A Lovely Book Sewing Bench

 This is probably, so far, one of my favourite pieces for the bookbinder's shop. It is very similar to the sewing benches being used nowadays by modern, bespoke bookbinders and bookbinding hobbyists. It is the item on top of the table, and you are looking at the back of it, where the folded and pressed papers would sit while they are being sewn together. 

It would be used to sew the signatures, i.e. the stacked pages in equal groups that are folded and then sewn through at the fold. A group of these signatures makes up a book, with sewing through the stitches at the folds forming the spine, which are done in another tool. Again, there are moveable threaded rods, and an adjustable beam to keep the cords taut.

This is the side one works from: the stacked signatures are laid against the cords, which can be tightened by the brass keys at the bottom. The cords go through a slot in the bench, and there is also a slanted finishing edge. The upper beam has a rounded top. All the shaping was done with hand tools; a pin vise drill, sharp scalpel, assorted emery boards and fine sandpapers. I'm not dirtying this one up!

The item leaning against the front of the table is called, in translation, a press aide (persknecht),which I think means that it is used with the presses. It consists of 2 layers of wood, one slightly longer than the other, and has slats at the ends which protrude. The middle is hollow, allowing a certain amount of give. This one is decorated with a thin line of black, with decorative elements at the corners, all around the top of the press aide, and has been antiqued to suggest use.

I need to visit a bookbinder, to learn how these tools all work....