.com/listing/109725651/skeleton-hands-book-hardcover-leather