Realized I was cutting my leather wrong after 8 years of binding

I've been bookbinding since I was 19, mostly self taught from YouTube. About 2 months ago I was at a workshop in Portland and this old timer looked at my edge work and asked why I was cutting against the grain. I had no idea leather has a direction like fabric. I always just cut whatever way felt right and wondered why my edges frayed and looked messy. He showed me how the fibers run and how to feel for it with your fingers. Now I'm second guessing every other basic thing I might be doing wrong. Has anyone else had a moment where you realized you missed something that simple for years?

3 comments

3 Comments

patriciam221mo ago

Oh come on, I gotta push back on this a little. I think you're overthinking it. I've been binding for over 12 years and I still cut my leather however the piece fits best on the hide. Sure, grain matters for some super fancy art books but for your everyday journals and notebooks? Nobody's gonna notice frayed edges except you and that guy in Portland. Plus if you cut with the grain every time you waste way more leather and those scraps add up fast. You probably have a style that works and your customers or friends love your books already, right? So does it really matter if your technique isn't perfect?

alice2421mo ago

Hell yeah, exactly. If your notebooks are selling and people are happy, who cares if you're breaking some imaginary leather guild rules?

shanel131mo ago

The guy in Portland... he's probably a woodworker too, I bet he notices everything. Still, waste is waste and if you're selling notebooks you gotta make a living. I cut against the grain sometimes for small sketchbooks, saves me a lot of leather and nobody has ever complained. Plus frayed edges give it that rustic look people seem to love now.