A look of proper age is desirable and repairs should be as inconspicuous as possible. However, no attempt should be made to fool future owners. To this end a detailed record of treatment should accompany each restored book.
The aim of a book restorationist is to maintain the integrity of the book while making it usable in the present and preserved for posterity.
Restoration and Maintenance
- Tear and Loss Repair
- Cleaning, Removal of Dirt and Grime
- Washing/Bathing, Stabilizing Chemical Deterioration
- Stain Reduction/Removal
- Backing/Lining Removal
- Linen or Paper Lining
- Removal of Old Repairs and Rape
- Humidification, Returning Suppleness, Flattening and Crease Reduction
- De-acidification
Book & Paper Preservation and Restoration
Restoration
A restored book should have the appearance that it would have had if it never needed mending. It should have as much of the original material as is possible to use and still maintain the usability of the book. All new work should be in keeping with the style and the time in which the book was produced. All materials used must be archivally safe and whenever possible should be reversible.
The aim of a book restorationist is to maintain the integrity of the book while making it usable in the present and preserved for posterity.
A look of proper age is desirable and repairs should be as inconspicuous as possible. However, no attempt should be made to fool future owners. To this end a detailed record of treatment should accompany each restored book. This record will also serve to as a guide to bookbinders in treating the book should need it in the future; much the same as a person's medical records serve the physician.
Replica Binding
A replica is a binding which, as nearly as possible, duplicates the original. Sometimes reclaimed materials that are contemporary to that of the book are available. This adds considerably to their charm.
Restoring Family Bibles
Even though it is still restoration, Family Bibles deserve a spot of their own. More than any other book, we repair, rebind and restore antique Family Bibles. Because of the number of these we do and the many years of experience we have in working with old Family Bibles, we are confident that our work is unsurpassed, anywhere. We also believe after we have restored your Family Bible that you will agree.
Our goal in restoration is to preserve as much of the original as possible. This is usually 99%. When portions of the original material are missing, we create new one that are incorporated into the binding and the joins are blended to disguise the repair. We believe that our customers want their antique Family Bibles to look as though they have been treated with the utmost care for their entire existence. We believe that this is achieved most of the time.
Fine Binding
Fine binding uses the very finest in whatever materials make up the binding. If the binding is leather, it is of the very best and decorated in the best of taste. Whether that be a rich, full gilt tooling, blind tooling, or a combination thereof. Silk headband, doublers or marble paper linings or myriad other fine materials. Remember, the accent is on fine. If fabric is used, it might be silk moire, velvet or some other fabric of fine quality.
General Binding
General binding is more of the everyday type of bookbinding. But, it is never in any way slip shod or cut rate. Good materials and workmanship are still a must. Even relatively inexpensive work should be done well. General binding includes rebinding of novels, cookbooks, genealogies and every other book imaginable. The only difference between general binding and fine binding is the cost of the materials used and perhaps a lesser amount of decoration. General binding can still be elegant in appearance.
Paper Restoration
We of course do paper restoration in books when it is called for, but we also restore other documents; such as maps. Certificates of all sorts, Civil war discharge and citizenship papers. We can even replace missing portions of paper documents. When paper is too fragile to restore, we can encapsulate it in non-acidic Mylar-D.
Theses and Dissertations
Theses and dissertation are all side sewn with strong nylon thread. The bindings are in either imitation leather or buckram, according to the customers taste. Our standard format is, up to three lines of title on the front plus the author's name and the year. On the spine is the degree for which the paper was submitted, as much of the author's name as will fit, and the year. Extra lettering can be done for an additional charge.
Magazines
Magazines are bound using extra heavy duty materials. Due to the weight of most magazine paper they tend to be quite heavy. Regular or medium duty materials will not hold up under years of use. If the customer wishes to have the title of his bound volumes in the same type style as is it appears on the magazine cover, this service is available at a one-time only extra charge.
Custom Albums
We can make albums to suit any customer in just about any material to suit any purpose.
Our albums can be loose leaf or permanent bound. We can make any size you wish from one that would fit in the palm of your hand to one that could hold life-size photographs. If you prefer padded covers, we can do that also. We can provide everything but the photos.
Scrapbooks
Most scrapbooks fall apart after a few years. Not so with ours. Many scrapbooks represent a lifetime of memorabilia. We make scrapbooks to last a lifetime. Not only are they sturdy, but they're beautiful. We can design a scrapbook for you that will suit your personality. Your scrapbook will be just as unique.
Genealogies
If you are looking to have your genealogy bound or published, you have come to the right place. We can bind a single copy of your genealogy in any format or material you wish. We can make multiple copies for you, or bind ones you furnish. We can even publish your genealogy by the hundreds or even thousands through our affiliate and partner Gray Goose Books. If your family has an existing genealogy that you would like to re-publish, we can produce the finest quality printing and binding in either hardback or paperback volumes in as small a quantity as 250 copies. We provide all publishing services from proof reading to total production.
Edition Binding
At Craft Bookbinding, we provide fine edition binding in cloth or genuine leather. If you like the look of hand marbled paper; we often use marbled end-papers or marble paper on the covers of books in combination with fine cloth or leather. We have a tremendous variety of text papers and cover materials to choose from. We are sure that you will be more than pleased with the edition we produce for you.
As an example of the quality level of our edition binding; we provided both the printing and binding of approximately three leather bound editions per year, for a period of eleven years for actor/comedian, Robin Williams.
Journals
Would you like a journal that is truly unique? One that no one else has? No problem. Would you like it bound in ostrich, llama, python, African frog, stingray, or kangaroo? Maybe you like just good old fashion cowhide. Again, no problem. We have bound journals and other books in every imaginable material. For example French silk, pillow ticking, or even "hair-on" calfskin. Whether plain or magnificent, we can make a journal that truly says it's yours.
Custom Boxes
No matter what you have to put in it, we can make a box for it. We make a great variety of boxes to hold books, papers, and objects. We can cover them in anything you like and make them as elegant or plain as you like.
Do you want a box that looks like the book it has inside it? How about a box to hold a set of French duelling pistols. Let us know what you want and we'll make it.
