I fairly recently bought a large leather note book for noting down notable things.
I really love it. It's the smell of the parchment, the touch of the coarse suede, the deep burgundy of the cover... And it made me want to try my own hand!
My sister hand-makes paper, so that isn't a problem. Nor is the leather cover and tooling a problem (although I think I will keep this first one pretty simple). What I'm puzzled about is how to put the two together!! I've never bound a book or anything before, so if some of you more experienced people could point me in the right direction, great! How exactly is it done?
Notebook.
Notebook.
Life before Death.
Strength before Weakness.
Journey before Destination.
Re: Notebook.
You are in luck! My Lady Brandwyn happens to be a book maker in the SCA and I am sure she can teach you both period and modern ways to do so, or point you to the right sources. I will have her post here or you can address any particular questions for her to answer if you like. 
~Ringulf
~RingulfI am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed!
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed!
-
Peter Remling
- Athel Dunedain
- Posts: 3735
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:20 am
Re: Notebook.
I did it once, not traditionally and without looking it up. It actually came out looking good. I took regular paper (substitute your sister handmade paper).
I made several piles of paper, folded each pile in half. Then trimmed each pile so the edges matched.
Next step was to punch and stitch each pile to a piece of canvas. I attached the canvas to two pieces of composite board. Heavy grade leather or stiff cardboard will work also. I then covered the front and back pieces with softer leather and decorated the cover.
As I was making a book (children's style storybook) I had already printed the text and added pictures before making the piles and trimming the edges.
I'm interested in how it should be done also.
I made several piles of paper, folded each pile in half. Then trimmed each pile so the edges matched.
Next step was to punch and stitch each pile to a piece of canvas. I attached the canvas to two pieces of composite board. Heavy grade leather or stiff cardboard will work also. I then covered the front and back pieces with softer leather and decorated the cover.
As I was making a book (children's style storybook) I had already printed the text and added pictures before making the piles and trimming the edges.
I'm interested in how it should be done also.
Re: Notebook.
Hooray! I actually finished it quite some days ago, but the internet has been down so couldn't post.
To be honest, I didn't look up how to do it (being an impatient youth) and just followed instincts.
It is very crude looking... and well it was crude in the making too. But I like the crude look. You know, things don't need to look perfect every time; I'm sure there were plenty of not very good notebooks made in the days of yore too!
But anyway, I'm pleased with it as my first one, and the second one should look much better, with me being higher up the learning curve of notebook-ing.
There are two sections of 14 full pages each. Thinking again I should have divided the paper into four groups rather than two.
This paper, although a bit awkward to write on, feels lovely.
The pages are just sort of stitched on with leather thread. I did have some problems of it cutting into the paper. Thicker thread next time, perhaps?
The cover is red-brown 6oz (?) leather. I burned the edges to give it a crude finish. It's just plain at the moment, which adds to that sort of look, but might emboss something at a later date.
Et voila! Criticism much appreciated. Fire away.
To be honest, I didn't look up how to do it (being an impatient youth) and just followed instincts.
It is very crude looking... and well it was crude in the making too. But I like the crude look. You know, things don't need to look perfect every time; I'm sure there were plenty of not very good notebooks made in the days of yore too!
But anyway, I'm pleased with it as my first one, and the second one should look much better, with me being higher up the learning curve of notebook-ing.
There are two sections of 14 full pages each. Thinking again I should have divided the paper into four groups rather than two.
This paper, although a bit awkward to write on, feels lovely.
The pages are just sort of stitched on with leather thread. I did have some problems of it cutting into the paper. Thicker thread next time, perhaps?
The cover is red-brown 6oz (?) leather. I burned the edges to give it a crude finish. It's just plain at the moment, which adds to that sort of look, but might emboss something at a later date.
Et voila! Criticism much appreciated. Fire away.
Life before Death.
Strength before Weakness.
Journey before Destination.
Re: Notebook.
Very Nice!
A worthwhile and useful project!
If you learn from the experience then each one will become better and better. As it stands though there will always be a special love for the first, as it is an altar to your creation, a begining place that you will look back on after your 100th book!
~Ringulf
A worthwhile and useful project!
If you learn from the experience then each one will become better and better. As it stands though there will always be a special love for the first, as it is an altar to your creation, a begining place that you will look back on after your 100th book!
~Ringulf
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed!
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed!
-
Peter Remling
- Athel Dunedain
- Posts: 3735
- Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 4:20 am
Re: Notebook.
It came out very nice and certainly is distinctive. It also looks of a size to easily fit in your pack.
Re: Notebook.
Great first job. I especially love that paper! It just looks luxurious!
“Courage is found in unlikely places.†-J.R.R. Tolkien