Revolt in the Desert

Revolt In The Desert

Restoration and Rebinding
with Custom Clamshell

"...dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes".

T.E. Lawrence, Revolt in the Desert

About the Project

Rebinding a rare and valuable book, especially a numbered first edition, can be a tricky situation – and I don’t take it lightly. This project fit the category of needing attention to bring it back to life, while also keeping with its look and feel from when it was first published. My client contacted me in early January 2026 and asked if I’d be able to assess and potentially repair his book. Right away I knew this was a special book, so I approached it carefully and methodically.

Challenge accepted.

According to my client, this book had sustained some water damage sometime in the 1960’s. The water distorted/warped the covers and seeped into the binding, which affected the paper and thread holding it all together. I went through, page by page, to see the extent of the damage. While every signature was affected, it was honestly a manageable amount, and it was easy to clean up. Thankfully, the materials that went into making this book are superior, bringing to mind the timeless adage “they don’t make them like they used to”, which is certainly the case here. All throughout the process I was overcome with joy simply to be working on such a wonderful piece of history. The paper was lovely to handle, it accepted thread without issue, and responded well to any mending needed. The repairs disappeared completely, which is exactly what every binder wants to see.

All told, this project came together nicely. It’s a solid book, keeping with it’s original form from when it was first published. To give it further protection, we made a custom clamshell box lined with royal blue felt.

While serious concerns can arise regarding the value of a book and the effect rebinding has on it, I feel the work we did was both necessary and beneficial to the longevity of this invaluable piece of history.

The Process

The images below are more archival than showcasing any technique used. I provided a written report for my client, outlining the necessary repairs needed to accomplish the restoration effort. What you’ll see is the book in its state before restoration, during the deconstruction phase.

Owolabi Letters Project

Owolabi Letters Project

Custom Design Binding and Clamshell Enclosure

About the Project

In early October 2025 I was contacted by The Nicest Space, a personal and business concierge, with a project for one of their clients. They asked if I’d be able to make a 3-volume set of the scanned letters from the client’s father and I was more than happy to help. While it is not often people ask me to make more than one book at a time, I am always excited to do this kind of work. 

I set to work right away, having the pages printed on acid-free/archival paper with great resolution. You can really see every detail of the letters, even if they’re smaller than the originals. When I asked them about the design they’d like me to draft for them, all they said was “the family likes tiger lilies”, which was all I needed. I made a few drafts for them to review and we selected the one that resonated with them the most, which also happened to be my favorite, too.

Later in the process, they asked if there was anything I could do for the originals. To which I suggested we make a custom clamshell box for them, keeping with the color scheme of the 3-volumes and working with bookcloth instead of leather. Since the letters were considerably large, using bookcloth is a more practical approach – and more cost effective.

The result is something I am quite proud of. This project really encapsulated all the aspects of my daily bookbinding practice – gold/silver tooling, custom design, clamshell boxes, and just a good quality book that will last for many years.

The Process

In all honesty, the process for this project was fairly straightforward. Beginning with the binding of the books and creating the text-block. The cases came next with a red title panel on the spine. With darker leather, I always enjoy working with silver type, as opposed to gold. While gold is always lovely, there’s something about silver that catches my eye, especially with black leather as the backdrop. Once all that was finished, I focused on the front cover designs, with each one being subtly different and distinct. Since the design was quite ambitious, I opted to execute the tooling before joining the cases to the text-blocks. It all went without issue and the process was incredibly fun.

Barnes’ Reader Clamshell

Clamshell Enclosure
Barnes' New National Reader
No. 5

About the Project

Some books just need a little love and protection.

This is a project that has been years in the making. My client reached out to me about two years ago, asking to restore their beloved family book. Originally published in 1883, it belonged to their Grandmother and had been passed down through the generations. 

As was typical of a book this age, and very loved, there were clear signs of degradation. Page edges were a bit worn, with tears here and there; the covers had separated, held only by a thread – nothing out of the ordinary. The client wished to restore and preserve it to its original state someday, but needed to give it some sort of protection without jeopardizing it further.

I then brought up the idea of a Clamshell Enclosure, and they loved it. So, I began work right away. Using the book as my base measurements, I accommodated for the thickness of the cover material, bookcloth, and boards to create this custom enclosure for their family book.

Gallery

Process

Clamshell Enclosure

Clamshell Enclosure
A Pima Remembers

About the Project

Sometimes we’d like to have custom work done on a treasured book in our library, however, that may not be the best way forward. A clamshell enclosure is a bedrock expression in the fine binding world and I am excited to begin offering it as a viable option. 

This project came about simply because I desired to expand my horizons and better serve my clientele. Over the years, I’ve been asked to work on many books. However, there have been some people that I had to refuse and refer to a more capable binder—depending on the needs of the project—and I’ve often thought to myself that a clamshell or slipcase would’ve been the perfect answer.

So, I began experimenting! I own a good assortment of books on bookbinding and pieced together the techniques that fit my style and needs. Additionally, I leaned on my dear friends in the bookbinding world, all of whom were so kind and thoughtful in their responses to my questions.

The project turned out to be a huge success, with many lessons and notes I can take into my future work in this arena. With practice I know I will not only improve but I can help more people/collectors in the wider community.

Gallery