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

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.

Under the California Sun 2025

Under the California Sun

Custom Design Binding

“As I reach the Autumn of my life, I wonder how I will be remembered”

Ernesto Montellano Salazar

About the Project

This book has always had a special place in my heart, and it’s one of my favorite books to make.

This is the sixth printing of Under the California Sun that I’ve had the honor of making and I look forward to making many more. Commissioned by a family member, I am excited for them to receive their copy and celebrate the man we all love and cherish.

To learn more about the history of this book and its journey to publication, click the link below

The Process

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

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.

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.

Artist Book

Custom Artist Book

About the Project

Working with an artist is always a treat! My client contacted me and wanted to commission a book where she can focus her artistic vision in one place – which is something I am acutely aware of. In my life, I’ve found that it’s hard for me to just have one journal for everything I think of or want to express. Thus, this client wanted a place where she can just draw, paint, write, etc. Anything that helps her grow as an artist.

We started with that mission statement and evolved from there. Using the highest quality Morocco leather (emerald green) I decided that a cuir-ciselé approach would give us what she was looking for. Capturing of the fine details and giving an esoteric, tactile experience. For the spine I decided to try something new in a free-placement of stamps. Since the tower design emphasized “decay” (renewal), I found stamps that give a look of a flower wilting and the petals gathering at the bottom of the book.

The Process

Wedding Album

About the Project

I was excited when this project came across my table and eager to further my skills my custom tools I’d commissioned from Dimitri, a bookbinder in Greece. He and I have become fast friends over the years and it’s quite fun to trade notes with him and discuss topics specific to bookbinding.

This project was a gift, so the amount of time/money it would have taken in reality is unknown to me. My younger brother and his then-fiancé were preparing for their wedding and this idea popped into my head. I personally enjoy making books as gifts. I feel it puts me back in touch with my roots, as I began bookbinding as a hobby and would often make gifts for people as a surprise. To see people light up is one of the purest forms of joy one can experience. Gift-projects also give me a certain latitude of expression. It feels freeing in a way, allowing me to step into the realm of creation to see what surprises are in store for me. Sometimes I fail and need to start over, other times I am amazed at what comes forward. Either way I enjoy it.

The idea for the design sprouted from the wedding theme itself. Often weddings have a floral motif and their wedding was no exception to that. So I leaned into it and asked the two what their favorite flowers were. “Orchid and Peony” was their answer, so I immediately set to work. I found two designs that I felt would be suitable for the plan I’d devised and I began my preparations.

The Process

These are the designs I came up with for this project. The first draft is on leftover leather I always keep in the bindery for just such a purpose.

Once I felt confident on the design’s execution, I readied myself for the actual project.

The work on the book went in phases, breaking the designs down into their essential components. This helped me organize my thoughts while I worked on the leather. Alternating between gold and silver was a fun way to make each design pop, with opposing elements showcased on each. I only took a couple of photos during the process, unfortunately.

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Tag: gold tooling