Book binding can be a rewarding hobby for anyone to undertake and requires only some very basic hand tools to get started. Making a basic book is not as complicated as one might image but does take a little time. Most of the time is spent waiting on the glue to dry.

Bookbinding starts with the folding of paper. Pages of paper are folded and combined to form what is referred to as a signature. These signatures are then sewn together to form the text block of a book. The text block is then reinforced with glue on its spine.

Sometimes the spine can be rounded before glue is applied this depends on whether you prefer the book to have a flat spine or a rounded spine. Covers called boards are then added to the book.

The boards of the book are attached with cords or bands that were sewn in during the sewing of the signatures to form the text block. If cords are used the book will have natural raised bands after the book has been covered with leather. The boards are then covered with cloth or leather.

The insides of the boards have end papers pasted in. These end papers are sometime marbled to give the book a traditional and unique look. The cover is then ready for any tooling that may be required.

Normally the tooling involves adding the title in gold or silver. This process is done with hand tools that are heated and pressed for a short time against the leather to form the imprint with the gold leaf design. The covers can also be blind-stamped with book binding tools to form intricate designs on the books covers.

Marcus Harbert has been a book arts enthusiast for some time now and is determined to keep the craft alive. To read more about bookbinding visit his website http://www.aboutbookbinding.com where he has added the entire contents of The Art of Bookbinding by Joseph Zaehnsdorf 1897 and Bookbinding and the Care of Books 1902 that can be found here: http://www.aboutbookbinding.com/Bookbinding-20.html He also has a directory for his free online crafts books that can be found at http://www.lostcrafts.com