A Millimeter Apart - The Rubow Variation

The Rubow binding is a variation of a millimeter binding -- a small amount of leather is used but instead of running vertically up the spine it lays across the head and tail of the book. Below is an example of a Rubow binding, my own paste paper and a graphite decorated edge. The black leather blends with the paper but look carefully and you'll see the millimeter of black leather shining over the edges. Wicked classy.

So Much Leather! Too much leather? A Millimeter Story

Back in the day when all books were covered with leather and the whole world was covered in goats things were just fine and dandy. Eventually bliss had to settle for simple. Leather needed to be conserved a bit. Enter: Millimeter bindings.

Millimeter bindings use a little less leather than full covered books because they use pieces that average (while varying in height) 30 - 40 millimeters wide. This method conserves leather while still giving books that swanky stature of being called a leather binding. Traditionally millimeter bindings are covered with paste papers.

Below is a copy of David Foster Wallace's This Is Water and a blank model featuring paste paper I made on my kitchen table.