Just counted the pages in my first full rebind and the number shocked me

I finished my first full leather rebind of an old novel last night, a copy of 'Moby Dick' I found in rough shape at a flea market. After I got the new cover on and the book was sitting on my bench, I got curious and decided to count the pages... all 552 of them. I had to count twice because I didn't believe I'd hand-sewn that many signatures. It felt like a huge mountain when I started, just a stack of loose paper, but seeing it all together as a solid book now is wild. The number matters because it shows how much slow, quiet work goes into something that looks simple from the outside. I think I spent more time on the sewing than anything else. Has anyone else been surprised by the sheer scale of a project once you added it all up?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_coleman15h ago

I always thought rebinding was mostly about the cover work. Seeing that 552 page count really shows how the sewing is the real hidden marathon, lol. It makes me appreciate my own bookshelf way more now.

the_anthony8h agoRising Star

Wait, you thought it was just the cover? The sewing is the whole job. That's like saying building a house is mostly about picking the paint color. My hand cramps just thinking about 552 pages.