To rebind or not to rebind

I think it is a great idea, and use a local bookbinder.

I have rebound a 1st edition Hobbit, Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings and I think they are great, but as you say does not really add value to the books, so the cost of binding is really down to you having a set of books that are hand bound.

One other tip is to do a search on the Internet for rebound Lord of the Rings and send the bookbinder a picture of the designs that you like, to help them with the final product.

It is also worth pointing out that a lot of bookbinders will not do patterns on the bindings, such as Doors of Durin or Tolkien's monogram, but you can always ask if they can do them.

Oh, those are so beautiful! Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely keep it in mind!

Trotter wrote:

I think it is a great idea, and use a local bookbinder.

Trotter, Would you mind sharing the contact for this binder? Is it the Chelsea Bindery?

Thanks!

Unfortunately this book binder died a few years ago, he was based above Ken Spellman's Books in York, that shop has changed ownership to Lucius Books, but they no longer do bookbinding.

Those are beautiful, Trotter! Thanks for sharing those photos

I don't think it's lame at all! (Although some I find more tasteful than others, but that comes down to personal preference.) I've had a handful of books rebound to varying degrees of quality. I second researching binders around you and asking if they can provide examples of past work they've done. Just because someone charges more doesn't necessarily mean they are better than the next binder. On the flip side of that coin, I wouldn't recommend doing it on the cheap and getting a quality lower than your expectations.

As Trotter mentioned, most binders won't do patterns (by hand, if I understand you correctly?). However, they may do a custom stamping if you provide them with a die. There are shops that can fashion a die for you if you provide them with an image to work off.

Also, if you poke around the threads on this site, there are some mouthwatering rebinds to be found. (LanceFormation's '38 Hobbit comes to mind.) Might give you some additional inspiration!

ǽc ælf wrote:

As Trotter mentioned, most binders won't do patterns (by hand, if I understand you correctly?). However, they may do a custom stamping if you provide them with a die. There are shops that can fashion a die for you if you provide them with an image to work off.

Please make sure that images you provide do not have third party copyrights associated with them, if you do decide to do this.

Trotter wrote:

Please make sure that images you provide do not have third party copyrights associated with them, if you do decide to do this.

Yes, good point! For a couple of the dies I had made, I designed them myself on the computer (part or most of the die contained text). If it's not too complex that could also be an option for you.

I just wanted to chime in and say that I think it to be a wonderful idea, and that - imo - some of the best bookbinders around offer incredibly value for money when you think about the work and materials than go into a properly hand bound book.

If you are in the UK, a good starting point might be to speak to a member of Designer Bookbinders who are nearby to you - https://designerbookbinders.org.uk/