Rant: I just found out how much hand binding a single book really costs

I was reading an old trade journal from the 80s and saw a breakdown for a full leather binding. The materials alone, for good calfskin and handmade paper, were over $150 back then. Adjusted for today, that's nearly $500 just for the stuff you hold, before you even count your time. I always knew it was pricey, but seeing the real numbers from a professional shop blew my mind. It makes you realize why modern hardcovers feel so cheap. They have to be. Has anyone else done the math on a recent project and been shocked by the total?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanward5d ago

It's not just the leather. Good book cloth has gotten crazy expensive too. I priced out a simple quarter binding last month and the linen tape and headbands alone added up. You start to see why publishers use that cheap shiny stuff on most hardcovers.

oliver_ward145d ago

Yeah that cheap shiny stuff makes sense now! My buddy tried to rebind his favorite old novel and the cloth alone cost more than the book did new.