Bookmaking Tools on Etsy

When I first started selling on Etsy (it’s been exactly 3 years!) there were few books and no bookmaking supplies. Recently I was looking for unwaxed linen thread, and discovered that there are now lots of shops selling tools and supplies, usually in small quantities with low shipping costs. Here’s some interesting tools I found (tomorrow I’ll post the supplies).

Micro Scissors Wren Haven Tools sells these nifty micro scissors in 2 sizes, as well as felt covered weights, boxmaking and bookmaking angle tools for cutting. They even sell a angle for left handed people!
Instead of my manual method for making perfect bound books, you can use Kirk Whitham’s binding machine from his Atomic Binding shop. He’s got 2 sizes, to make up to 5-1/2″ books ($69 + shipping) and the larger to make up to to 11″ tall ($99 + shipping). He’s got heaps of info about it on his website including a you-tube video. Perfect binding machine
Book press UberArt sells this solid oak book press for $70 plus shipping — years ago my husband made me one with a bench screw mechanism as explained here. Mine presses multiple books at once, unlike UberArt’s, but the materials alone cost as much as the Etsy press.
Randy Arnold sells wooden bone folders, including this one made of ebony with a pearl inlay. Piacere Mio sells bone folders made of bone, as well as single jars of PVA. Ebony bone folders
screw punch Instead of a Japanese screw punch, you can buy this “Bookbinder’s Screw-down Double-sided Hole Punch.” Kristin, of The Indigo Raven, says it drills through 2-3mm of cardstock, matboard, buckram… It has two hole size options: 1.6mm (1/16th”) and 2.3mm (3/32nd”). The punch can accommodate materials up to 3mm thick.

5 thoughts on “Bookmaking Tools on Etsy”

  1. Hi Susan,

    Thanks so much for including me in your blog on bookbinding tools! I hope the book community continues to grow, and that everyone who has one of my tools has the best of success with their work.
    Elissa
    Wren Haven Tools

  4. Elissa: Thanks for the link to the punching cradles! I wondered why I missed them — I must have searched for “bookbinding” on Etsy, and that’s not a tag on the cradles. Makes me wonder what else I didn’t find — I’ll be going back to try some other search terms… Susan

  5. I just bought some waxed linen thread on etsy, more thread for less than a commercial website. I was just looking for an inexpensive cradle myself, when I came upon this site. Thanks for the link. {:-Deb

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