It is impossible to imagine the history of bookbinding without leatherwork, and difficult to advance in learning bookbinding without having some skill or understanding of how leather is used in making books. Fancy books, plain ones, rustic or refined, historical and modern all have used leather in some fashion. Even many books without the tiniest scrap of leather still have borrowed working methods from leather bookbinding. This introduction to the advanced track in leatherwork for bookbinding helps students cross the frontier of those remote and mysterious tools and techniques commonly used in leather bookbinding today.

The first half of the class will explain and demonstrate the technical aspects of knives, and you will experience how to get and maintain a great edge. We will look at the various advantages and disadvantages of PSA abrasive sheets, Japanese water stones, oil stones, and stropping compounds. We will also explain the different surfaces available for using your knife, and how they act on knives: litho stones, marble, and tempered glass. If you have a knife for leather working that has dulled or lost its shape, and you'd like to learn how to tune it up yourself, please bring it to work on.

The second half of the class will focus on the various methods used to pare leather: edge paring with knives, and all-over paring with a Schärf-Fix or Brockman paring machine. There will be plenty of time for guided practice on your own in order to gain confidence with this essential skill. For those who learn quickly, paring for onlays and labels will be covered.

This workshop is a requirement for the advanced leather track in bookbinding at the San Francisco Center for the Book.

Materials to Bring: None. Students will be provided with edge paring knives that they will be able to take home after class for use future leather workshops and leather bookbinding work.

Workshop + Materials Fee: $300.00 (This fee includes a leather paring knife, strop, and microabrasive sheets for sharpening for students to keep)

Date & Time: Saturday, September 24, 2016 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Note: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THIS WORKSHOP.

About the Instructor | Juliayn Coleman

Juliayn Coleman has been a professional bookbinder since her graduation from the North Bennet Street School bookbinding program in 2003. Her private practice encompasses all levels of book repair and conservation, custom portfolio and enclosure making, teaching, and being a good ambassador for the craft of bookbinding in general. Some of her creative and professional projects can be seen at  www.bookislandbindery.com.

Past Student Reviews:

“Juliayn is an incredibly patient and clear teacher -- careful to make sure every student's questions are addressed quickly, but also that the whole class is understanding the material and moving forward with their projects.”

“Juliayn is a fabulous teacher!”

“It was an excellent basic workshop on knives, sharpening and caring for them, and information about leather and paring. This will be a great background for the Leather 1 workshop."

Advance Your Bookbinding Skills :: Choose the Date of Your Next Secondary Core Class

Leather Core 1