Half Leather Binding – Bookbinding Kit – Full Version

We proudly present our 4th and most ambitious ‘Workshop in a Box’ to date – The Half Leather Journal.

Daydream yourself into the grand library of a country house, running your fingers along the raised bands of the rich leather spines… The classic titles of Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe, Jane Austen and The Brontés so elegantly dressed in their half-leather bindings. This is a kit for true bibliophiles.

This classic, archetypal ‘antique book’ styling is based on traditional 19th century book binding. With this kit you will make a hollow-back, multi signature book with a rounded spine. The case has fine leather covered corners and spine with false raised bands and beautifully decorated sidings. Details include coordinated end-papers and headbands and a tactile, velvet bookmark ribbon.

We are delighted to be able to offer this kit with sublime illustrated papers by Bomo Art of Budapest. We think the cover combination of fine goatskin half-binding and Bomo Art’s timeless designs is just ravishing!

Here at Learn Bookbinding we pride ourselves in taking traditional bookbinding out of the bindery and onto your kitchen table. Despite its sophisticated appearance, this kit is no exception to our easy-to-do presentation. This a wonderfully demystified and simplified introduction to multi signature sewing onto tapes, rounding a book block and binding with leather without compromising the finished result.*

Your finished book fits satisfyingly into the hand; measuring approximately 85mm x 140mm x 25mm D. It has 256 pages of unlined, smooth, white 100gsm paper; perfect for writing and drawing. We have also included a ruled, handwriting guide-sheet and blotting paper.

The full kit contains all the tools and sundries you need to make one, handsome, half-leather Journal from start-to-finish. The carefully selected, quality tools will last years, enabling you to make many more books. The kit includes our downloadable extensive step-by-step instructions, with over 450 photographs thoroughly detailing every stage. Our instructions will walk you through the process as if you were in your own, one-to-one workshop with Mandy Flockton!

*Although very competent crafters will be able to complete this more advanced kit with no prior bookbinding experience, for the very best results we recommend you have some hands-on practice with basic bookbinding techniques. We suggest our Complete Bookbinding Starter Kit as the perfect way to begin your bookbinding journey.

This Half Leather Bookbinding kit contains:

Self-Healing Cutting Mat – A4
Real Bone Folder – 5”
Ruler, steel 30cm/12”
15mm cutting guide bar
Snap-off blade knife
Craft razor blade
Scissors
Awl
Large glue Brush
Small glue Brush
Hardwood Dowel spine former
Pencil
Ballpoint pen
Cloths x 2
A4 polygrip bag
Card jig stops x3
Plastic Sheets x 4
Sewing Pack – containing thread, needle, masking tape and cotton Bookbinders tape
Mull
Beeswax
Double sided sticky tape
Headband x 2
Velvet ribbon bookmark
Manilla card spine stiffener
Brown Kraft paper spine liner
Wheat paste x 2
PVA glue
Greyboard x 1 1/2 sheets
Paper (pages) white, smooth, short grain, 100gsm 65 sheets 175mmx297mm
Endpapers 2x A4
Bomo Art Sidings 2x 140x240mm min
Leather A4 fine goat or calf skin
Leather raised spine bands x 5
Laminated handwriting guide sheet
Blotting paper sheet

If you already have my “Complete Bookbinding Starter Kit” then you will already have some of these tools. With that in mind you might prefer to go for the “Lite” version of this kit, saving you from doubling up on certain tools. You can find the lite version here: Half Leather Journal Bookbinding Kit – Lite Version