What Do You Have in Burgundy?

From time to time, we're asked what we have in a certain color -- like ... Burgundy! :-)

Other times, a customer just says, "I want my Bible rebound in burgundy leather," but has no idea what the different leathers look like, and didn't know that we'd have more than one choice. (Kind of like asking for tomato sauce at one of those big super stores!)

Well, I understand! Being around Carroll County Indiana 4-H a lot has given me more than a passing familiarity with goats, sheep, hogs, cows, ... and even llamas, actually ... but until I began working with Eric in this business, I didn't know what their skins looked like under all that hair. (I still don't know what llama leather looks like.)

The fact is, we've now collected quite a few different options in burgundy, and I can tell you what they're like, but seeing the leathers and the grains may help a lot more. So let's do some comparisons. I'll show you some of these choices and you can decide for yourself what would be best for you.

First off, let me tell you we've just gotten in a shipment of very nice burgundy pigskin. Remember, "genuine leather" = pigskin on modern Bibles. So, if one or more of the following applies to you:

• If you want a good budget choice in genuine leather.
• If you just really don't want black or brown.
• If you believe burgundy is the new black in the realm of Bible covers
• If your original cover was a mission grain burgundy and you want it to look just like that
  

... then you'll like this leather. It has a semi-glossy mission grain texture and it's about the best we've seen. Yes, the linear texture is embossed into the leather, which hides irregularities and those visible pores unique to pigskin, that not everyone likes.

Here's a before picture of a burgundy Bible. It's nasty cardboard with an impressed grain.

Voilà! Here's an after picture of the same Bible, now covered in our nice burgundy pigskin. (It's a little hard to see the grain, but you can see how nice it looks.)

This leather is just the right size -- thicker than the "genuine leather" on many factory made Bibles, so it will last longer, but it's thinner than other pigskins and flexible so it won't be too stiff on your Bible. It's good for Bibles of all sizes.

Now, here's a pic so you can compare the grain on 4 burgundy hides. From the top left, clockwise, we have smooth grained lambskin, deep burgundy calfskin, mission grain pigskin, and sculptured Italian cowhide.

Here's another pic. These are three different colors of goatskin, none of them called "burgundy." From left to right, we have maroon and crimson Harmatan wild-grain goatskin, and deep red premium soft tanned goatskin.


And here are some more Bible pics:

Burgundy lamb. The picture's a little too bright, but this is good leather for a smaller, thinner Bible.



Deep burgundy calf. Better for average to large sized Bibles.



Itallian sculptured cowhide. (Also a little too bright, but you can see a good representation of the color on the previous pic.) This is better on medium to large Bibles -- soft, thick, and flexible.

Here's a crimson Harmatan goatskin Bible. The maroon is much darker. Harmatan goat is good for larger Bibles.

And here's the deep red soft-tanned premium goatskin. It's good for all sizes of Bibles and is very soft and flexible. (See our recent posts for information on this goatskin.)


Here's another choice in red (not technically burgundy, but close):

Red calfskin. See how flexible it is?


We also have an imitation leather (cloth with a leatherlike finish) in an antique burgundy. (Sorry, I don't have a pic of that.)

And one more idea -- hand-dyed leather. Here's a hand-dyed, antiqued deerskin Bible. Blind-stamping and tooling is a favorite technique on this kind of leather.



We can also hand-dye natural grain pigskin; rustic goatskin (as on our Poor Man's Geneva Bible style), rustic calfskin (American West style), or kangaroo (Outback style). This is what it burgundy looks like on calfskin:

And here it is on kangaroo:


There you have it! We can encase your Bible in burgundy in many different ways. What looks good to you? If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help you with your selection. Click here for a free price quote,

Or go straight here for detailed ordering information.

Grace and Peace,

Margie L. Haley, Administrative Assistant
Leonard's Book Restoration Station
(574) 652-2151
http://www.leonardsbooks.com/

Goatskin Colors

Here they are, pics of our unembossed, natural grain soft-tanned premium goatskin, made up into Bibles.

• Yes, they are soft.
  
• Yes, they are ultra-flexible.
  
• Yes, they feel great -- nice texture.
  
• Yes, they are durable.
  
• Yes, they are a great price. :-)

That makes black, medium brown, and deep red. Anybody out there think we should add dark brown to the mix? Let me know.

~Margie

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

Highland Goatskin -- What Is It, Really?

We've been wondering for awhile now about Highland Goatskin. In our minds, we imagined sweet little kids rolling on the grass on Scottish hillsides. Considering the post we did earlier about French Morocco and leather lingo, we should have known, oui?

We heard that these critters were softer than most. We saw pictures that showed remarkable flexibility. And we read that this is the only kind of goatskin that is so soft because it's 100% natural -- not embossed or impressed.

So we finally decided it was important to get the skinny on the skin. We asked our supplier, who in turn asked a tanner. This is what the supplier said:

I asked the question of the tannery about highland goat. He says it's generally just from some region in Africa, but more of a selling tool than meaning anything. It is leather that is not embossed.

They were right! We read on another website that the famed Highland Goatskin was not, in fact, made in Scotland -- it was imported from Nigeria. (So much for our over-active imaginations!)

Then she confirmed what we knew in our hearts. The leather we were buying from her was also all natural, not embossed. Same thing. The larger hides were from Africa, and the smaller ones were from the U.S. Only we didn't give it a fancy name. We're calling it "Premium soft-tanned goatskin."

If you want the same kind of soft, flexible, but durable goatskin that's called "Highland Goatskin" by others, you've come to the right place. Here are a couple of pics of two Bibles we just shipped out yesterday, in black premium soft-tanned goatskin. Look familiar?

This is the difference: Leonard's isn't a publisher. We do rebinding. That means, you can choose your own "insides." If you want the text block of your Bible to be your grandmother's Bible from the 1920's, or your own heavily-used Zondervan Study Bible with a glued spine, or a brand-spankin' new smythe-sewn Thompson Chain Reference, or a Gideon's pocket Bible, you can do it. We can put that premium goatskin on any of your Bibles. What's more, we'll soon be expanding your options to include more colors. Stay tuned and we'll introduce you to the color line.

~Margie L. Haley, Partner
Leonard's Book Restoration Station
(574) 652-2151
http://www.leonardsbooks.com/

New Leathers In -- Old Leathers Out

Hi!

It's been awhile since we've posted anything, but things are good here in Indiana -- no earthquakes or tsunamis, no record snowfalls, just a good blanket of snow that waters the fertile soil for the winter wheat crop.

And yes, we've gotten over the Christmas rush, but we still have plenty to do. Our theory is, every book or Bible that we do right is our best advertisement. And the Lord has blessed that approach.The news is, I've gotta get the website changed soon. We have several leathers not available anymore and other new leathers that you might want to hear about. Until I get the website changed, here's the scoop.

Not available anymore: bomber jacket lambskin. I know, that's all over the place. It was nice while it lasted. Another leather, aviator sheepskin, is just not meeting our standards. We are also not going to be able to get several of the pigskins anymore: notably, the teal, plum, and deep burgundy.

But here are some new things that we believe you'll really like::-)The first is a top-grain cowhide. I know, in other posts, we've mentioned that top-grain cowhide is the uppermost portion of a piece of older leather, and that we prefer using a full-grain younger leather. But these cowhides look very nice indeed. Each has a pleasant light pebble grain, is soft and supple, and should be good and long-lasting. The best part is they come in 25 different colors. No, not black or burgundy, but 25 other colors like peacock, ivy, mocha, bright red, yellow, and purple. We like the combination of the thickness (durability) and the softness (flexibility).


The second is that we have some good flexible calfskins in several more colors now. We have them in a thicker black, brown, navy, burgundy, and forest green. These have the same nice grain I called "rustic" on the website. (Someone asked me what "rustic" meant recently. The answer -- it's not slick-smooth!) These calfskins look and feel wonderful on a Bible. The grain is mostly a small pebbly grain.


One more bovine option: burgundy sculptured Italian calfskin. It only comes in burgundy, looks "pre-wrinkled" and is wonderfully thick and flexible. I know, we were just teasing about the nationality of leathers in our last post, but then this stuff came in, and it really is nice. (The picture looks lighter than it really is, but shows the texture.)


Now, about the deerskin. We have done lots of really nice deerskin Bibles lately. They are very soft and flexible, and many people are looking for that feel nowadays. But there's a color you may have seen, both on our website and on other sites, called "natural tan" that's really not what it seems to be. The pictures of "natural tan" are actually a leather that's been hand-dyed to a glossy medium brown. Natural unfinished deerskin has more of a matte finish and could be even an eggshell color. So if you like the pictures, you would want to order "natural grain deerskin, hand-dyed to a glossy medium brown finish."


We also have burgundy, brown, and gold, that we can leave as is if you like, without that hand-dyed glossy finish. Here's a pic of some natural brown deerskin Bibles:

That's the scoop for now. We'll try to post more often.

Blessings in Jesus,
Margie

www.LeonardsBooks.com
Skilled bookbinding, restoration and repair services
P.O. Box 52***Burrows, IN 46916**U.S.A.
Phone: (574) 652-2151

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

New Leather and Paper!

Working with genuine leather can be interesting! As we've said before, genuine leather is not like Pringles, where everything is guaranteed to be the same size, nor is it like toilet paper. It's the real thing, and there's waste along the edges, real marks of originality on the skin itself (we do avoid holes!) and variation in the thickness of the leather.


But sometimes, we get some really wonderful stuff in, and we want you to be the first to know it. In the last week, we've picked up some beautiful skins of pink, brown, or turquoise, partial hair-on cowhide. This is for the guy or gal who really wants something different for Christmas! The effect is a sky-and-clouds look for the turquoise, a Neapolitan ice cream look for the pink, and a rocky road ice cream look for the brown.


Sometimes we'd wondered what it would be like to bind Bibles in a skin with the fur still clinging to it, but we'd always decided it really wouldn't work well. But this is flexible enough for a Bible, does show some of the skin, and gives us room to fold over the corners without getting hair on the glue. You can be the first (and only) one on your block with this fabulous skin covering your Bible! (Think of the animal skins on the tabernacle.)



We also got in some great new lambskin in black or navy, and a wide selection of special papers, marbled, printed, and satin that can be used for end pages or a very special leather & paper hardcover binding. If you have a special children's book you've been storing from your past that would be a good Christmas present if it were fixed up or restored, now's the time to brush it off and send it to us.

Margie L. Haley, Administrative Assistant
Leonard's Book Restoration Station
(574) 652-2151
www.leonardsbooks.com

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

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

Now on YouTube!

Hi, Everybody! Hope you're staying warm!

Remember that the Lord has promised there will always be a spring to follow winter while the world remains.

For those of you who like our video about why we don't use bonded leather, it's on YouTube now, and you can share it with your friends.

Leonard's Books & The Restoration Station
Quality used and out-of-print books
Skilled bookbinding, restoration and repair services
www.LeonardsBooks.us
www.LeonardsBooks.com
P.O. Box 52***Burrows, IN 46916**U.S.A.
Phone: (574) 652-2151

New Items

Over the last couple of months we have added some new features to our offerings in Bible rebinding.

After several years of searching, we have finally found a supplier for the leatherette end pages (or liners) common in most Bibles. Not only does this stuff look good, but it greatly adds to the flexibility of our Bibles. When you have a small binding shop, one of the biggest hurdles is to get suppliers to talk to you. Unless you're willing to buy in large quantities, many of them won't bother responding to inquiries.
I knew this stuff had to be available and though we had to purchase it in 25 yard rolls, it was nice to find a supplier that would sell it in rolls and not pallets.
We have three colors available; black, chocolate brown, and wine. In case you chocolate lovers are wondering, I tested it and it's not scratch & sniff. :-)
We also recently found a supplier for morocco grain pigskin. While it's only available in dark brown, it can easily be dyed black and buffed to a beautiful luster. It also has great flexibility.

My leather supply is growing, but keeping a consistent supply is always a problem, as it is with many natural products. This is why some of the more successful Bible binders are now using bonded leather. There is never a shortage of bonded leather. There is also never a shortage of bonded leather Bibles that are falling apart.

God Bless,

Eric

Leonard's Books & The Restoration Station
Skilled bookbinding, restoration and repair services
Quality used and out-of-print books
www.LeonardsBooks.com
P.O. Box 52***Burrows, IN 46916**U.S.A.
Phone: (574) 652-2151