Toolemera Blog

Of Bindings, in Paper, Cloth or Leather

Lately I've been reading up on cloth book bindings of the 19th century. It's not a difficult topic to read up on as there is not all that much written on the subject. At least in comparison to some other topics. i've become one of those peculiar people who, if he reads or purchases a book with a jacket, immediately removes the jacket to see what the cased cover looks like (casing being the typical cloth binding method of today). I want to see if there is an imprint in faux gold on the cover, what the spine looks like and if some nicely colored cloth was used. Or if the publisher opted for a bland but serviceable library type binding.

Perhaps it's because I spend so much time with books of the 19th Century that my fingers seem to prefer a cloth, or embossed cloth binding. Paper book jackets just seem so, un-bookish to me now. My tactile sense is confused. Am I holding a paperback or a hard back book? I have to be careful of the jacket too. They tend to slip up and down on the book, come loose at awkward moments and are edible delights to some cats.

When I walk into a used book store (or antiquarian book store as they prefer to say in Bahsten) I gravitate towards the shelves of gold stamped cloth or leather bindings. It's as if the radar in my head (once I remove the aluminum foil of course) picks up the reflected signals of the metallic stamping and directs me to the proper target. The new book market loves book jackets, or laminated book covers for trade paperbacks. Line them up on miriad shelves and you have a concaphony of images, colors. titles and authors.

Give me a shelf of stamped cloth bindings and I can most likely pick out those published by Henry Carey Baird, Evans Bros, Upton Gill (sorry, not much yet on these guys), and so on. I'm not bragging. It's just a learned habit. I can scan across the shelf and pick up the titles or authors with ease.

"Manual of Book-Binding. Nicholson. Baird"
"Holtzapffel's Turning and Mechanical Manipulation. Vol. II. Construction and Action of Cutting Tools. London. 1847"
"Drawing for Carpenter's & Joiners. Cassell's"

And so on. I don't have to figure out what the jacket cover really means, what the image has to do with the title (if anything) and why the author's name is either larger or smaller than the title. Beware the tiny author, that's a newbie and possibly written by a high school senior for a class project. Stick with the AUTHOR title book jacket for safety.

Recently Chris Schwarz published his interpretation of Moxon's chapter on Joinery as a hard back book. No jacket, just a nicely colored cloth with a stamped spine and cover. This book fits into my book shelf comfortably, as if it was a product of Baird & Co. When I read it, the cloth cover presents a comfortable tactile experience, unlike a slick paper jacket, complete with film laminated protection or a polyester book jacket protector.

I realize that it's more expensive to produce a book with a cloth cover. But these books are meant to be read, enjoyed, used, and reread. Guess I'm a cloth book cover snob at heart. S'cuse me while I fill my glass of Tanqueray Gin & Schwepps Tonic Water, twist of barbados lime and relax in my broadcloth shirt, khaki Brooks Brothers slacks and TopSider mocassins, sans socks, on the porch over looking the Habah.

Till next, Gary

Luddites R Us

To quote one Martin Ryder, whose words I use in testament to his most excellent compilation of all things Luddite:

"Cultural change necessarily involves resistance to change. The term Luddite has been resurrected from a previous era to describe one who distrusts or fears the inevitable changes brought about by new technology. The original Luddite revolt occurred in 1811, an action against the English Textile factories that displaced craftsmen in favor of machines. Today's Luddites continue to raise moral and ethical arguments against the excesses of modern technology to the extent that our inventions and our technical systems have evolved to control us rather than to serve us and to the extent that such leviathans can threaten our essential humanity. "

I've long wanted to find a use for the domain name "Luddites R Us". It satisfies my sense of the absurd and the contrary that we use the internet to champion the cause of makers and users of hand tools. Here we have the most complex piece of machinery in the world being bent to the needs and uses of the manual arts crowd.

Why else have we turned to hand tools for all sorts of trades, crafts and avocational pursuits than because we seek to re-experience the wonder of putting hand to tool to stuff to create something. The spinning table saw blade separates us from the material to such an extent that we now expect Starrett precision from our craft. Pick up a hand plane, chisel, saw or marking gauge and you know what you are working with and how the stuff you work reacts to the insult of the blade or tooth.

I am now the proud owner of ludditesrus.com, a domain name that in and of itself shouts the peculiarities of modern thought. We (those of us who live in the US or who are tourists to the area) hop in our SUV to take a day trip to Plimoth Plantation in order to experience a recreation of what life was like in the earliest days of the occupation of the America lands. Peter Follansbee maintains his most excellent blog, chronicling his work as the resident woodworker of Plimoth Plantation. Stephen Shepard uses his blog to forward the arts of craftwork of all sorts.

For those of you who may take offense at being compared to the backwards thinking Luddites, take heart in Mr. Ryder's modern day view of King Ludd and his minions (I've always wanted minions... perhaps I should crown myself and find some?). Take heart in reassurance that I will abandon neither my blog, websites, nor Macintosh Pro Tower in any effort to emulate the followers of King Ludd. No tin cans and string for me.

Cleary, I've been reading too much of the inception of the Manual Arts movement of the 19th century.

Till next, Gary

PS: handtoolmakers.com is also a domain owned by yours truly. Possibly the more prosaic of the two will win out in the end of the bitter fight. If so, my favorite ludditesrus.com will remain and will find it's place on the web as a home for all those curmudgeonly aficianados of really old stuff.

Changes aFoot

You may, or may not (as far as your powers of observation extend) noticed some changes to both the website and blog. It's not my fault. Blame The Village Carpenter. Some time ago I asked Kari about putting together a business card for me. My endeavors in that arena typically look like your bland government business card. Within a few heartbeats Kari sent a batch of samples my way. One in particular I liked, but, me being me, I prevaricated for a while between a few other possibles. In the end I came back to the first pick as my favorite. Clearly, Kari is as skilled a graphics artist as she is a woodworker.

In fact, I liked this gadget so much so that it has proliferated throughout my blog and website. Bit by bit this image, or variants thereof, has taken over the banners of each entity.

Kari also commented on the improvement of additional colors to the website. That got me to thinking that mayhap it was time to rethink the color schemes and brighten up the world. Look around the blog and you'll see what I mean. The website is also in the midst of a redo. Not punk or goth, but some nice coloration to liven things up. I'm tired of the monotone dark blues and grays. Out with the old and in with the colors!

I also needed a logo to use on eStore products as well as a few other spots. The "little man", as so many people call him, has become a Brand in his own right. So back to the basics and we have:

This little guy will pop up when you least expect it in Black & White and with this nice Parchment background. Luckily for me, this piece of engraving is from sometime in the last quarter of the 19th Century. Just in case the artist returns to claim his due, I've trademarked the image. If anyone uses the "little man" without my permission, I'll sick my killer maine coon cat on you. He'll lick you to the edge of death.

On the Moxon topic, there was a minor glitch in the check disk which I am working on fixing. I wasn't happy with the splash screen software and have been trying out a few different types. Finally, there is one that suits my lazy approach to production. I'll have the new zip file uploaded to the media printer this week, receive the check disk next week and if all is well, I can actually offer Moxon for sale!

Lastly, I am no longer at MIT. Well sort of not there. After fussing over the decision for a year, I elected to take them up on their offer of extended sick leave followed by applying for long term disability. The toes are in need of a some major tuneups at the surgeon's table. Not enough cartilage means fusion time, which, as drastic as it sounds, is fine with me. That plus reaching the end of the long road of a cornea transplant signifyed time to get away from the Library field and the encroaching electronification of that particular world. Working at databases and spreadsheets all day was making my eyes cross. Well, actually that can happen anyhow as I have diplopia (double vision) but living at a monitor was making it worse.

So here I am, enjoying the scent of lilacs wafting in through the window. And thinking of things to blog about...

Till next, Gary

Adobe High Level Risk Notice

Folks

Just in case you haven't heard, there is a very high risk security problem with Adobe Reader and Acrobat for all platforms. Adobe has rushed out the Reader 9.1 update as well as a patch for Acrobat 9:

http://www.adobe.com/support/security/bulletins/apsb09-03.html

Consider this a Public Service announcement on behalf of an enthusiastic Acrobat user.

Till next, Gary

Google Swallow Feedburner Whole

Yup, Google, in it's quest for world domination, has swallowed Feedburner. Exactly what this means I am not yet sure. Apparently all Feedburner RSS feeds will now cycle, or work, or something, through Google.

I am waiting for the day that Google locks horns with Amazon for total control of the internet. Googlzon? Amaogle?

Here I am attempting to avoid ending up with all my eggs in one basket and suddenly, without warning, I am back to Google! For the sake of my sanity as well as my 70's counter-culture mentality, I'll monitor these happenings to see what transpires. So long as I don't start to see those annoying seasonal and holiday graphics Google throws in our faces, I'll live with the switch.

But Adsense? No way. I suspected the jig was up way back when Feedburner started pushing Adsense. My guess is the founders of Feedburner are now relaxing on a coral atol somewhere in the South Pacific, counting their buyout bucks.

Till next, Gary