Tuesdays | March 24-May 19, 2026 | 9 sessions
6-8:30 pm Eastern Time / 5-7:30 pm Central / 4-6:30 pm Mountain / 3-5:30 pm Pacific

The basic structure of a fine leather binding has changed little over the past 300 years. The text block is sewn onto supports, the spine carefully shaped, and the boards laced on. The book is covered in leather that has been precision-pared for protection, flexibility, and a sumptuous presentation.

This year’s topic is crafting a cutaway model of a full fine leather binding. The book will be covered in leather only halfway up so the construction remains visible for future reference. Features include hand-sewn endbands, champhered boards, marbled flexi endsheets with hidden cloth hinges, the “inner hinge” variation on the loose guard (found in Laura Young’s Bookbinding and Conservation by Hand), and a hollow tube on the spine. 

You will find this cutaway model invaluable for teaching bookbinding or for refreshing your memory on aspects of book structure. For those who delight in the engineering aspects of binding, the binding’s visible structure will make as lovely a design as any assortment of inlays, onlays, tooling.

A partial list of required tools: Scharfix, spokeshave, paring knife + strop.

Note: This is a fast-paced, advanced-level workshop for students experienced with traditional binding. To complete the material in the time scheduled, it is essential that students should be proficient in constructing reinforced endsheets, marking up, sewing on a variety of supports, rounding, backing, measuring for and applying spine linings, paring. Students should be making leather bindings independently, outside a workshop setting. Some homework may be required between sessions.

Please contact me if you are unsure if this workshop is the right fit for your current skills, or an appropriate stretch if you're ready for your next challenge.

Workshop fee includes a supply packet includes goatskin for covering, materials for the flyleaves and doubures, sewing supports and thread, endband silk, supplies for endband cores, book board, various paper and cloth linings, and blank text block.

Students outside US and Canada please contact me to discuss options for supplies.

The online format is a series of live tutorials via Zoom. The tutorials are recorded and the videos are available to registered students for 90 days. Students need not be present for the live sessions. Zoom links will be sent the week before class, and a tool list no later than three weeks in advance. Please check your spam filter if you have not received these messages in this timeframe.

Payment in full is due at time of registration. See FAQs for refund policy.

The German three-piece Bradel Binding has an elegant, streamlined look. Unlike the Simplified Binding, the spine is both rounded and backed, and the boards are not shaped at the spine. This model features a spine of thinned leather over a stiffened paper “bonnet,” rolled leather endbands, and boards that are attached to the text block after being covered with decorative paper.

These models were made as demos while teaching a bookbinding workshop. They may include marks or notes made to aid students. Colors and patterns will vary. Cutaway bindings revealing structural features are sometimes available.