Commissions
Preamble
Bookbinding is obviously about binding books ; but that is a wide topic.
There are things I can do and things I can't, and it's important to understand both.
Also, if you have never ordered a custom work, fear not and discover how to do it!
The overall process would be as follows:
- You start by contacting me with an idea of what you need, either rough or precise,
- I will provide pictures, ask you some questions, make some suggestions, until we reach something that matches what you want and that I can make,
- I will send you a quote for that project,
- If you accept the quote, I will then work on your commission,
Depending on your project, I may ask for a down payment before starting working on your book.
What I can do
As for the types of projects, I can do
- novels rebinding, ie changing the cover of an existing novel,
- novels edition and binding, ie editing, printing and binding a text which rights you own, or that is public domain,
- journals binding, ie creating an empty journal,
- grimoire binding, which is similar to journals binding but for more complex covers, for which we might have to compromise on some usability in favor of the overall aspect ; usually for pieces of costume, or decoration props,
I specialize in ancien-looking books, but I'm fine with experimenting so feel free to ask for something different!
What I won't do
Being a self-taught bookbinder targetting a specific look comes with a few limitations.
There are techniques I do not master, and some equipment I do not own.
Consequently, I won't do
- reversible book restauration
- gold tooling
- pyrography
- wood engraving of complex patterns (simple ones can be considered)
- leather tooling of complex patterns (borders, backgrounds and geometrical patterns are fine)
- advanced metal shaping (blacksmithing, smelting...)
Additionally, I will only work with materials with which I already have some experience.
How much it will cost
To give some perspective(*):
- Blank journals: CHF 50-80
- Art rebindings: CHF 100-200 (depending mostly on the book size)
- Blank grimoires: from CHF 300.-
- Text edition on quote only, as an extra on top of a journal/grimoire
(*): price ranges provided solely for information purpose ; only actual quotes are contractual.
On top of that, there might be extra fees for shipping and customs, if applicable. All books are shipped from Switzerland.
