Old Tools

Sometimes it's nice to get new tools, something shiny and sharp that you get to break in your own self... a new paring knife perhaps.

But sometimes old tools are even better.

I've got a project due around August, it isn't a conservation treatment, but rather a request for a facsimile of a book in our collection.

This project is going to present some fun challenges, and I have started my research already, but the one that is currently at the top of my brain is finding the right tool to represent the blind tooling on the original cover. The tooling on the original is kind of smudgy, as if the tool itself had seen better days. So I can't order something shiny and new, but rather have to look around to see if there is something in my personal collection, or perhaps the collection of another binder that will fit the bill.

This wheel is one of my own and one of my favorites. I love the design but also the signs of the handwork that created it. The stamps on it say "Morris & Co", "Ludgates" and "London". I've glued some test leather to a board and am warming up the stove, stay tuned to see how it turns out!