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Introducing Brass Band Sticks

The idea to make the Brass Band Sticks originated from a fellow bookbinder who had muscle strain after decades of work, telling me she had trouble using band nippers due to the hand pressure required. Band sticks immediately came to mind.

Wooden band sticks have been around for a very long time. They’re an easy to make tool that helps form the leather around raised spine bands.

However they have some significant drawbacks. Wood contains natural oils which are in some cases likely to stain leather. The groove can widen through continuous use, eventually rendering the band stick useless. Most importantly though, it loses its smoothness and as a result the edges become coarse and eventually produce splinters which will scar leather.

Enter the Brass Band Stick

Enter the
Made from a bookbinder for bookbinders, the Brass Band Stick is an updated version of the old-timey tool, one that is more robust, precise, friendly to leather and comfortable to use.

The Brass Band stick offers:

– A clean raised band
As it will never stain leather, in contrast with wood.

– Smooth edges
The edges are carefully finished by hand to be smooth enough to produce a great result, but not polished, so the tool retains some necessary grip over the leather to help form the leather crisply over the spine band. And of course, it will never become coarse or scar your binding.

– A lifetime of precisionAs brass is a material far more robust than wood, the groove will retain its width through a lifetime of use and produce a neat result each and every time.

Comparison with Band Nippers

Band Nippers work for all sizes, so why should you prefer the Band Sticks?
Each tool has its strengths. Band Nippers work for any raised band width but require adjusting, applying pressure constantly and cost more due to their complexity. Band Sticks are easier to use, have a fixed width which allows repeatable precision and cost less.
In the end it comes down to preference and way of working.

The Brass Band sticks are ideal for:

– Big binderies with high volume of work.
– Bookbinding projects that involve doing a number of identical books on a regular basis.
– Binders or bookbinding enthusiasts that have tendinitis or reduced hand strength (injury or age related) and have trouble using band nippers.
– Anyone preferring the ease of use this tool offers!

The tool comes on a comfortable wooden handle, smoothly finished with oil and wax.

Current available groove widths are: 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and 7mm. The groove has a depth of 5mm.
Custom sizes available upon request.
Please take the leather’s thickness around the band into account as well when deciding which width you want!

Pricelist:
– 60 euros for one Brass Band Stick.
– 110 euros for a pair.
– 210 for all four.


You can acquire the Brass Band Sticks by writing to koutsipetsidis@gmail.com or by heading over to my Etsy shop.

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