c/bookbinders

Binding family recipe collections feels like it's becoming a thing now.

Lately, I've had several requests for turning handwritten recipes into durable, beautiful books.

Pre-cut covers are everywhere in my local shops now. Half the binders call it a smart move, the other half say it ruins the craft. Where do you stand?

Repairing a worn journal with cheap adhesive left me uneasy.

A friend brought a damaged journal for a quick fix. They chose low-cost glue over stronger, lasting options. I finished the job but think it might fail soon. Is it ever okay to use poor materials to cut costs?

A customer's weird request left me scratching my head

This lady brought in a poetry book she wanted rebound, but she asked if I could use pages from her old tax returns for the endpapers. She said it would be poetic because the poems were about money and loss. I had to think hard about using private papers like that, even if she said it was fine. Part of me felt it was wrong to bind someone's financial info into a book, but she really wanted it. I ended up agreeing, but I blacked out all the personal details with a marker first. The book turned out okay, but I still feel odd about it. Like, what if someone reads it years from now and wonders about the scribbled-out numbers? It was a first for me, that's for sure.

Seeing a big jump in exposed spine binding requests from local artists.

Explaining bookbinding to my book club led to a huge argument about e-readers.

I was at my book club last week talking about our latest read. Someone said they only use e-readers now to save space. I mentioned I bind books as a hobby, and they laughed, saying it's a dead art. I told them that a well-bound book can outlive any digital file, using my great-grandfather's journal as proof. Things got heated when half the group agreed with me and the other half didn't. Now I realize most people don't get why we do this work. But if you ask me, handing someone a book you bound yourself means more than any download.

A pounding headache made me switch up my binding station lights

I always skimped on proper lighting to keep costs down. That awful migraine proved bright lamps are worth it for clear vision and steady hands.