Carolingian Binding

I was asked by a friend to make a vigil book for her husband's upcoming elevation to the Chivalry. When asked what kind of book she wanted for him, she said to me, "Make something that will take you further down your bookbinding path." It was a great gift to me, as lately I have been feeling a little stuck in my bookbinding journey.  After some thought, I decided to create what JA Szirmai calls a "Carolingian Binding". This style is considered the first with a supported stitch binding and was the common binding from the late 8th century C.E., to the end of the 12th century C.E. (Szirmai, p. 100). Here is a link to the documentation for this binding:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_A7MrXbr8GVw2c83GkfrmMrt7m3iwAjdnMPKK4oFdFI/edit?usp=sharing

In his studies of Carolingian bindings, Szirmai found the following traits were common among the bindings (Szirmai, passim):

1. Double support cords of vegetable fiber (very few leather tongs)

2. Herringbone sewing pattern 

3. Supports threaded through side of cover board

4. Thick cover boards with little shaping

5. Text block flush with cover boards

6. Endbands sewn through a leather tab which then is sewn to a matching tab on the cover

7. Pastedowns under turndowns 

8. Flat spine

This book was bound with 20 8.5in x 5.5in quires of Domtar/Cougar Signatures 70 lb Text Paper; 3/32in, 4-ply linen cord for the support cords; 25/3, unwaxed white linen thread approximately 0.50 mm thick conditioned with bees’ wax for the sewing thread; 18/3 unwaxed black linen thread conditioned with bees’ wax to sew the endbands and spine tabs; 3/8in thick quarter sawn white oak boards for the book boards; vegetable tanned goat leather (pre-dyed white) approximately 0.65mm thick for the spine tabs, cover, and closing strap; 14 gauge brass wire for clasp; brass nails (1.2x12mm) for the closing pin; wheat paste to attach leather, secure support cords onto book boards, and to attach the closing strap; and wooden toothpicks as wedges to help secure support cords onto book boards.  I also used black Angelus Leather Paint to create the belt motif on the cover.

Here are the pictures:

 

Text block an bookboards.  The boards have been shaped but not drilled.

Practice drilling

Boards drilled obliquely through the side to the top face.

Top face for boards with drilled holes

Lacing holes drilled from top face to bottom face of boards

Channels carved between the lacing holes.  This is the front cover as you can see the markings for the channel for the cover strap on the right of the picture.

Channels carved on the back board.

Finished back cover board.

Finished front cover board

Starting to sew the text block.  I thought I was doing the sewing pattern correctly but it turns out I was not.

Finished text block with front cover laced on the sewing supports.  The sewing pattern is not the herringbone it is supposed to be but a later period straight pattern that I then chain stitched.  I will do it right on the next book.

Lacing on the inside on the back cover

Front cover laced, glued with wheat paste, and pegged with toothpicks

Endband tabs glued to the spine with wheat paste

Endband tabs sewn on

Herringbone endband

Leather added to the text block. Note the tabs extending off the spine. 

Pastedowns (endpages) are pasted with wheat paste and then the turndowns are pasted over them

Leather is attached with wheat paste, as is the leather strap

Claps finished with a small brass nail inserted into the side of the back cover board

I used a pencil to create carbon paper to add the motif to the cover of the book.

Motif penciled in

Painted motif

Finished Front Cover

Finished Back Cover

Finished Spine

Finished Tail

Finished Head

 

Herringbone endband and finished spine tab

Back of the spine tab