Bible Cover Thickness?

[Mungo]

I would like to make a Bible cover out of one piece of leather, with the inside having "pockets" that the book covers slip into to keep it from sliding out. I like the stiffness of 9/10 oz leather but will it flex enough to let the book close properly, lay flat, and then not spring back open when closed? If not what weight leather should be used? Also, I suppose the inside pockets should be somewhat thinner leather to allow the book to fully close, so what weight would this need to be? Thanks in advance.

[papaw]

I use mostly 4 oz. for my covers 9 -10 is going to made it kind of heavy for 80 year old lady. Just my .02

[Dwight]

My vote goes to papaw, . . . 9/10 is for cannon covers, . . . not Bible covers.

My covers go inside the Bible only half way of the page, . . . it allows papers to be placed between it and the cover, . . . and it is a subtle reminder not to put too much in there, . . . as many would do with a full fledged "pocket" inside the cover.

Most covers I have seen that have a full fledged pocket, . . . have it on the back, . . . it takes up the lower half of the back.

This little drawing is kid of crude, . . . but you get the idea of how to make one, . . . quick.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited July 21, 2014 by Dwight

[Chief31794]

I use 4 oz, then line it with Pigskin Split, the pockets I make out of 2/3 oz. That seems to work pretty well.

Chief

[electrathon]

Also, keeping it thin allows flex. The more flex, the less likely it is to tear the cover off the Bible. Yes, a cover can destroy the very book it is designed to protect.

[Colt W Knight]

I use 4 oz, then line it with Pigskin Split, the pockets I make out of 2/3 oz. That seems to work pretty well.

Chief

Ive only made two book covers, but I used 4-5 ounce vegtan lined with pigskin or goat skin. Seamed like the ideal weight, In my opinion. I made the inside "pockets" about 3.25 - 3.5" wide.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Colt W Knight

[stelmackr]

Also, keeping it thin allows flex. The more flex, the less likely it is to tear the cover off the Bible. Yes, a cover can destroy the very book it is designed to protect.

I make quite a few leather slip-on book covers and I agree that that style of cover can ruin a book. The suggestion I make to people that receive my covers is to make a dust cover out of a paper grocery bag and put that dust cover on the book before inserting the book into the slip-on leather cover. The smooth paper allows the book's covers to slide as the book is open and closed. That prevents putting strain on the spine of the book.

Bob Stelmack

[Mungo]

Looks like I was about to make some expensive mistakes. Thanks for the replies!

[RLBTX]

4 to 5 oz leather weight is good. A soft pigskin lining is good. Pockets to slide the bible cover into are a necessity. They should be lined with pigskin also. But you need to add a spacer along the outside of the pockets the same thickness as the bible cover. Use a paper book cover if you want but the spacer will relieve any binding that might occur. It only needs to be 1/4" wide around the pockets. I add it all the way around so there is a good binding to sew in a zipper if whoever the cover is for wants one. 1/4" is also wide enough to lace the edge of the cover which looks much better than sewing it. A double lace is ok but I prefer a triple lace. It looks better. Also when gluing the lining into the cover, it's a good idea to glue it in with the cover semi folded so there are no wrinkles to dig into the bible when it is closed.