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In this video, I'm going to add some corner protectors to a book.

Later in the video, while doing some covering, I'll go into some details, such as when you could use corner protectors.

Also at the end, I'll give some details on how DAS Bookbinding supporters who are new customers to Schmedt can

get a small discount.

Right now, I'll get into it.

I'm using a piece of specialist equipment to apply these corners.

It's a Schmedt Corner Protector Press.

This press was auctioned at the Bind23 Conference to raise money towards the conference expenses.

I made a very short video to thank Schmedt for this donation and I demonstrated using it at the time, but I

hadn't actually read the instructions and made a couple of mistakes.

The corners should be applied with the outside of the boards facing down and the pressure should be limited to what you

can apply with a few fingers.

Don't put the full force of your body down on them.

There's a tiny gap between the top triangular plunger and the side guides.

If you have the outside facing up and use a lot of pressure, there's a very small gap that will leave a slight

ridge along the edge of the corners.

With the boards facing down, this can't occur, and it requires excessive force also.

You'll notice I deliberately soften the corners on the bench to accommodate the inside curvature of the corner

protectors. If the board corners are too sharp, the corner protectors won't fit snugly over the corner.

One thing I don't like about corner protectors is how the thickness of the metal they they're made of means they stick

out a bit from the edges of the boards.

I wondered if this could be fixed.

I trimmed up some corners, shaving just over one millimeter from the edges where the corner protectors will be applied.

This resulted in the corner protectors being flush with the edges of the boards.

And I was so impressed I used it on the next book I made.

Corner protectors are reminiscent of the furniture on medieval books.

Furniture is the name given to all the pieces of metal that were used on these early books.

These early books were shelved horizontally, and because they were often made with parchment, they had clasps to hold

them shut. The boards were made of wood and the metal fixtures primarily protected the covering material from the

wear of being stored and used on rough horizontal surfaces.

The boards of modern books are made of compressed pulp and the corners are prone to being damaged.

It's so common it has a name: bumped corners.

Modern corner protectors are crimped on and around the four edge corners of the books, while medieval corner pieces were

nailed to the heavy wooden boards.

I did a bit of a search in my bookbinding books and none of my books on hand bookbinding mentions corner protectors.

I wonder why.

In the past, hand bookbinding focused on making books nicer than were commercially available and focused on what was

known as letterpress binding, that is, books with printed material in them.

There used to be plenty of fine stationery, so no need to make your own.

Now, commercially made books are not near as durable as in the past, and nice stationery is hard to find or expensive.

This has driven the trend of making your own journals and diaries or art books.

I personally don't like metal corners on books that are meant to be shelved vertically.

Traditionally, this is called letterpress binding.

Coming out of the medieval period when books were going from being shelved horizontally to being shelved vertically.

Many books had the metal furniture removed so they wouldn't damage the books around them.

But I think nice, clean lined corner protectors can be useful and look nice on modern stationery - such as journals

and sketchbooks - books that get carried around a lot where the corners are certain to be bumped if not reinforced

somehow. And I think making the slight recess is very worthwhile.

So the book is less likely to scratch up shelves or catch on things.

You don't need a special press to apply these corners.

You can use pliers or even a hammer, but the press is not going to cause dents or scratches and is much faster and

easier.

Schmedt is currently offering a 5% discount to DAS Bookbinding viewers on their first order for new customers.

I'm sorry if you're already a Schmedt customer.

Use the code DASQNA5 - all capitals - on checkout.

Maybe you want a corner protector press and maybe you can treat yourself to a Scharffix at the same time.

I hope you've found something useful in today's video.

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Until next time, cheerio.