Tool Talk 3: Edge Trimming Rule (Kantenlineal)

Edge trimming rules have been mentioned the German bookbinding literature at least since Greve in his Hand- und Lehrbuch der Buchbindekunst (1823) and L. Brade's illustrirtes Buchbinderbuch (1868 with various editions). These rules are used for cutting the boards down to their final size after they have been attached to the text block, either on the guard with spine piece or if laced on. The rules illustrated below have raised lips that are 3 and 5 mm wide. These are made from machined aluminum and were ordered from Schmedt. The ones I used as an apprentice in Germany were made of steel. In both cases, they were machined so that the ends adjacent to the lips were beveled.

To use, the rule is slipped under the outermost leaf with the board underneath. The lip is pressed tight to the edge of the book, and the excess is then cut off with a sharp blade. The beauty of these rules is that even if the book is out of square, the book will always have even squares.

I most commonly used the 3 mm rule, with the 5 mm rule being used for the ledger books like springback bindings that are beefier. I would love 2 mm and 4 mm as they align better with the board thickness I use. The way I learned, board thickness = size of squares.

Below a video of the tool in use.

I find these rules incredibly useful, especially for in-boards bindings.

Tool Talk 2 - Kaschiereisen (Frottoir/Grattoir)

The Kaschiereisen as this tool is known in German is made to shape and consolidate the spine of a book in backing where it was used as an alternative (or augmentation) to the hammer offering a high degree of control. Jeff Peachey has written about these tools several times, also sharing his growing collection. Most recently, Ulrich Widman "reintroduces" the tool to German bookbinding audiences with an upcoming article for the Meister der Einbandkunst Rundbrief (2021).

In the German bookbinding literature the tool has several spellings,  Cachiereisen/ Cachier-Eisen /Kaschiereisen/Kaschier-Eisen. The interchangeable "c" and "k" are very common in German, the "c" being connected to the French roots of a word, but also as an affectation from when French was considered superior. Cashier, comes from the French "cahier" meaning signature/quire, or in our context a tool for working/shaping/folding the signatures. Eisen = iron, the material the tool was often made of.

In its history, the Kaschiereisen was sometimes two tools, in French the grattoir had a toothy end that grabbed the folds and provided the friction to push the signatures over to form the shoulder. The frottoir was smooth and used to smooth the folds and finish the shaping of the spine and shoulder. It also served to scrape off excess adhesive and ensure that it penetrated into the space between signatures.

At left the Rücken-/ Cashierholz and at right the Cashiereisen
from plate 2 of Greve's Die Buchbindekunst, 1823.
The use of the tools is described on pages 214-15.

The use of the tool is also described on page 35 of Schäfer's Handbuch der Buchbinderkunst (1845). Schäfer refers to it as a Kratzeisen (scratch iron), and Reiber (burnisher) made of iron, these being distinct tools like the grattoir and frottoir. He also and issues warnings about the improper use of the tool and the damage it can cause. 

Paul Adam describes using a Cachiereisen to finish the backing work of the hammer. The shape at both ends is smooth and curved like a frottoir.

From Paul Adam's Der Bucheinband seine Technik
und seine Geschichte, 1890 (pg 45).

In his Practical Bookbinding (1903), a translation of Die Praktischen Arbeiten des Buchbinders (1898), Adams writes that "the use of a tooth Cachier iron is strictly forbidden, but the round side of this tool may be used instead of a hammer" (pg. 59).

Use of the tool seems to have declined, but it continued to receive mentions in manuals. The best description of the tool appeared in Der Buchbinderlehrling (1937) as a two part article. The first part featured a picture of the tool with the question of "who knows what this is..." The Buchbinderlehrling was a magazine for bookbinding apprentices, and quizzes were a regular feature

The quiz in Der Buchbinderlehrling.
1. Who knows this tools, and what is it called?
2. For what task is it used?
3. How is it used?
4. Are there images showing how it is used

The tool in use from Der Buchbinderlehrling.

The bulk of the article featured 7 responses from apprentices, Meister, and others. The responses varied, with some going into detail and others being cautionary. They also referenced depictions in the literature, but the tool was unfamiliar to most.

Below images of these tools that I use.

It was made by Jeff Peachey, called a "backing tool",
and featured in his first catalog (link to 2nd catalog).
I love using this one on smaller, more delicate books.

My first Kaschiereisen, acquired early
in my career from a German binder

Jeff Peachey's latest, made of stainless steel.
It is a dream to use.
Order yours here!

Here some images and videos of the tool in use.

Backing/shaping the spine.

Smoothing the spine.

Tool Talk 1 - Fray Shield (Aufschabeblech)

 A looooooong time ago, not to long after I started this blog, I introduced the Aufschabebelch, a simple tool that one could purchase or make one's self. Below an image of it, also in use from 1806.

From plate II of Hendrik de Haas' De Boekbinder, 1806.
Fig 8. Het opvlas planje.
Fig 9. Het opvlasten der banden.
(PDF pg 174-76)

They were usually made of tin and the one I am most familiar with was shaped like in the image below. Why that shape and hole configuration? It's not explained, but is pretty much identical to the one I used as an apprentice in the mid 1980s.

From Paul Kersten's Die Buchbinderei und das Zeichnen des Buchbinders ...

(Halle a.d. Saale, 1909), plate 1.

Attaching the boards in the German Franzband tradition.
From from Wiese's Werkzeichnen für Buchbinder..., (Stuttgart, 1937).

Recently, I was invited to give a workshop on what I call the Ur-Bradel, the German Pappband structure that over the course of the centuries morphed into various flavors, often national, and of which all seem to have slightly different understandings. I won't get into those here, but in that structure, if the book was sewn on recessed cords, those cords were frayed out, paste was applied (often hide glue was applied to the guard (Ansetzfalz)), and then they were fanned out smoothly. The benefit was that this process resulted in sewing supports that were almost invisible under the endpapers when the book was done. That was the theory, because the extent to which the cords were frayed and fanned out varied by skill or time pressure.

The image below is from a cutaway model I making of one of these Ur-Bradels, ca 1800 and shows the cords frayed out and put down on the guard. The next step would be to attach the spine piece to the guard, then the boards, but I digress.

Fritz Otto did ok... Not atypical.

In the past I would have just teased the fibers of the cord apart with a needle then run them over a not to sharp paper/standard bookbinders' knife blade. Then I thought, perhaps Jeff Peachey could make me one. I sent him the image above and after a good bit of back and forth he sent me two prototypes to test out.

Fritz Otto showing off the two fray shield prototypes.
The shape is different from the one in German manuals... Will it matter?

Another view. The dimensions of the bottom one were what I asked for,
with a heavier steel used. The top, Jeff's reinterpretation.

In the end, I really liked Jeff's reinterpretation more.
You can even order your own from him now!

After teasing the fibers of the cord apart, they are slipped into
the notch and a bookbinders' knife are used to finish and make
them silky smooth.

Below a video in which I try out both to see which I liked better. There is no sound or narration.

As a surprise, Jeff even made one for Fritz Otto. He loved trying it out. Worked great, and he's glad to have it in his tool box.

Holding his "right-sized" Aufschabeblech.

Fraying out the cords...

Brushing the hide glue onto the guard...

Fanning out the frayed out cords on the guard.

The Complex of All of These (Bradel/German-case Binding)

The Complex of All of These by Abigail Bainbridge is a wonderful book that I am very happy to call my own. The book is out-of-print, a good thing in the world of fine print and small editions, but a PDF is available here.

In her own words, the author "contemplates the world around her. Images and words become parallel languages, where the distinction between ground and sky, past and present collapses. One conceit after another feels its way over the tiny words before sinking deep into the dark of the etching ink to linger, trembling."

I was attracted to the book when I discovered the video the other made of the entire process from making the etchings to paper, to binding during her residency at the Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. Ever since, I have used it in the presentations I gave on book arts at Syracuse University Libraries. The video composed from over 3000 still images used have a really snappy musical soundtrack, but DRM took that away. I'm glad Abigail put it back up even if now silent. Just imagine a metronome at about 110~115 beats per minute.

What I feel the video does VERY well is show the binding process from the sewing, to rounding and backing, trimming, endbanding, making the case, and casing in as a batch. It does that via the rapid-fire sequencing of the still images.

The creator is now in the UK, working in private practice as a book and paper conservator and teaching at West Dean College.

Practicing and Teaching Endbands

For practicing and teaching endbands, I first started out with little sewn textblocks, then chopped up telephone books (remember those) or directories, then thought to myself "why not wrap a core in gauze/super and sandwich between two boards..." That worked great, but just preparing the things was a pain. Eventually discovered coroplast making things perfectly easy.

Donia's and my poster from the Guild of Book Workers' 2003
Standards of Excellence conference in Denver, CO.

For a book artist's take on this, and really what inspired me to keep them as a strip on the card, see this example by Susan Joy Share from the Guild of Book Workers' 100th anniversary exhibition. This was part of a series and I am glad to call one my own.

The images below were largely drawn from a poster I did with Donia Conn for the Guild of Book Workers' Standards conference. Our bibliography for endbands is at http://www.philobiblon.com/bibliography-endbands.shtml. My favorite sources are for great diagrams:

• Gast, Monica,  A History of Endbands Based on a Study by Karl Jäckel.  The New Bookbinder.  Vol. 3, pp. 42-58, 1983.
• Guiffrida, Barbara, Book Conservation Workshop Manual Part Three: Endbands.  The New Bookbinder.  Vol. 2, pp. 29-39, 1982.
• Jäckel, Karl, Alte Techniken des Buchbinderhandwerks in der modernen Schriftgutrestaurierung, 2: Das Kapital. [The Endband.] Bibliotheksforum Bayern. Vol. 3, pp. 207-219, 1975. 

Rodrigo Ortega (?) also has a very nicely presented gallery at http://www.artesdellibro.com.mx/encuadernacion/cabezadas.

Because it doesn't always have to be hand-sewn... Hand-made stuck on endbands can look great, especially on smaller/thinner books. Below an assortment all wrapped around 18/3 linen thread, a nice thickness. Materials include leather, cloth, and decorated papers...

Stuck-on endbands

For those teaching endband workshops or needing something bigger to conceptualize the process, I developed the demonstrator below with my brother who's a woodworker. Big dowl is 1" dia... Using thinner "climbers" rope in two colors. The idea came from workshop attendee who didn't want to get to close, he liked being in the back row, but still wanted to see. Normally not an enabler in those circumstances, but the idea was brilliant. Brother made three, I kept one, one for Donia, and I sent one to the one whose idea it was...

Getting teaching tool set up.

Core dropped on teaching tool.

Finished 2-core endband.

Endview of teaching tool.

For a wooden boards binding of an Icelandic saga, hand copied by the client. Textblock had originally been oversewn and library-bound. He decided he wanted something nicer... Made the clasps, too. The endband I first learned at the Centro del bel Libro in Ascona, CH after diagrams by Karl Jäckel.

Primary endband.

Braided leather added after covering.

The clasps I made.

Finished book in box.

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 hemp fibers rather than gauze, backing to 90°, stuck-on endbands, covering by hand, and 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...

Aufschabeblech - What would it be called in English?

From Paul Kersten's Die Buchbinderei und das Zeichnen des Buchbinders ... (Halle a.d. Saale, 1909), plate 1.

An odd looking tool with an even odder name in German, aufschabeblech. It's also referred to as a aufschabebrett as it could be made of wood too. In Italian it's sfilacciatoio and in French effileur. Below is a description of how it would have been used. Apparently, there is no English term, or is there? Suggestions?

So, how was this tool used? After sewing on raised or recessed cords, and the spine pasted up, the cords were cut short and pulled through the holes in the blech (tin), untwisted and then frayed out until very fine using the back of a knife. This then allowed them to be pasted out and neatly fanned out on the wastesheet of the textblock or on the top of the board as in the diagram below from Wiese's Werkzeichnen für Buchbinder..., (Stuttgart, 1937).

About this method of board attachment, Ernst Collin wrote in his Pressbengel (translated as The Bone Folder):

BIBLIOPHILE: Master, your logic is impeccable and I will keep what you said in mind. Let me ask you another question. A librarian acquaintance of mine once said that the French do a much better job with their quarter-leather bindings than the Germans.

BOOKBINDER: That is absurd. What is most likely behind that statement is the difference between the French and German styles in how the boards are attached. Remember how I described pasting the frayed-out cords on the board to attach it? What the French do is lace the cords through the boards to secure them. Here, let’s see what Paul Kersten wrote in his Exaktem Bucheinband: “It is commonly believed that a book in which the boards are attached in the French manner is more durable than one in which the German method is used. This is false. The boards are attached to the text block via the cords, and in all cases the failure was at the hinge and after many years of use, not because the boards were not laced on…” (Note: Kersten, Paul. Der Exakte Bucheinband. Halle (Saale): W. Knapp, 1923. Pages 22-23.)

BIBLIOPHILE: Again, I can’t argue with knowledge and experience of a true craftsman like you.

[Edit: See also my follow-up post on the topic]