Gebrochene Rücken: Quarter-Vellum Akallabêth Rebind

This post is a continuation of Gebrochene Rücken: Peter D. Verheyen Edelpappband-Style Quenta Rebind; essentially Gebrochene Rücken: Part 2. In the previous post I documented the binding of the ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ part of a UNIVERSITY PRESS copy of The Silmarillion (1977); this became the QUENTA rebind. In this post I will discuss the second project, the AKALLABÊTH rebind. I will post about the third project, the INDEX rebind, separately.

For this project I followed a method demonstrated by Darryn Schneider; his DAS BOOKBINDING website—including links to all his YOUTUBE videos—can be found here. This was also the first time I used vellum in a project; I had acquired a pile of mixed vellum scraps—mostly goatskin I think—from an old bookbinder.

AKALLABÊTH (b. 2022) 

UNIVERSITY PRESS bound their copies of The Silmarillion in 32-page gatherings, and as with the ‘Quenta Silmarillion’, the ‘Akallabêth’ falls conveniently (complete) for binding; this time as a single gathering. I decided to bind this on its own. 

My contemporary note for this binding reads: 

“Single gathering re-sewn using orig. punch holes; inside/hidden knot. Two single folios (white & coloured) added to form endpapers; exposed-vellum joint. Bradel case made with vellum sp. & cloth boards. Paper doublure pastedowns matching coloured e.p. Gold (foil) tooled sp. Matching cloth slipcase.”

As before, some exposition.

Aside from messing around, why would you be binding only a small number of gatherings; or, as in this case, a single gathering? An obvious example would be to give a pamphlet a more permanent binding; you could also be trying to bind an article or offprint.

Previous single section project (2021)

I have numerous bookbinding technical guides, but I'm still not clear if there is a consensus on binding single sections/gatherings. With this ‘single section Bradel binding’ method the binding process is reversible. At book conservator level this would be important; not here, obviously. The outer folio sheet required minor reinforcement; aside from this, the remaining sheets and machine-made sewing holes were without any further need of modification or repair. 

Vellum — papers — gathering

Two single folios of paper were added to form new endpapers. These provide physical protection for the new page-block (as with any book); they provide more material—in this case a heavier (outer) paper—to sew to; they also protect the page-block from possible glue seepage. Endpapers allow contrasting colours and paper weights to be incorporated too; in this case the inside folio is white, the heavier outside folio blue. 

Endpaper configuration in finished book

In addition to the new endpapers a slim strip of vellum was incorporated; this would form the exposed joint. It was perhaps unwise to have used vellum for the joint, as it is a trifle rigid for this part of the binding, which requires flexibility for the opening of the covers. Lesson learnt. All of this—the original gathering, the two endpapers, and the vellum strip—were then sewn together; no glue was used at this point, the sewing was tied internally. 

Finished Bradel case

The second part of the binding is the Bradel case, assembled separately ‘off book’; as explained in the previous post, a Bradel binding is a type of case-binding. For the spine material I used vellum for the first time, which is more complicated to work with than it would seem; it's not simply another piece of leather. Vellum is very transparent (particularly wet), so has to be paper backed; even glue brush strokes can show through the surface.

Paper template and foil ready for tooling

The titling to the spine was again hand-tooled using single brass letters; the gold finish was achieved this time with foil. The overall finish is quarter-vellum, with cloth boards. The case has a wide groove to allow the covers to fully open; this was particularly important with this binding as I made no attempt to pare (thin) any parts of the vellum. The head and tail turn-ins are, as a result, rather clumsily finished.

Structure/format (finished binding)

The two parts are then brought together; the vellum strip is glued to the inside of the case and the inside of the covers lined with matching pastedowns. Most of the vellum strip is thus covered leaving only the ‘exposed’ joint visible. I again made a matching slipcase, using paper (not vellum) for the white. 

I think the finished book looks pretty sharp.

POSTSCRIPT: Here, also, is my contemporary materials note, since I don't appear to have named (above) any of the specific papers or bookcloth that I used for this project.

Also on SILMARILLION MINUTIAE

❆ Gebrochene Rücken: Peter D. Verheyen Edelpappband-Style Quenta Rebind

❆ For People Who Cannot Read the Pictures

❆ How Beautifully Your Bindings Open!