Carolingian Replica

Jim’s Description

Overview

Number of pages: ~250

Year complete: 2006

Dimensions: H: 19.5 cm, W: 12.5 cm, T: 5 cm*

*H= Height, W = how wide the cover is, T = Thickness of book

Materials

Paper - Handmade paper made of Abaca fiber. A cheap and good fiber for paperaking. It’s made from banana leaf stem fiber. When made into rope it has been known as manila hemp. Though not related to true hemp, it was much cheaper to produce and it replaced true hemp for rope in the 1870’s.

Sewing - Chevron sewn on Hungarian Hemp cords using Melody’s homespun flax.

Trim - Drawknife trimmed

Boards - Red Oak from Penland School of Craft - quarter split, worked totally by hand

Endband and tabs - Melody’s homespun flax, sewn by the binder

Covering - Traditional Native Buckskin (Deer) - tanned by a friend. Brain oil tanned.

Stitching of patch on rear board covering has been practiced in history.

Clasps - 18 gauge brass, rawhide core on strap, purple chrome tan on tabs and strap covering.

Note: Libraries were important during Charlemagne’s time, and many of the books have held up very well. The survival of the oil tanned deerskin coverings approaches remarkable. I chose to use deer buckskin even before I knew about the Carolingian leather.

Price: $2,065