My careful spine work turned my bindings around

I used to zip through rounding and backing, treating it like a quick job. That led to books with weak spines that would not stay closed. So I stopped rushing and now spend a solid hour on each spine with a hammer. I shape it slowly, checking the curve often. This change made my books open perfectly and last way longer. People tell me they feel solid and well made. Skipping this care makes for a bad book that falls apart fast. If you want quality, you must give the spine real time and focus.

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3 Comments

the_viola7mo ago

An hour per spine shows real commitment.

8

wendyb327mo ago

Honestly that kind of time per book sounds wild to me. I get being careful, but an hour? I'd never finish my own stack. Feels like maybe they're overthinking the process, or maybe they're working with really rare books. What kind of project even needs that level of detail?

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olivia5737mo ago

What if that hour is what makes it a real book instead of just a glued block? That careful shaping is the difference between a thing that lasts and one that just looks okay for now. It's not overthinking, it's the actual craft.

1