Tutorial: Sewing an Endband On One Core in Two Colors

Sherif Afifi just published a new video tutorial dedicated to sewing a two-color endband on one core. It isn’t a fast-paced video, so you’ll have a chance to see all the details of the process.

Sherif Afifi is a book and paper conservator at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. If you are interested in book arts, I’d recommend you to follow him either on Facebook or on his website. He posts a lot about book repair projects and makes educational videos like the one below.

I will allow myself just a few comments:

  • If you are acquainted with the process of sewing endbands, you may like to watch this video on 2x speed (that’s what I did). Just don’t forget to turn off the sound =)
  • If you are new to the process, watch it as it is. It goes at a measured pace, so you’ll see all the details of the process
  • I was taught to use two needles on a two-colored thread. That way you won’t need to reinsert the thread every time you need to pass another color through the spine (like at 15:25)
  • Another thing Don Glaister, my teacher at the American Academy of Bookbinding, taught my colleagues and me was to insert the needle into the book block at the front edge, not near the spine. This will prevent you from damaging top and bottom edges especially if they are painted or gilded. However, in this video Sherif Afifi uses a smart solution: he puts pieces of waste paper in several locations of the book to help to guide the needle inside.

Please Support us on Patreon!

The minimum level of contribution is only $1 per month. Pledges received from our patrons cover the editing services for our bookish podcast!

Moreover, starting with the pledge level of $3, you will get a digitized vintage book about bookbinding, book history, or book arts each month from us!

These pledges help iBookBinding to continue its work and bring more information about bookbinding and book arts to you!