Legend of the Ravaja

Legend of the Ravaja

Author's Edition

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”".

Genesis 3:19, NIV

About the Project

It’s no secret that I truly enjoy making a book for the author. I find the entire process a personal journey for both the client and me. Whether or not the book is intended to be published on a large scale, the idea of having one special book for the creator is always fun. 

I’d actually worked with this client many years ago, shortly after my apprenticeship concluded and I first opened the bindery. Back then I was known as Sound Leather Books and I operated out of a small studio space in the Old Rainier Brewery building, which is nestled next to I-5 and welcomes people into the cityscape of Seattle. I think back on that time fondly. I was just finding my way as a bookbinder, establishing clientele and my own artistic voice. Clients early on took chances with me and helped me develop professionally and personally.

Since our last project together, I’d grown immensely and I was very excited to take another crack at this book.  I’d acquired a new collection of leather, decorative techniques, and, more importantly, a sense of confidence to execute an ambitious design scheme.  

With darker colored leathers I enjoy working with silver, as opposed to gold, for lettering and tooling. I feel like silver has a strong look when applied on a dark background, allowing the book to stand out and invite readers into its contents. During the binding process, I asked the client if he’d like to include any kind of design, line drawing, or other kind of decorative motif. When he sent me a draft design of a “sigil”, I immediately began working on it to translate it from the page and into a format that can be tooled properly. The marbled endleaf sheets give the book another wow factor once the covers are opened, giving the reader one last treat before enjoying the text.

Overall, this was an incredibly satisfying project. My mission statement is “Let’s make the book of your dreams” and I feel like this hits directly on that mark.

The Process

I try to capture as many images as possible throughout the process. As you can see there were times I needed to improvise with the final steps of the binding, simply due to the fact that the book just didn’t fit in any of the presses I own. 

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.

Custom Poetry Book

Custom Poetry Book

About the Project

Time was of the essence for this project. My client contacted me in late February to commission a custom poetry book for an upcoming trip to Venice she and her fiance planned – which was happening in less than a month. Normally, I don’t take on new projects with a timeline so abbreviated, however, something spoke to me on this one and I felt like I needed to do anything I could to help her. I am, admittedly, a romantic at heart and a story like this just felt magical and I was honestly happy to help. 

She and her fiance had written poetry during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, which served as a connective and strengthening exercise for them both. As they were joining each other in marriage, she wanted to capture those moments with each other into a single volume that will last for the rest of their lives together. 

This project was a full “ground-up” endeavor, taking it from an abstract idea into the physical world. She sent me the raw text on .doc files and I set to work designing and typesetting the book. We worked quickly and we were in constant communication. Thankfully, the book was finished and cured on time and delivered a few days before they departed. From beginning to delivery it took about 3-weeks.

The result was exactly what she’d imagined.

The Proposal

After my client returned home she sent me an update on their trip and included some amazing photos! The photography was done by Luisa Basson and they are excellent. Her website is https://www.luisabassowedding.com/ and more of her stunning work can be found there.

I am so touched that she included me in this important moment for them and I don’t often get to see the books I make in their new life. Seeing what we made together, in context and in action, was a surreal experience. 

As a bookbinder, I operate mostly in the background – making books that people enjoy and that look nice within a collection. But knowing that something I made played a small part in such a big moment for them will always be special to me.

Two people holding a blue leather book
Photography by Luisa Basso (https://www.luisabassowedding.com/)
Photography by Luisa Basso (https://www.luisabassowedding.com/)
Photography by Luisa Basso (https://www.luisabassowedding.com/)
Photography by Luisa Basso (https://www.luisabassowedding.com/)

The Process

Since this was a time sensitive project, I decided to do this work in the cuir-ciselé technique. While I have been perfecting my skills in freehand gold/silver tooling, I wanted to get this done with confidence and havana set-backs at all. I began with veg-tanned sheepskin and carved the Rialto bridge design first. Once the leather was colored and finished I moved on to the stamping for both the front and back covers. Since we had a relatively large canvas to play with, I felt a 36pt type would be perfect for the title and it really captures the gold in a lovely way. I also decided not to stamp the spine, since vertical stamping can be quite time consuming to get it to align just right on such a thin spine.