The Rapid Sewing Frame (Schnellheftlade) - Innovation or Dead End?

Back in early 2024 Jeff Peachey reached out to me asking about a weird contraption for sewing books (my description) that he found in Wilhelm Leos' 1920 catalog. Leos was one of the largest and most comprehensive bookbinding supply wholesalers and publishers in Germany and the field; they still exist. 

The idea behind the Schnellheftlade (rapid sewing frame) was increase the speed of hand sewing by at least 2x in smaller binderies that didn't have/need machines to do that work. This was accomplished by simplifying the what is essentially sewing on recessed cords and taking advantage of other shortcuts.

Page from Leos 1920 catalog
advertising the Schnellheflade.

Detail view from the catalog page.

The snap Jeff sent me looked very familiar and sent me into my usual rabbit holes related to the literature of the time. Now, where did I see this before?!?! Turns out to have been depicted in Hermann Nitz's 1931 Die Technik des Bucheinbandes (The Techniques of Bookbinding), a booklet aimed at bibliophiles, much like Ernst Collin's Pressbengel (The Bone Folder, read via links at left). Nitz was a fine binder who married the best of industrial/trade binding with hand binding.

So, we decided to write an article about this together, a fun experience.

Image from Hermann Nitz's 1931
Die Technik des Bucheinbandes (The Techniques of Bookbinding).

Also incredibly intriguing, Jeff interpreted this contraption to build a working model. Did it meet expectations when put into use? Can we compare the proficiency of sewers from the turn of the / early 20th centuries with those from today? TO find out, read the article linked to below.

Jeff Peachey's working interpretation.

Ultimately we learned that a) the idea of this kind of device was older than we thought; b) existed in several variants; and c) was offered longer than we thought. The results of our adventure were published as Peachey, Jeff and Verheyen, Peter D. "German Hybrid Book Sewing Machines". Guild of Book Workers Journal, Vol. 54, 2025. (14-32). Read the full article here.

I love research projects like this – a huge thank you to Jeff for reaching out and very pleased to have contributed to this and some of his other publications. Also, a big thank you to Susie Cobbeldick, editor of the Guild of Book Workers' Journal for her work with us.

Hermann Nitzs Kombinationseinband

English here

Als Buchbinder haben wir alle schon Verlagseinbände, (hoffentlich bessere) Taschenbücher, und ähnliches als "pseudo" Franzband eingebunden. Manchmal als Übungstücke, oder auch als Präsentation- oder Geschenkeinband. Oft lohnt es sich nicht neu zu heften, bei Klebebindungen kann man das eh vergessen. Was machen wir, wir entfernen Decke/Umschlag, säubern Rücken, pressen ab, und hinterkleben mit Gaze oder anderen passenden Gewebe. Danach Kapitalband (handgestochen oder geklebt), Deckel ansetzen und weiter... Der amerikanische Buchbinder Henry Hebert nennt diese "fancied-up," aufpoliert. Einige meiner Exemplare sind hier zu sehen.

Mit der Industrialisierung wurde auch bei Einbänden rationalisiert und vereinfacht wo es nur ging - alles damit es schneller und billiger ging. Maschinenheftung wurde entwickelt mit Faden und Draht, der Deckenband entstand. Im späteren 19. gab es Bemühungen die Lage und den Ruf der Hand- und Kunstbuchbinderei zu besseren, und nach Georg Collin und anderen gingen viele Aufträge nach England oder Frankreich wegen Aesthetik und Verarbeitung. Die deutsche Verlagsarbeit dagegen wurde als Spitze angesehen. Die Großbuchbinderein, auch Dampfbuchbinderein genannt, legten sich  Sonderabteilungen für Hand- und Kunsteinbände an, unter diesen E.A. Enders, Fritzsche, Hübel & Denck, Lüderitz & Bauer, Spamer, Wübben, und W. Collin in Berlin und Leipzig. Die Einbände, Buntpapiere, und andere Arbeiten die dort entstanden mußten sich nicht von denen der anderen Hand- und Kunstbuchbinder verstecken.

Hermann Nitz (1881-1965) war Adam- und Kerstenschüler, und arbeitete als Kunstbuchbinder bei Hübel & Denck und Spamer in Leipzig, später in Berlin als Großbuchbinder. Er war auch Mitglied des Jakob-Krauße-Bund (J-K-B) und der Meister der Einbandkunst (MDE). Obwohl als Kunstbuchbinder ausgebildet, arbeitete er seine ganze Karriere-lang in Großbuchbinderei, wo er sich bemühte die Tugenden des Handeinbandes mit Hilfe von Maschinen in größeren Auflagen zur Geltung zu bringen. Dies war auch das Thema seiner Schriften in denen er über Werkstoffe, Arbeitsabläufe der industriellen Buchbinderei, und Innovationen schrieb. Diese Themen ließen sich schwer mit der Kunstbuchbinderei vereinbaren und führten zu Spannungen mit dem MDE, so daß Nitz austrat.*

Eine dieser Innovationen war der Kombinationseinband in dem Maschinenheftung, lederschärfen und Pressvergoldung mit den Techniken des Handeinbandes (besonders dem Franzband) kombiniert wurden. Das Ergebnis war ein Einband der der Ästhetik des Franzbandes entsprach, aber schneller und billiger zu verarbeiten war, ohne die Qualität negativ zu beeinflussen. Diese Technik wurde zuerst in Über einen neuen Einband-Typ von Spamer 1923 herausgegeben.

Decke von Hermann Nitzs Über einen neuen Einband-Typ

 Beschreibung der Spamersche Buchbinderei Leipzig, rechts ein Handeinband.
Andere Abbildungen zeigen diese und Kombinationseinbände damit
der Kunde vergleichen kann.

Nun...

Also, was war der Kombinationseinband? Nach Moessners Buchbinder-ABC war dieser ein "Handeinband, der unter weitgehender Maschinenbenutzung wie Heften, Lederschärfen, Pressvergolden usw. gebunden wird und dann meist einen vorgetäuschten tiefen Falz hat." Nitz beschreibt es als Folgendes auf Seiten 6-7:

Das bedeutsame Merkmal dieser Einbandart ist das Ansetzen der Deckel von Hand auf tiefen Falz vor dem Insledermachen, womit, genau wie bei reinen Handeinbänden, eine unlösliche Verbindung von Buckblock und Deckel geschaffen wird. Im übrigen ergeben sich die verschiedensten Variationen je nach dem Preis, der für den Einband angelegt werden kann. Die wohlfeilste Arbeitsmethode ist folgende:

Heftung mittels einer besonders konstruierten Fadenheftmaschine, nicht etwa auf Baumwollgaze, sondern auf Hanffaser, Deckel ansetzen von Hand auf tiefen Falz, Kapitalband angeklebt, Insledermachen von Hand, Vergoldung auf Rücken und Deckeln mit der Prägepresse.

Dabei gab es auch andere Extras die den Preis beeinflussten. Die Technik wurde gedacht als Einband "für die Herstellung kleinerer oder größeren Auflagen bzw. Teilauflagen von wertvollen Klassikern oder sonstiger Belletristik, für wissenschaftliche und kunstwissenschaftliche Werke, Lexika, u. dgl., soweit edles Leder für den Rücken oder den ganzen Einband als Material vorgesehen ist." Die ganze Broschüre kann unten, oder über diesen Link gelesen werden.

Nitz beschrieb diese auch in seiner Die Technik des Bucheinbandes (1931). Sie wurde auch von  Heinrich Luers in dem Das Fachwissen des Buchbinders (1943, 1946 (271-72)) beschrieben als Kombinationsfranzband.

Gerhard Zahn beschreibt es in Grundwissen des Buchbinders (207-9) als der "imitierte" Franzband und zeigt Vorsatzarten und das ansetzen der Deckel auf tiefen Falz. Fritz Wiese in Der Bucheinband (256-7) als etwas ähnlichem, Lederband nach Franzbandart.

Zu Nitzs Die Technik des Bucheinbandes, dies war ein Buch wie Collins Pressbengel (1922) der die Buchbinderei und ihre Techniken für Bibliophile beschrieb. Es wurde heraus gegeben in einer Auflage von 500 Exemplaren durch die Gesellschaft der Bibliophilen, Berlin. Im Kontrast zu Collins Dialog, ist dies eher als ein für Laien verständliches Fachbuch mit Abbildungen geschrieben. Mehr hierzu in einem weiteren Beitrag...

Hermann Nitz's "Kombination" Binding, the Ur-Fancied-up Book

Deutsch hier

Back in August 2012, Henry Hebert who was at the time a NBSS student coined a new term, fancied-up books. By this he meant trade books that were disbound in varying degrees and then rebound in more attractive bindings, whether paper, cloth, leather, ... Essentially budget design bindings, and we've all done it. Reading some new additions to my collection, I came upon what could be considered the ur-type of this.

With industrialization, bookbinding became more and more simplified with consequences for aesthetics and structural integrity. Away from sewing on raised cords and lacing those through the boards, the cords became thinner, were sewn in, sewing became mechanized (with staples being used like sewing in Germany), case binding developed, and some will say devolved from there. In Germany, the arts and crafts movement contributed to a return to sounder structure and better design, a movement the larger binderies also appropriated with the addition of extra binding departments that produced works on par with those of hand/fine binders. Leading binderies in Germany, these located in Berlin, and the book capitol of Leipzig were: E.A. Enders, Fritzsche, Hübel & Denck, Lüderitz & Bauer, Spamer, Wübben, and W. Collin among others.

Hermann Nitz (1881-1965) was a student of Paul Adams and Paul Kersten who worked as a craft bookbinder at Hübel & Denck and Spamer, and became a member of the Jakob-Krause-Bund (J-K-B) and the Meister der Einbandkunst (MDE). Despite this fine craft pedigree, he dedicated his life to working in large trade binderies where he merged the work of machines and fine craft bookbinding to create durable and pleasing bindings. He also taught and wrote on this topic, including about materials, industrial binding processes, and innovations to merge the craft and trade. This tension allegedly created animosities with peers, so that he left the MDE.*

One of these innovations was the Kombinationseinband, that combined machine sewing with simplified forwarding to give the appearance of an extra binding at lower cost, and without sacrificing quality. It was first described in this pamphlet Über einen neuen Einband-Typ published by Spamer in 1923.

Cover for Hermann Nitz's Über einen neuen Einband-Typ (About a New Binding Structure)

Spamer's Bindery in Leipzig: Most modern commercial bindery, 250 machines, 400 employees.
All kinds of bindings: Extra binding department for hand-binding, decorated papers, folders
At right an example of a handbound book. Other illustrations depict these and Kombinationseinbände
so comparisons can be made.

So, something about Spamers Kombination Bindings...

So, what was it. From the pamphlet, "the distinguishing characteristic of this style is the board attachment by hand with a 90° joint before covering," essentially extra binding. Nitz further describes the book being sewn on a modified sewing machine that used hemp cords, rather than gauze; backing to 90°; stuck-on endbands; covering by hand; gilding using the blocking press and dies. At additional costs, the book might be hand-sewn, receive hand-sewn endbands, and other details. The binding style was developed for smaller or larger print runs of the classics, literature, encyclopedia, etc, in full or quarter leather, something these simplifications made possible. The pamphlet can also be viewed here, and features numerous images of books using this structure.

The style was also described by Nitz in his Die Technik des Bucheinbandes (1931), and Heinrich Luers' Das Fachwissen des Buchbinders (1943, 1946 (271)) where it is described as the Kombinationsfranzband, linking it to the extra binding. As a formal binding manual, it provided greater detail on the process, including for gilding. In it, after preparing the textblock and attaching the boards, a spine stiffener with raised false bands if desired is prepared, and pasted to the covering leather that has been pared, working the bands... When dry it is gilt in the blocking/stamping press..., and the binding then completed per the style.

Die Technik des Bucheinbandes, a work that like Collin's 1922 Pressbengel (The Bone Folder) described bookbinding for bibliophiles and was issued in an edition of 500 copies by the Gesellschaft der Bibliophilen, Berlin. In contrast to Collin's dialog format, his is written more like a manual but in lay terms. A contemporary counterpart would be Jamie Kamph's A Collector's Guide to Bookbinding (1982) in an edition of 250 copies. More in a later post...

Fancied-up Books 2

Another commission that involved rebinding a modern trade binding. I had rediscovered several sheets of beautiful birch veneer and used this binding as an excuse to try weathering the wood and seeing how it worked as a prelude to another binding. It's nice to be able to transfer skills and materials from my model railroad hobby, but the other binding had its problems - while the wood turned in fairly easily on these 40pt boards, it was a bit more challenging on the other book, cracking and separating from the paper backing... On the upside and while hard to see in the image, the wood took the gold stamping for the title well, too. Amy Borezo has used this with great effect, turning-in or trimming flush with board edges. Her binding on the Guild's 100th Anniversary Catalog is here. The salmon skin was much easier to work with. This one is not polished but suede-like.

On Søren Kierkegaard by Edward F. Mooney

Bound in salmon leather on spine with stained birch veneer covered boards; endpapers of handmade Roma paper; graphite top edge; leather endbands; title stamped in gold on front cover with goat leather onlays. Enclosed is cloth-covered slipcase. Bound 2013.

Concept:Simple and elegant with a weathered look.

Fancied-up Books

In his post from August 28th, Henry Hébert offers many great ideas for taking trade books (originally paperback or hardcover is irrelevant - they're the same once the covers are off) and rebinding them. It is well worth the read, especially his description of building a shoulder where there is none. Also important to note is that his example is tight-backed, but there is no reason the book couldn't be casebound as in my examples below...

I don't like rebinding trade books for any number of reasons - bad design, boring paper, signatures (if extant) too fat, perfect bound... However, it happens often enough and is an established part of the trade. In the past two years I've had several opportunities to (re)bind just those kinds of books as presentation bindings to their authors who were retiring as faculty. These are fun, if at times conceptually challenging. Design-wise something more than quarter-leather with decorated sides is desirable, but the price needs to be reasonably affordable. Below two examples done for the same department.

The Weakness of God by John D. Caputo.

Disbound original trade paperback; adhesive-bound in the round with pastepaper endpapers by the binder; handsewn silk endbands; graphite top-edge; covered in full black goatskin; title and design elements tooled in gold and blind; enclosed is cloth-covered slipcase. Bound 2011.

Concept: Lacking any illustrations to work from, a nebula on paperback edition wrapper provided starting off point. The questions relating to existence and nature of God radiate out from the center, akin to the cosmological Big Bang.

The Corporeal Imagination by Patricia Cox Miller.

Original trade hardcover removed from textblock; endpapers with Roma doublures and flyleaves; handsewn silk endbands; graphite top-edge; covered in veiney calf-vellum with onlay of fish leather; title stamped in graphite; enclosed is paper and cloth-covered slipcase. Bound 2012.

Concept: Thematically more visual, this book included discussion of the representation of the holy in art and other objects. After looking at details of early Christian art - icons, church decorations, ... I went with a trinity. Body of Christ, blood of Christ, and symbol of Christ at their most basic.