Beating the book with a heavy hammer is of great antiquity. In one of the quaint sketches which the Dutch designer, Jacob

Amman, has left us of contemporary trades, is one of a book binder at the operation of beating. Unlike the modern, who always stands at the stone, the operator is comfortably seated on a cushioned stool unlike too, the bookbinder of the present day, his ancient prototype grasps his hammer as a smith might do, and, raising it above his head, brings it down with the full force of his muscular arm.

We gave an illustration of the hammer in a previous chapter. Let us now speak of the manner of holding it.

As the hammer rests on the stone, the binder grasps its short handle firmly with his right hand in such a manner that his knuckles point to the stone, and his nails are upwards, the outer side of his forefinger resting against the inside of the head of the hammer (Fig. 3, as seen from above). The hand is then swung over from the wrist, so that the operator can see the face of the hammer (Figs. 32 and 33). This' peculiar action, with the back of the hand downwards, insures that the face of the hammer always descends perfectly flat, which is essential, or the paper would be cut or bruised.

The learner should practice on a packet of waste paper, and must not be disheartened if, at his first essays, the paper be full of hills and holes, and perhaps with half a dozen long sharp cuts through it, where he has permitted the edge of the hammer to fall first. As he acquires dexterity and his wrist gains strength, he will soon get the "hang" of it and find it

easy enough. The book or paper is held by one corner with the left hand, and moved about so that all its surface is successively brought under the action of the hammer. The operation is shown in side view at Fig. 32. The number of sections taken to a "beating" must be left to the discretion of the operator. If it is a rebound book, care should be taken that the projection at the back of the section, where the former "joint" has been, should be well leveled. Perhaps it will be safest for the tyro to go over this with the backing hammer. The number of strokes necessary for each" beating" must be left to the judgment of the workman. The work looks very laborious, but is really not so when the knack is acquired, for we can well remember that in our apprentice days we have often stood at the beating-stone for three or four hours at a stretch.

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