The Book Press

The official blog for Leonard's Book Restoration Station, Eric Haley, Proprietor. Discussions about bookbinding, antiquarian book restoration, Bible repair, and well, the Bible in general. Take care of your Bible--in between the covers is The Word of God!

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Location: Burrows, IN, United States

Saturday, January 3, 2009

The Best Leather / Book Restorers' Prices

Question:
What do you believe is the best quality leather out there?

Answer:
I can't answer that question easily except to say that the best leather out there is the leather that's right for you. But I know, that was not the question. The best quality leather is leather that comes from a healthy animal, and has been tanned and processed properly.

Let me just mention some of the good/bad things I have found in each of the leathers we have used in binding softcover Bibles.

Pigskin:
  • Good: Great durability; readily available in lighter weights; comes in natural or pressed grains; does not easily scuff.
  • Bad: The natural grain has pores which bother some people; tends to be a little stiff with a pressed grain; natural, unfinished hides usually have a lot of scars. (Pigs are kind of rough on their bodies.)
Calfskin:
  • Good: Good durability; tools well; finishes nicely; especially suited for antique finish; large hides are the norm.
  • Bad: Hard to find in lighter weights; hard to find in a grain and temper suitable for bookbinding since most calf is processed for upholstery use.
Deerskin:
  • Good: Great durability; good natural grain; soft to the touch.
  • Bad: Somewhat elastic; a little on the heavy side for bookbinding and harder to skive or pare edges.
Goatskin:
  • Good: Good durability; natural wild grain or grained are both available; naturally lightweight.
  • Bad: Expensive, small hides; mostly tanned outside of the U.S.
Sheepskin:
  • Good: Good durability in the right weight with quality hides; naturally lightweight; very soft; available in some pressed patterns and natural rustic look.
  • Bad: Somewhat elastic; occasional poor layer adhesion requires extra caution when selecting hides; a little spongy and does not take foil imprinting well; scuffs and soils easily, though not a problem a dark skin with rustic look.
Lambskin:
  • Good: Good durability with the right weight; naturally light weight; imprints well.
  • Bad: Somewhat elastic.
Kangaroo:
  • Good: Great durability; finishes beautifully using antiqued finishes; naturally lightweight; tools great; imprints great.
  • Bad: Tends to scuff and dent easily. (Don't use it as a surface for writing a check.)
Ostrich:
  • Good: Great durability, naturally lightweight, soft (except for the bumps).
  • Bad: Expensive; not readily available; often confused with common ostrich grained pig or calfskins (no real comparison); natural pimples make imprinting difficult if not impossible.
Buffalo:
  • Good: Good durability; good grain; imprints well.
  • Bad: Usually not available in light weight; a little stiff.
Question:
Why is there such a difference in the prices bookbinders and book restorers charge for their services?

Answer:
Easily answered -- regional economy, personal economy, experience in the field, name recognition, services offered, and other factors that affect a free market system. These apply to every trade and product.

My own question:
How do you know when someone's work is overpriced?

Answer:
When they don't have any customers. :-)

~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

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