Another - how did they bind this question

[bcr]

Hi folks,

Please see below snaps of a book we had bound by a now defunct bindery. I took it apart to try and figure out how it was done, and how we can replicate it.

I thought they had done it all completely by hand, but looking closer I wonder whether a system like the Powis Fastback with their hard covers and headbands may have been used. The glue strips and little stick on headbands make me suspicious.

We're getting a fastback binder anyway for simple tape binds by non-technical staff, and I want to see if we can replicate the below type of bind using their hard covers. I don't expect the same standard of finish, 75% of the quality would do it. I'll get a foil stamping machine for the cover text, and a custom wax stamp with our logo on it to seal the ribbon. I suppose I would need a small diamater drill to drill the holes into the pages to feed the coloured ribbon through.

Thoughts and advice gladly appreciated!

Powis hard covers -

 

[keith1]

Casebinding. Check this site. They may even have video close to what you're looking for. They can do all sorts of oddball stuff. Not cheap, but good. Email them and I'm sure they'd give you an answer. The owner is a good guy.
sgfteam.ca

 

[Magnus59]

Unless it was a large print run the printed sections would have been folded, collated and sewn on machines. The mull on the spine would be glued on by hand, the case boards cut to size on a guillotine, the Baladek cloth would be applied to the case boards by hand and gold foiled on a platen using lead type or zinc blocks, the endpapers hand glued in place, then the books would be pressed in a book press, the head and tail bands would then be glued on by hand. This is a trade learned over many years, but sadly we are losing these skills due to an alarmingly low number of apprentices entering the workforce.
If the print run was long enough, the casing in process would be done by a dedicated casing in machine, but still operated by a skilled tradesperson.

 

[bcr]

Unless it was a large print run the printed sections would have been folded, collated and sewn on machines. The mull on the spine would be glued on by hand, the case boards cut to size on a guillotine, the Baladek cloth would be applied to the case boards by hand and gold foiled on a platen using lead type or zinc blocks, the endpapers hand glued in place, then the books would be pressed in a book press, the head and tail bands would then be glued on by hand. This is a trade learned over many years, but sadly we are losing these skills due to an alarmingly low number of apprentices entering the workforce.
If the print run was long enough, the casing in process would be done by a dedicated casing in machine, but still operated by a skilled tradesperson.

Thanks for the detailed reply Magnus!
Our local hand bindery closed a couple of years ago. We have one further afield we can use though.