Book rebind

[BlackDragon]

I started a book rebinding project. 

It's going to be JRR Tolkien's The Silmarillion in a clamshell box and after the holidays I'll do a box set of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I started by tearing off the paper covers from the text block. I painted the page edges black with white specks. I added a vellum title page, a black silk ribbon, burgundy headbands, and black marbled end pages.

For the cover I used 2-3oz vegran goat hide. I gave it 3 coats of Fibing's green Pro dye, .095" binder's board. For the cover art I used gold and holographic heat transfer vinyl (htv). I sealed it all with a few coats of a mix of Resolene and carnuba wax.

The clamshel box I used .095" binders board, burgundy book cloth, black marbled paper, and the art was htv.

 

Edited December 14, 2025 by BlackDragon
Typos

[chuck123wapati]

that is the coolest work Ive seen for ages, man. You did a fantastic job!! 

[Mulesaw]

That looks spectacular!

Fantastic job, the black and white dotted edges and marbled pages looks like a lure to a bibliophile - whispering: I hold great secrets that you secretly yearn to read.

Will it reside on your own bookshelf, or is it a Christmas gift to some lucky person?

Brgds Jonas 

[Darren8306]

Incredible work. Thanks for sharing.

[BlackDragon]

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate the feedback.

6 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

...Will it reside on your own bookshelf, or is it a Christmas gift to some lucky person?

Brgds Jonas 

The thought process was to make it to sell. If it doesn't sell it was going to go on my bookshelf. Before I put the leather on it I showed it to a friend and he wanted it for his son. He just really liked the page edges and end pages. Lol

Do y'all think I should put a 2 line border on the front and back covers?

[AlZilla]

Very creative.  No kind of copyright issues, since you're just rebinding an existing book? Similar to repainting a truck?

Looks like a satisfying project.

[BlackDragon]

4 hours ago, AlZilla said:

Very creative.  No kind of copyright issues, since you're just rebinding an existing book? Similar to repainting a truck?

Looks like a satisfying project.

Thanks!

No issues with copyright.

With rebinding as long as I dont make changes within the text block I'm safe. So I can't add my own art or any extra pages inside the text block. I can add things on the back and front though.

I can't recreate any Tolkien, Warner Bro, or Amazon art. Even their elvish script is protected. Thankfully a guy made his own "elvish" script that he gives permission to all to use for private and commercial work.

[Mulesaw]

14 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

Do y'all think I should put a 2 line border on the front and back covers?

If so, then I would suggest using two narrow silver lines, to correspond with the silver start in the middle, It would make the gold stars and the Elvish script stand out more that way. (I can't really see if the star is silver or a very light ice blue, but I would use that colour)

Brgds Jonas

[BlackDragon]

1 hour ago, Mulesaw said:

If so, then I would suggest using two narrow silver lines, to correspond with the silver start in the middle, It would make the gold stars and the Elvish script stand out more that way. (I can't really see if the star is silver or a very light ice blue, but I would use that colour)

Brgds Jonas

The single star on the front and the 3 on the back are holographic so they change color. The silver may work because one of the trees on the back is silver but it would break continuity with the other Tolkien books I plan to make.

[Mulesaw]

3 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

The single star on the front and the 3 on the back are holographic so they change color. The silver may work because one of the trees on the back is silver but it would break continuity with the other Tolkien books I plan to make.

I didn't notice until now, that on your first picture, the front star is light blue, the noxt "purple/pinkish/gold" and then again iceblue on the last two pictures. Really a cool effect!

If it breaks the continuity with the other books, I suppose it is better to go with something that will work on all of the books. 
Metallic green (like a green june beetle) would look good too, but so would gold.

What is your plan with the other three books, and the two line border line? 

Brgds Jonas