Shoutout to the old timer who showed me a better way to trim endpapers

Last week this retired bookbinder named Frank came into the shop where I work and watched me cut endpapers for a rebind. He just said 'you're fighting the grain, kid' and handed me his bone folder. Showed me how to fold the paper first, then cut with the grain instead of against it. My edges are way cleaner now and I'm kicking myself for not learning this sooner. Has anyone else had a random stranger change how they do something basic?

3 comments

3 Comments

ellis.faith4d ago

Found myself in a similar spot at a garage sale last summer (of all places). An older lady saw me struggling to fold a map and showed me her trick of running a thumbnail along the crease before pressing it down. Now I can't fold anything without thinking of her, even junk mail envelopes. It's funny how a tiny tip from a total stranger can just stick with you like that.

hill.margaret4d ago

Hold on, are endpapers really that deep? I mean, sure, it's nice to get a cleaner edge, but you were probably getting the job done before. Feels like a whole lot of fuss over a piece of paper that's gonna get glued down anyway.

jessica1303d ago

Start thinking about it as the foundation of everything else in the book, not just a piece of paper. If the endpapers aren't set right, the whole cover can warp or the pages can pull away from the spine over time. Idk, maybe it's just me but a little extra care on something that gets glued down can save a lot of headaches later.