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.

L Frank Baum Collection

L. Frank Baum Collection

Restoration and Rebinding

“The sun always shines, and its rays are perfumed.”

L. Frank Baum, The Magical Monarch of Mo

About the Project

Rebinding and restoring old books is a very rewarding process, both for me and my clients. Each book I work on has its own needs, and these three are no exception to that. Every technique I’ve learned over the years was employed in this project – paper mending, inlay/onlay, rebinding and hinge repair. When working on a set of books, I always take extra care to match the sizes so that they fit together on the shelf and are inline with one another. 

The result is a great collection of books that will last a lifetime and will be wonderful gifts to future generations.

Siegfried 2025

The Story of Siegfried

Restoration and Rebinding
with Original Art Inlay

“... The same paper, identical printing. Isn’t it a wonder?”

A. Pérez-Reverte, The Club Dumas

About the Project

Rarely do I get a chance to work on a book I’ve done before. Even more so when it’s a book from the same year, same printing, same edition.

When my client contacted me with her book, my heart skipped a beat. The Story of Siegfried is a book I’d rebound for myself many years ago, from an edition I’d picked up at a local estate sale. It was a chance for me to showcase a set of design features that has been employed frequently this year – original artwork inlay, endleaf reconstruction, paper mending/restoration. When I suggested that we replicate the work I’d done for my personal copy, she was happy to move forward with my proposal.

With my copy in-hand throughout the process, I immediately set to work on the restoration and rebinding of this beautiful edition. What brought me a bit more joy was a chance to improve on my original design. While I enjoy the work I’d done for myself, I’ve always had this feeling of “if I had the chance to do this again..” and now I do!

For instance, reprinting the endleaf sheets to keep with the original printing. Additionally, having a different layout for the spine stamping and tooling was a definite improvement.

I am very proud of the result and happy that her book has a new lifespan, one that will last generations.

The Process

Deathfire

Deathfire

Custom Rebinding with Original Art Inlay

About the Project

Another paperback conversion!

Using the same methods for the Vengeful Spirit project, we extracted the front cover art and reprinted the endleafs to produce an upgraded version of the original book. I ended up taking more pictures of the process, as compared to the finished work. It was a lot of fun making this book, and I’m excited to do more in the future.

The Process

Vengeful Spirit

Vengeful Spirit

Custom Rebinding with Original Art Inlay

About the Project

A paperback conversion with some added flare!

This is actually the second project I have done with this client, and I will be uploading the first book we made together soon – I just forgot to do it when we finished!

We essentially wanted to ‘upgrade’ her book without losing the overall feel and aesthetic of the original paperback copy. So, I suggested we extract the original front cover and place it on the new case with a recessed window (inlay), thereby protecting the art from any friction and preserving it. The endleafs of the book were the expanded version of the painting done by Neil Roberts, so we scanned them in adn sized them appropriately for the new endleaf sheets. 

The leather we worked with is a fine goat/kid leather from Siegel Leather and is some of the best I’ve worked with. It has a rich, dark blue-gray color and is supple to the touch. The book feels great in your hand and feels comfortable to read. For the spine decoration, we decided to work with a blue-gold foil with silver for the title panel on black leather. 

The result is quite wonderful. I had such a great time making this book and it feels good to work with new material. Plus, exploring with different color foil is always a treat.

The Process

Gallery coming soon..

Bible Recovery 2024

Bible Recovery

About the Project

A client contacted me about their father’s beloved bible and how it needed some restoration work. As with most bibles, it was well used and well-loved;  showing signs of wear in common places, with surprises we would discover along the way.

The Process

Saving the book was a pretty straightforward process. Essentially, we needed to deconstruct it completely to build it back up with quality material. As we broke the book down it was clear that it was a loose-leaf binding (stack of papers glued along the spine). Thankfully, I know a technique that reshapes the book and reinforces it with string/thread, which replicates the structure and functionality of a traditionally bound book.

The client said they wanted to save as much as plausible, which is completely understandable. This book had been in their family for many years, so saving it’s character was the top priority. I began by removing the covers to process them for an inlay (both front and back). The front fly-leaf also had some hand written notes on it, so I repaired it and reattached it to the new endleaf. 

Another challenge came from the stamp on the spine. It was a standard USPS stamp, with the original adhesive still on it. I carefully removed the stamp, neutralized the adhesive, and reapplied it with ph Neutral glue (PVA). It came out nicely and the stamp works well with the overall feel of the spine layout.

Norse Journal

Norse Journal

$275 USD

Before Taxes and Shipping

About the Project

A journal infused with tradition, intricacy and durability. 

How to Purchase

There a couple ways to purchase this book. You can send me an email by clicking this link or check my listings on Etsy:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1485160396/norse-journal-green-morocco

Methods

One of my specialties of design is Cuir-ciselé and I wanted to work with some of the fine leather I have in my shop that I acquired from another well-respected bookbinder. Using Russell’s Oasis Goatskin as the base cover I recessed two panels for inlays of vegetable-tanned sheepskin with intertwined Norse dragons in the Urnes style of Viking art and design.

Gallery

The Story of Siegfried

The Story of Siegfried

About the Project

This book has a special place in my heart. I acquired this book at an estate sale, where many jewels lay hidden among the piles of old books and manuscripts. It is not often that something like this is found at estate sales, but when they are it’s truly a treasure.

The Story of Siegfried, Old Norse Sigurðr, is an infamous tale of heroism and tragedy. It is one of the most detailed tales that’s survived since the Viking Age and it’s been captivating audiences for many generations. This specific version of the tale is told through a Germanic perspective, written by a German-American immigrant from the early 1900s and adapted for English speakers. My immediate thoughts behind wanting to do this project has more to do with legacy than it does my own personal enjoyment. Much like Baldwin states in his dedication, I, too, intend for this book to be enjoyed by my children; giving them a perspective into their hereditary past and sharing the tales that their ancestors might have over a fire on a cold night. 

Design

Methods

The original book was not in the worst shape. It’s held up over the years and there was a great look to it. Given time, though, it would have suffered the fate that many books have from that period. The front illustration is in wonderful condition and still has a magical appearance to it. I decided to keep the original image and use it as an inlay for the front cover. 

The spine was decorated with a fine Morocco and treated with 24k gold tooling to accent the panels and raised bands. I stamped a small gold flower between the title and author section of the decorated panel.

Gallery

The result felt both natural and stylish, emphasizing the already existing beauty in the work. The only true change I needed to make came in the form of the endleaf, where I needed to combine the free pages from the front and back in order to make a complete picture for the front only. The back endleaf was substituted for acid-free black paper. The inlay came out perfectly, matching up with the raised boards almost seamlessly. This is an important aspect when considering inlays or any decoration on the front cover. Any part of the book that is protruding in some way can become a friction point over time, ultimately decreasing the life of the book significantly.