An Oldstyle Book for Newlyweds

Oversized books are fun, but they are a chore to make. Crafting them becomes something of a workout as they are moved about the shop for various operations.  The client wanted a three and a half inch thick text block in a size slightly larger than my typical books. None of the boards and endpaper sections that I prepare when times are slow would do. Everything had to be made from scratch. The signatures were folded down from large press sheets and sewn on extra thick cords. The covers were made up of laminated board stock I then shaped with a hand plane and much sanding. The client was inspired by ancient books she had seen in Spain, so I dyed the calfskin leather binding in a style once popular in Spain and then blind tooled it. The central medallion was embossed with a hand carved wooden block given me by my teacher in Morocco.

Just as a father's love is increased by the struggle to mold his child into the best person possible, the extra effort involved in making a big book tends to increase my affection for the oversized lout.  I was sad to send it off.