I have been looking for a long time and recently I have received a suggestion from a close friend to custom make my own journal. I am thinking of taking book binding classes. Learn how to make my own book. I hope they also teach the different papers that are made in this world. This way I can just order it and make my own SUPEREPICA book. Has anyone taken a book binding course? Does anyone know how much it will cost to get a prof bookbinder to make a journal like epica but with a bit of an older era.

I've had a very similar idea. I mean really how hard can it be? I doubt one would have to take any kind of official "class" to learn how to do it -- just get some good instructions somewhere online or in a book.

well, I guess it depends on how you want to get into it. I actually got a fellowship to spend 6 weeks at Cornell a few years back learning book repair and binding, etc--you might want to look into something like that. Assuming you have any sort of ability with your hands and have the right tools and materials, no, it's not that hard, though like anything else some have much more of a knack for it than others. Assuming you are just buying paper thats already the size you will use or something that makes it easier from a tool standpoint since you won't need multihundred pound giant papercutters and such perhaps.

True archival book repair is an art and takes a lot of time to perfect. Making a nice journal is a lot easier.

I took a one-day workshop in bookbinding, it was fun and interesting. Nothing I couldn't have picked up from a book. Creating a leather binding would take considerably more know-how, though.

I've made some of my own. There are some wonderful books by Keith Smith on non-adhesive bindings, plus plenty of others. I'd recommend checking the books at your local public library first to get a good overview, then perhaps browsing the John Neal site for specifics. Even the simplest can be helpful, imo.

John Neal, Bookbinding Books, page 1

There are also some new(ish) DVDs available, but I haven't seen them so can't comment on them.

The ones I liked best in use were the ones bound with the Coptic stitch. They opened flat for writing which made it easy to write in. While I enjoyed using them, I tend to use Levenger's Circa system (or Rollabind, if you wish) just for ease of use and convenience.

Probably a class would be most useful for any binding requiring the use of a frame, press, etc. It can be addictive, so consider yourself warned.

I usually bind my own writing/drawing books. I find that's the only way that I can get the exact paper and book size I want to use.

I like the size of the pocket moleskines for quick sketches, but the paper is not so great with fountain pens. I ordered a leather cover from Renaissance Art and now I just make refills that are NOT moleskines, but are the same size.

Moleskine reloaded

This site can give you a basic idea on how to rebind a moleskine, but the techniques apply really to any bookbinding situation.

I am no pro and have made maybe half a dozen books. It's quite addictive

I've used a number of different journal books and notebooks over the years. I'm the type of person that gets interested in a new "system", and ends up switching to a new journal or journalling system before the previous notebook has been filled.

And since each entry is dated, it would be awkward to return to a partially used journal book after a several year hiatus.

This makes judging what's the 'best' journal to be a difficult proposition, indeed.

Recently, I've taken to journalling on loose leaf 8.5" x 11" paper, and then hole punching and binding them in notebooks according to subject matter. This 'random access' journalling system makes more sense for me, given my history of partially used journal books, rather than sticking to a hard-bound journal book.

I've made a journalling 'template', using Adobe Illustrator (although any good drawing software like Visio would work) and printing these onto otherwise blank paper using my b/w laser printer (xerographic, not ink jet). The template gives a box near the top of the page for data and title, and a left-hand margin to keep the writing from running into where the holes will be punched, and an outline box around all the margins. I like unlined paper, but often use an underlying sheet of lined paper for guidelines while writing.

I currently use a clipboard ("Lapboard' brand?) that has a padded, cloth-lined rear pocket for storing a file folder of paper; a web mesh pen holder pouch attached to the top, and an elastic cord that keeps the bottoms of the clipped sheets from flopping around. This works ideal for my loose-leaf journalling system.

I'm now interested in the way that drafting vellum takes FP ink (hint: real nice); I'm going to purchase another pad of vellum and print my journal templates onto vellum. These sheets will be filed into notebooks according to subject (personal journal, technical drawings/ideas, etc).

~Joe