FLAX PEN TO PAPER

  • NEWS
  • SHOP
  • EXPLORE
    • WRITING INSTRUMENTS
    • CUSTOM/BESPOKE GOODS
    • READY TO WRITE
    • FRAMES & ALBUMS
    • CARDS, ART PAPERS
    • BABIES, TODDLERS & KIDS
    • GIFTS
    • REVIEWS, Q&A and MORE
  • ABOUT FLAX
  • CONTACT
  • NEWS
  • SHOP
  • EXPLORE
    • WRITING INSTRUMENTS
    • CUSTOM/BESPOKE GOODS
    • READY TO WRITE
    • FRAMES & ALBUMS
    • CARDS, ART PAPERS
    • BABIES, TODDLERS & KIDS
    • GIFTS
    • REVIEWS, Q&A and MORE
  • ABOUT FLAX
  • CONTACT

Why Write? A Personal Story

12/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
My father was the picture of strength during my child- and most of my adulthood: he was an all-star wrestler and coach, gym and health teacher and master Red Cross water safety instructor, seemingly teaching most of the County how to swim. It could have been from years of blaring his whistle (I'll never forget the "Acme Thunderer" which summoned us home immediately), the passing of years or the insidious Alzheimer's he suffers, but my ability to talk with my dad, who is over 3,000 miles away, went away a while ago. 
Frustrated by the inability to have a conversation with my dad (don't get me started about video calls - he retired "when the getting was good," which in his mind meant before he'd have to learn to use a computer), I decided to write. I didn't think much of it because, for the most part, my letters weren't very long but, after a while, my mom said he loved getting the letters. She said she would have him read them aloud and explained that often it would be the only time she'd hear his voice during the week when the communication wasn't about medication, a problem or something else bad. She said reading out loud was good for him and helps stem some cognitive decline. I don't envy my mom as the caregiver but I'm told the letters also give her some respite and a view into what's doing in my life in California. (Years ago she sent a birthday card and wrote, parenthetically, that good sons don't move 3,000 miles away from their mothers.)
I admit, my handwriting isn't the best and is certainly nothing like that of my mom, who writes as neatly today as if writing on a blackboard 30 years ago, but when I write to my dad, I write in larger size so he won't struggle. Every time I sit to pen a card or a note, I make an effort to counteract the years of college and law school note-taking and produce something legible and personal. Because this takes effort, I think about how the use of e-mail and computers play a part in the loss of an art form: handwriting.
While at a museum in Albany a little over a year ago (back when people traveled), I happened upon a display which included pages of the area's census. The scripted entries were beautiful. I said to Ryan, "Do you see this?? This is how people wrote a long time ago." He said, "Gorgeous!" It was.
My years of practiced handwriting and calligraphy were decades ago but I've made a commitment to write more by hand and trust the time I take is appreciated. It also makes me feel like a solider in defense of an art that might be lost if we don't fight the battle, so I encourage you to take up your figurative sword, be it a fountain, ballpoint or rollerball pen and share your writing with people who would love to hear from you. Feel free to share your stories with us. 

0 Comments

Staff Profile #1 and "What kind of binding is best?"

12/17/2020

0 Comments

 

At Flax we have four specialists. The "older" Jeremy (Schuster) studied printing systems and management at RIT, availing himself of master classes in typography with Herman Zapf and bookbinding​ with Werner Rebsamen. He "worked his way up" from typesetting through graphic design and reportage and ultimately to editor of a magazine, where he produced a full-color edition. Although a lawyer in his 30th year of practice, Jeremy brings a wealth of knowledge he is eager to share. He also brings Wesley Crusher (Whippet), the store's mascot.

Jeremy was explaining (some of) the different types of bindings to a customer looking at our journals and thought you might want know the difference between "Perfect" and "Smyth-sewn," since Flax has products with different bindings and the costs associated with each are typically reflected in the price of each item.

Most softcover books use the perfect binding process whereby the cover and pages of the book are glued together at the spine and then the edges are “perfectly” trimmed to give your book its sharp, even edges. Perfect binding is a high-speed, machine process that is efficient. The downsides to perfect binding include the inability to "lay flat" without cracking the glue layup and, if the glue deteriorates, the loss of pages which can result. Also, the cover stock used for perfect binding is typically lightweight.

Smyth sewing is a method of binding where groups of folded pages (called "signatures") are stitched together. Each signature is sewn individually with multiple stitches and joined with others to create the book block. When  you page through a Smyth-sewn book, you can see the thread stitches in the center fold of each signature. Smyth-sewn bindings are durable and able to tolerate extensive use. This binding method is ideal for sketchbooks and journals since the pages can lay flat. Our Paperblanks journals are typically Smyth-sewn.

While on the subject, there are two additional binding types you'll see in many products at Flax: saddle-stitching and case binding. Saddle stitching is typically for books or folios that are for short-term use, such as the lightweight notebooks (not stapled or ring-bound). In saddle-stitching, the pages are organized, folded and assembled onto a conveyor (the pages ride atop the assembly as if to "saddle" it; in most instances they are married with a cover, and then the pages are (typically center) stitched with metal staples (and covered with a finishing tape). Saddle stitching is a high-speed, inexpensive process also used for many magazines.

Case-binding is the process you want for materials you want to archive or keep longer-term; it is also known as "hard cover binding" and involves sewing the inside pages together in sections, then adhering end-papers and covering material to the spine. This is typically a more labor-intensive process but makes a beautiful product which can lay virtually flat when opened. Case-binding also makes for an impressive product which can highlight the quality of the materials used. There is almost no limit to the finishing techniques used for case binding, which can include embossed details, foil stamping,  finishing to match gilded or marbled paper and more. You'll likely see case-binding on products from Graphic Image.

We won't discuss coptic (hand-stitched), thermal, comb, ring and the other bindings today but you're welcome to ask questions about any of the products we carry and the processes used to make them. Flax is a passion for everyone involved, and we love to share with you.

0 Comments

    Author

    Jeremy Schuster

    Archives

    December 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

TEL: 310.208.3529
FAX: 310.208.6317
1078 Gayley Avenue
Los Angeles, California
90024
Tuesday - Friday
11:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturdays
11:00 AM - 5:30 PM
CLOSED - Sundays & Mondays


Content, including images, displayed on this website is protected by copyright laws. Downloading, republication, re-transmission or reproduction of content on this website is strictly prohibited.