Hand-Binding 'A Christmas Carol' - Part 2 of 3 - Weaving Endbands, Cover Boards & Preparing Leather

Hello again everyone! As promised, here is part 2 of my one-off gift edition of 'A Christmas Carol'. In this installment you'll see me weaving the silk head-and-tail bands, lining the spine and forming the 'hollow', as well as attaching leather false bands (more on that below). I prepare cover boards to accept the sewing cords, attach them, and then line them with paper to hide any blemishes. Finally I select and prepare the calfskin leather for the book.
In the next and final episode I'll attach the leather to the book, craft some leather spine labels, and then finally finish it all off with some genuine 24 karat gold tooling! The book is finished so I can assure you that the result is something you'll want to see, so be sure to subscribe and turn on your bell notifications so you don't miss it. I promise you won't have to wait long!
And I'll get ahead of the comments and answer this question right now: 'Why go to all the trouble to sink the sewing cords and then put fake ones on anyway?' Well, the answer comes down to function. This is a small, thin book with rather stiff paper, which means that if I made it as a tight-back with the sewing cords showing through, it would be very hard to open. The hollow spine is meant to make it easier to open, without sacrificing the strength of support cords or the aesthetics or a raised-band spine. So that's why.
For those interested in my spokeshave, I modified it by following the ‪@DASBookbinding‬ tutorial here: • How to Modify a 151 Sp...
Anyway, grab yourself a warm beverage and throw another lump of coal on the fire and enjoy! Part 3 is coming soon.
Cheers!
Dennis
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[@susanoswald325]

I have never been so impressed . I came across this just days ago and am thrilled to be able to watch a Master of their craft. So beautifully filmed with no Music and no narration. I am ‘ blown away ‘ . The sounds of the tools is amazing. Thank you!

[@rdhunkins]

I'm most impressed by Dennis' ability to make precise, square cuts in a quick fashion, or to trim off a perfectly parallel piece of leather. That is not easy. Even taking my time, I get it wrong 2 times out of three.

[@XyerDark]

I don't think I've ever seen a spokeshave used to trim leather and it must be one of the smartest ways to go about it. Can't wait to see the final part.

[@jaimies8780]

Your videos are so soothing and welcome treat, especially this time of year. Beautiful work as always. Thank you for the temporary escape!

[@jcortese3300]

Another incredibly watchable video -- you're making a family heirloom, you know!

[@mags8014]

Lovely, Dennis. Your meticulous attention to detail makes the process a delight to watch.

[@brettcody76]

This is among the BEST bookbinding YT channels. Merry CHRISTmas, Dennis! Thank you for your artistry and craftsmanship.

[@dlebreton7888]

The only sound needed is the tooling being done. So relaxing to watch.

[@ChornyAnton]

This is just magic. Your videos make me happy. At least now I know that some real handcrafted art still exists in this digital world

[@flatlands001]

Absolutely amazing. I can't wait for the last installment.

[@whoareyouandwhatdoyouwant]

I think my favourite part of this process might be the weaving of the end bands - there's something so delightful about seeing something as perfect and polished looking as that come together from raw materials as you did I realise that could be said for the creation of the entire book, but my point stands I think.

[@2103Chatto]

Beautiful work with the strop Dennis. I just got mine from an retired binder, and planning on taking it for a spin over the Christmas break.

[@dlebreton7888]

The style of the print explaining the motions is perfect. Fits in with the era of the craft.

[@soropodo7918]

I love the picture of the press next to the press

[@augustbanana8650]

can't wait for part three!

[@dlebreton7888]

The precision of each move borders on elegance. Such a Master.

[@Welther47]

He is already married. :D

[@catzkeet4860]

Lovely. It's ungodly o'clock here, but I saw this comeup and I had to watch and was enthralled. Thank you.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Thank you very much. Merry Christmas to the catholic 🌎.

[@catzkeet4860]

Say what? 😂 Catholics aren't the only ones who celebrate Christmas you know... nor is it, these days a strictly religious festival. I know plenty of non Christians that celebrate it as a midwinter holiday.

[@theweatherisaokay4964]

This Christmas Carol is a treasure.

[@fantacylover456]

Dennis, it is always a pleasure to watch you work! All of the time and energy you put into making books, makes it really hard for me to use the one that I purchased from you!

[@deetrvl4life875]

Thank you! ♥ There just aren't enough words, sometimes!

[@katrinthorsdottir7514]

Book binding in and of itself is a work of art. Thank you for sharing yours. ❤

[@Beryllahawk]

Thank you for the upload!!

[@fenrisulfur666]

this is why youtube is the best thing in the universe, where else can I with a few taps of my fingers can I watch how to change the starting motor of a '97 accord, watch the blooper reel of Step Brothers and the work of a fantastic book binder and a fairly excellent video editor.

[@sergiogonzalezserrano6762]

¡Qué maravilla!

[@daveturnbull7221]

Headbands!!! Those are one of the things that your videos have helped me with. I was struggling a bit understanding the actual method but watching you do them things became a lot clearer. Question, what was it that you used to line the spine at around 3:15 ? It looks a bit like patchment or possibly very fine leather... All in all, a nother masterfully relaxing video which is also packed with little hints and tips Dennis - many thanks 😁🎅

[@eastoforion]

wow the spokeshave makes a great leather sciving tool!

[@user-xk7mh3um9j]

Beautiful, 💯💐🍁👏⛄

[@OdeInWessex]

When I win the lottery Dennis (or failing that, sell my house) I'm going to buy one of these works of Art from you and sod the postage to the UK. Love watching your quiet expertise, thank you for allowing us all to witness it.❤ PS. Happy Holidays/Winter Solstice/Christmas/Crimbo or whatever you call it and wishing you all the best for the New Year!

[@jessicahagan]

Hi Dennis, Thank you so much for these peaceful tutorials. I have a question! In many videos you show how to make "false bands." You may have mentioned this in other videos, but I was wondering, why are they false and when would you use "real" ones? It is so helpful in my own work to watch your meticulous and patient work. Thank you!

[@kellyro77]

My question is, who is going to be the lucky recipient of that gift?? Wow! Beautiful!

[@sethporter4928]

You got a cutting board!

[@isacpgoncalves]

I can’t wait for part 3! Also, have you thought about recreating the Little Women book from Greta Gerwigs film? It’s so beautiful with a red leather and gold cover

[@ivansidorov840]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@lizvanwessem2055]

.... #careergoals. If career is the right word. Not sure it is except in terms of developing one's skills. But - oh my. Would love to get to this level but I am very, very *very* far off this...! Thank you for sharing - looking forward to seeing the end result!

[@MrDrMurphy]

Do you have an affiliate store where you recommend products? I’ve decided to jump in and would like to support you in the process! I watched my first video of yours (Your DUNE series) and I’ve been hooked.

[@RomantiCynic]

It is just magical, watching you work! I have a question. First you frayed the cords and then you glued them back together to pass them through the holes. Is the purpose of fraying to reduce the volume of the cords and also make it easier for you to fray them out after passing through the final hole and gluing them down?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

Essentially yes. Fraying tapers the cords, and also allows the fibers to better conform to the negative spaces of the recessed cutouts. Unfrayed the cords would probably tend to hold their shape better, even with hammering, and cause lumps on the cover. Thanks for the question!

[@loreauvillephil]

After applying the glue to each piece you are attaching, do you let it cure for any length of time or attach the pieces immediately?

[@alaskankare]

do you have any advice on how to take a pdf and format it to print for binding? 😅 page 5 becomes page... lol thanks for the videos so very inspiring.

[@bobvines00]

A partial explanation can be found at the "Douglas W. Jones on Bookbinding" (search for this title) web site. He shows how to reproduce out-of-print, but originally extremely cheap (i.e., poor quality paper -> think "newspaper" pages) books. Other sources (I'm looking at ebooks for this information right now) probably answer your question more completely.

[@user-zh6xc5tn6m]

Can I ask what kind of paper you used to make the hollow tube for the spine?

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

What kind of skiver did you use on the first part of prepping the leather?

[@dinislopes2399]

I have the same question @FourKeysBookArts

[@dinislopes2399]

I found it. Its called a spokeshave and its used for woodworking

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

@@dinislopes2399 sweet thank you

[@Kedzie_]

So.....how much do you charge for an apprenticeship?

[@jamesonstalanthasyu]

Why cut out some of the corners?

[@FourKeysBookArts]

It makes room to turn in the leather.

[@stefanwild326]

[@jleal666]

Why do you make false bands if you can make them real?

[@jakeallen4892]

have you ever given up on a piece because of a big mistake that wouldn't easily be fixed or that you just put off?

[@Welther47]

Now that book will last a hundred years at least. I hate how modern book covers are glued on to a bound book. Kind of defeats the purpose.