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The teacher who told me to stop sanding edges smooth was right, and I fought it for 2 years
Back in 2022 at a workshop in Portland, this older bookbinder named Del watched me hand sand every single cover edge to a perfect round. He said, “You're polishing away the character, leave a little bite on the corners.” I thought he was crazy, my edges looked clean and professional. But after 20 or so rebound novels, I noticed my covers felt too slick, like cheap paperback factory stuff instead of handmade. Last month I did a full leather journal and skipped the final sanding pass on two corners on purpose. That little roughness caught the light and the owner actually asked what I did different because it felt more alive. Now I only sand to knock down the big ridges, not to glass. Has anyone else found that fighting the “perfect finish” urge gives better results, or am I still wrong?
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anthony_wood3644m ago
Gosh, that reminds me of a buddy who swore by polishing his wood carvings until they were like glass, and it took him a year to realize the little tool marks gave the pieces their life. He finally left one rough and it sold in a day while the perfect ones sat around for months.
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