Of Leather Supply and Flexibility
Question: Do you have a page with pictures of all your leathers and colors?
Answer: No. This is much harder than you would think.
If we did Bible covers in bonded leather as others do, we wouldn't have to worry about supply. Bonded leather comes in rolls like paper towels and there's no waste. It reminds you of Pringles, being formed out of leather dust and glue and made into precisely the desired, predictable shape. It comes in predictable amounts and can be ordered all the time, like your favorite brand of toilet paper.
But we see far too many bonded leather covers that are cracked, broken, chipped, and completely deteriorated to ever use the stuff. And real, genuine leather is harder to find.
Our stock of leathers is constantly changing -- at times we run out of a particular leather and find out it's no longer available, and at the same time, we receive beautiful new leathers, not previously available to us. Sometimes this is a little difficult if you received a price quote from us several months ago and have saved up the money gradually for a rebinding job. When there's a time lag like that, it's often advisable to ask for a new price quote. That will give you an opportunity to browse the current possibilities and maybe even change your mind.
For instance, we were out of buffalo grain burgundy pigskin for quite awhile, but have just gotten new hides in. This glossy leather with a beautiful criss-cross grain makes a very lovely Bible cover. We also have recently added a very cool soft chocolate brown sheepskin, good for smaller Bibles, and flexible purple cowhide. There are no pictures of these on our website, and it could take awhile before we are able to upload anything. But they would make great Christmas presents!
Question: In your opinion, is the mark of a good Bible binding the amount of flexibility in the leather?
Answer: (Answering this may get me into trouble with some higher profile Bible lovers, but I'll do my best.)
No, it's more complex than that.
Personally, I don't have a whole lot of appreciation for a floppy Bible. The "butter melting in the hand" model is inconvenient for carrying and unless you're in the habit of twisting your Bible into a pretzel, too much flexibility makes a Bible hard to hold while preaching.
On our Bibles, we try to reach a happy medium in flexibility, something that flexes without puckering or creasing, yet lends support to the text block. This is a challenge with genuine leather.
Keep in mind, the softcover Bible is, for the most part, a 20th - 21st century thing. Great flexibility requires the right glues, the right leather temper, and the right liners, all of which have become more available in the last few decades. The weakest link is in the leather supply. Leather tanners just don't seem to consider Bibles on the top of their priority list. So most leathers are not suitable for Bibles, either because they're too heavy (thick), or too stiff, or because the layers of the leather are not firm, creating puckering when flexed.
So my case against floppy Bibles is this. To achieve it nearly always requires a very thin leather with no interior liner, and almost no glue to secure the end pages. Because it's so floppy, the reader is then tempted to fold the Bible over backwards while holding it. <wince!> This stretches the sewing, warps the spine, and/or breaks the glued binding. The end result is a short-lived Bible. Eventually, that result will reflect on the one who made it a floppy Bible in the first place.
At Leonard's, we will always strive to satisfy the goals of our customers. But we want to do that without sacrificing the quality you have come to expect from us.
~Eric
Answer: No. This is much harder than you would think.
If we did Bible covers in bonded leather as others do, we wouldn't have to worry about supply. Bonded leather comes in rolls like paper towels and there's no waste. It reminds you of Pringles, being formed out of leather dust and glue and made into precisely the desired, predictable shape. It comes in predictable amounts and can be ordered all the time, like your favorite brand of toilet paper.
But we see far too many bonded leather covers that are cracked, broken, chipped, and completely deteriorated to ever use the stuff. And real, genuine leather is harder to find.
Our stock of leathers is constantly changing -- at times we run out of a particular leather and find out it's no longer available, and at the same time, we receive beautiful new leathers, not previously available to us. Sometimes this is a little difficult if you received a price quote from us several months ago and have saved up the money gradually for a rebinding job. When there's a time lag like that, it's often advisable to ask for a new price quote. That will give you an opportunity to browse the current possibilities and maybe even change your mind.
For instance, we were out of buffalo grain burgundy pigskin for quite awhile, but have just gotten new hides in. This glossy leather with a beautiful criss-cross grain makes a very lovely Bible cover. We also have recently added a very cool soft chocolate brown sheepskin, good for smaller Bibles, and flexible purple cowhide. There are no pictures of these on our website, and it could take awhile before we are able to upload anything. But they would make great Christmas presents!
Question: In your opinion, is the mark of a good Bible binding the amount of flexibility in the leather?
Answer: (Answering this may get me into trouble with some higher profile Bible lovers, but I'll do my best.)
No, it's more complex than that.
Personally, I don't have a whole lot of appreciation for a floppy Bible. The "butter melting in the hand" model is inconvenient for carrying and unless you're in the habit of twisting your Bible into a pretzel, too much flexibility makes a Bible hard to hold while preaching.
On our Bibles, we try to reach a happy medium in flexibility, something that flexes without puckering or creasing, yet lends support to the text block. This is a challenge with genuine leather.
Keep in mind, the softcover Bible is, for the most part, a 20th - 21st century thing. Great flexibility requires the right glues, the right leather temper, and the right liners, all of which have become more available in the last few decades. The weakest link is in the leather supply. Leather tanners just don't seem to consider Bibles on the top of their priority list. So most leathers are not suitable for Bibles, either because they're too heavy (thick), or too stiff, or because the layers of the leather are not firm, creating puckering when flexed.
So my case against floppy Bibles is this. To achieve it nearly always requires a very thin leather with no interior liner, and almost no glue to secure the end pages. Because it's so floppy, the reader is then tempted to fold the Bible over backwards while holding it. <wince!> This stretches the sewing, warps the spine, and/or breaks the glued binding. The end result is a short-lived Bible. Eventually, that result will reflect on the one who made it a floppy Bible in the first place.
At Leonard's, we will always strive to satisfy the goals of our customers. But we want to do that without sacrificing the quality you have come to expect from us.
~Eric
Leonard's Book Restoration Station
www.LeonardsBooks.com
Skilled bookbinding, restoration and repair services
P.O. Box 52***Burrows, IN 46916**U.S.A.
Phone: (574) 652-2151
www.LeonardsBooks.com
Skilled bookbinding, restoration and repair services
P.O. Box 52***Burrows, IN 46916**U.S.A.
Phone: (574) 652-2151
Labels: bonded leather, book evaluation, book rebinding, bookbinding leather, custom bookbinding, flexibility, genuine leather, genuine leather supply, leather strength, re-covering a book
posted by Eric@Leonard's | 8:36 AM
1 Comments:
The case against flexible Bibles was stated so clearly it does make sense. I always enjoyed the ability to have the Bible lay open on page one of Genesis, the 150th Psalm and the end of Revelation without closing up. However, come to think of it, a floppy Bible would cause some problems for preaching. Excellent post.
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