Bookbinding and The Care of Books
Librarians by Douglas Cockerell with Drawings
by Noel Rooke and other Illustrations
New York
1902
Book binding Chapter XVIII
Part 1
Some books need' to be clasped to keep clasps and
the leaves flat. All books written or ties printed on
vellum should have clasps. Vellum unless kept flat
is apt to cockle, and this in a book will force the
leaves apart and admit dust. If a book is tightly
wedged in a shelf the leaves will be kept flat, but as
the chance removal of any other book from the
row will remove the pressure, it is much better to
provide clasps for vellum books.
folded plates, are better for having clasps to
prevent the leaves from sagging. As nearly all books
are now kept in bookshelves, and as any projection
on the side of a book is likely to injure the
neighboring volume, a form of clasp should be
used that has no raised parts on the boards.
At fig. 118 is shown a simple clasp suitable for
small books with mill-board sides, with details of
the metal parts, made of thick silver wire below.
Double boards must be" made," and the flattened
ends of the silver catch inserted between the two
thicknesses, and glued in place. About one-eighth
of an inch of the end should project. In covering,
the leather must be pierced and carefully worked
round the catch. To make the plait, three strips of
thin leather are slipped through the ring, and the
ends of each strip pasted together. The three
through a hole in the lower board of the book about half an
inch from the edge, and glued down inside. A groove may be
cut in the mill-board from the hole to the edge before covering,
to make a depression in which the plait will lie, and a
depression may be scooped out of the ' inner surface of the
board to receive the ends.
At fig. 119 is a somewhat similar clasp with three plaits
suitable for large books. The metal end and the method of
inserting it into wooden boards are shown below. The
turned-down end should go right through the board, and be
riveted on the inside. When the three plaits are worked, a little
band of silver may be riveted on just below the ring. A very
simple fastening that is sometimes useful is shown at fig. 77. A
very small bead is threaded on to a piece of catgut, and the two
ends of the gut brought together and put through a larger
bead. The ends of the gut with the beads on them are laced into
the top
bottom board. If the loop can be made exactly the right length, this is a serviceable method.
Silk or leather ties may be used to keep books shut, but they are apt to be in the way when the
book is read, and as hardly anybody troubles to tie them, they are generally of very little use.
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