The Classic Leather Binding

 Registration is closed for this event

August 5th, 2019 9:30 AM

  • Instructor: Dominic Riley
  • Workshop Type: Binding
  • Workshop Status: Closed
  • Workshop Start: August 5th, 2019 9:30 AM
  • Workshop End: August 9th, 2019 5:30 PM
  • Sessions: 5

Seventeenth century England was the age of revolution, and the age of the pamphlet. Whether incendiary, radical or politically contentious, treaties published in this format were published in their millions. Most of these tracts were put into simple paper covers, but those valued by their owners were bound into simple leather bindings.

This new workshop from Dominic will teach you how to make an authentic binding from the period. Working on a facsimile of a historical text – a charming 1640 edition of Dr Faustus -we will reproduce a handsome ‘pastiche’ binding sympathetic with the time.

The sections will be sewn on raised cords with plain endpapers sewn on. The book will be trimmed, rounded and backed, the edges be sprinkled and polished, red and white headbands sewn on, and the cords frayed out and laced into boards.

The book will be covered in a good quality calfskin, which we will hand-dye in class to achieve an authentic historical look. Particular attention will be given to careful and accurate paring using the English knife, ensuring a neat fit over the binding. The leather will be pasted out and applied to the book, taking care shaping it over the raised bands, forming the headcaps, and making neat, simple corners.

The binding will be decorated in the classic seventeenth century style. This involves sprinkling with black leather dye, followed by a blind tooling formula common in the period. The spine is embellished with an attractive red leather title label, tooled in gold.

The endpapers are then put down, and the binding polished and waxed.


Pre-Requisite: Orientation to Leather or similar leather bookbinding experience.

Materials to Bring: your usual tool box.

Optional: paring knife and strop (English or French, instructor will have spares); notebook; old toothbrush; two small hand towels; one medium sized clean towel; tea towel.

Workshop Fee (includes $100 materials fee): $700.00

Date & Time: Monday-Friday, August 5-9, 2019 :: 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 | Dominic Riley

Dominic Riley Is an internationally renowned bookbinder, artist, lecturer and teacher. He has his bindery in the Lake District, from where he travels across the UK teaching and lecturing. He spends part of the year teaching in San Francisco and across the USA. His work is mostly restoration and Design Binding, for which he has won many prizes in the Designer Bookbinders competition. He was elected Fellow of DB in 2008. His bindings are in collections worldwide, including the British Library, the Grolier Club in New York and the San Francisco Public Library. In 2013 he won first prize, the Sir Paul Getty Award, in the International Bookbinding Competition. Dominic is President of the Society of Bookbinders.


Past Student Reviews:

“I liked learning about the history of the binding style.”

“Dominic was very patient. He is able to communicate very clearly and concisely what the next steps are and what to expect during the day. Love his humor too!”

“Great tips and tricks to do things better, attention to detail”

“Dominic is very experienced and very patient, both extremely necessary for an instructor. The emphasis on history made it much more interesting.”

“I cannot imagine how it could have been better!”

“The crown jewel of bookbinders!”

375 Rhode Island St
San Francisco, CA 94103-5133
United States