Bookbinding and The Care of Books
Librarians by Douglas Cockerell with Drawings
by Noel Rooke and other Illustrations
New York
1902
Book binding Chapter XV
Part 3
elaborately decorated bindings, and are on that
account sufficiently distinct from their neighbors,
a certain amount of freedom is permissible with
the lettering, and a little mystery is not perhaps out
of 'place. But in most cases books have to be
recognized by their titles, and it is of the utmost
importance that the lettering should be as clear as
possible, and should fully identify the volume. F or
lettering half-bindings and other books on which
much time cannot be spared, it would take too
long to make out a paper, as described for extra
written out carefully, the whole panel prepared and glaired in, and the gold laid on. Then with a
piece of fine silk or thread line may be marked across the gold as a guide to the finisher, and the
letters worked from the centre letting on outward, as described for making out the back paper
pattern. Of course this method does not allow of such nice calculation and adjustment as when a
paper pattern is made out; but if a general principle of clear lettering is recognized and accepted,
very good results may be obtained.
At the end of the book characteristic
examples of blind-tooled books are given
(pages 321-25). It will be seen that most of the
tools form complete designs in themselves.
Although the use of detached die-sunk tools
was general, there were also simple tools used,
which, when combined, made up more or less
organic designs, and allowed more freedom to
the finisher (see figs. 96 and 97).
Some use may also be made of interlaced
strap-work designs, either worked with
gouges, or a small fillet. A book bound in
oaken boards, with a leather back with
knotted decoration, is shown at page 330. I
satisfactory in scheme for old books, than most forms of
modern binding.
If a design is simple, the cover is marked up with dividers, and
the tools impressed direct upon the leather; or, if it is
elaborate, a paper pattern is made out, and the tools blinded
through the paper, as described for gold tooling. The leather is
then damped with water, and the impressions retooled.
The panel lines on most of the bindings before 1500 show
evidence of having been put in with a tool which has been
pushed along the leather, and not with a wheel. I have found
the best lines for blind-tool work. It should be borne in mind that the line is formed by the
raised portion of leather, and so the tool should be cut somewhat as at fig. 98. This should leave
three ridges on the leather. Blind tooling may be gone over and over until it is deep enough, and
may be combined with various other methods of working. For instance, in tooling such a spray
as is shown at fig. 99,
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