What is deckle edge book

I recall once reading in a coffee shop and seeing a man turn pages with his entire hand, practically balling the paper into a wad before snapping it aside like it had done him wrong. Twitter biblioracle. Courtney Sullivan. Caution: The hardcover edition has a deckled edge. Skip to content. Recent Twitter chatter got Biblioracle columnist John Warner to reflect on the pleasures of books with deckle edges.

Book recommendations from the Biblioracle. John Mandel. When the book was closed, rather than present a smooth face they zig-zagged in and out like the teeth of a comb. What devilry was this, I wondered.

Now I know better. For much of the 20th century, after machining made those rough edges optional, they were nevertheless retained as a design choice to give books a bit of antiquarian distinction. Right up into the early noughties, big US publishing houses it was always more of a US thing would use this finish on literary fiction and prestigious historical non-fiction. So I was shocked this week when I learned that Jeff Bezos may have done for this blameless quirk of publishing tradition.

When it was brought over to Europe, deckle edges were also unlikely to survive the binding process. Some binders were so zealous about this that book were left with almost no margins at all. Removing the deckle which forms the shape of the paper papermaking papermaker handmadepaper handmade rustic decklededge mouldanddeckle deckle paperpulp paperlove process wip coffeepaper paperlove papercrafter handmadeisbest handmadeisbetter sustainable recycledpaper recycledmaterials oldschool paperlicious.

By the 17th century, book collecting had gained popularity in Europe. Where the deckle edge had previously been seen as a defect, collectors began to seek them out at this point.

Trimmed edges were a red flag that a book may have been rebound, and could have been trimmed too far. A deckle edge was a sign of a pristine, original binding—or at least a sympathetic one The Book by Keith Houston. Our foreedgefriday post is the deckle edges of an old set of Samuel Johnson with a slim marbled edge and a gilt edge added. Now these some rough edges are the label of respectability and recall to mind private presses, limited editions, and all manner of book snobbery.

All of it! I hope you all are having the most pleasant of weekends! True deckle edges still exist.