Within this page, I would like to share more about the handmade goods you can find in the Colophon Shop. We are lucky to have such talented people in our field, and I am ecstatic to be able to feature their tools and supplies in the store. It is a privilege to work with each person, so I hope to provide insight into the lives of the people behind these amazing products.
Olive and Oak
James Oliver is a self-taught maker, musician and artist. He created Olive and Oak in 2008 after deciding to focus his efforts on bespoke furniture commissions and top quality bookbinding equipment; the latter especially after being introduced to bookbinding through friends and family. James noticed that the best equipment was the old and out-of-production stuff and that there was a gap in the market for handmade, solid, functioning, and beautiful bookbinding presses and wooden equipment.
The main thoughts when considering any piece are of form and function and how to bring them together in the best way possible using the finest materials.
Visit the “equipment” section in the shop under “binding supplies” to find these beauties.
Exclusively available in the US through Colophon, these beautiful sewing frames are handmade in northern Portugal by James Oliver, proprietor of Olive and Oak.
Consisting simply of a base, two wooden nuts, and a crossbar, sewing frames are an ancient design that still provides a convenient means of securing cords or tapes while sewing books by hand. Instead of the threaded uprights, the sewing frame now assembles with metal components.
James makes his sewing frames out of solid sapele, a beautiful tropical wood from West Africa that shares many visual and structural characteristics with mahogany. The posts are hand-turned and threaded, and each part of the frame is finished with a durable satin varnish.
Additionally, the sewing frame can be easily disassembled for convenient transportation or storage.
Dimensions:
Distance between spindles: 15 inches
Overall size assembled: 20 x 11 x 17.75 inches
Collapsed size: 20 x 11 x 5 inches
SHIPPING: Please consider the shipping calculated for this tool to be an estimate. On average, the shipping for large tools is overcharged and any difference will be refunded.
Exclusively available in the US through Colophon, these beautiful finishing presses are handmade in northern Portugal by James Oliver, proprietor of Olive and Oak.
Traditionally used to gently but firmly hold books spine-up for gold or blind tooling, these presses are useful for a variety of other conservation and bookbinding applications such as sewing endbands, rebacking, cleaning spines, and even light backing.
James makes his finishing presses out of solid sapele, a beautiful tropical wood from West Africa that shares many visual and structural characteristics with mahogany. The handles are hand turned and threaded, and each part of the press is finished with a durable satin varnish.
Large Press
Overall size: 20 x 14 x 6 inches
Distance between spindles: 14.5 inches
Max distance between cheeks: ~4 inches
Small Press
Overall size: 14 x 14 x 5
Distance between spindles: 9 inches
Max distance between cheeks: ~4 inches
SHIPPING: Please consider the shipping calculated for this tool to be an estimate. On average, the shipping for large tools is overcharged and any difference will be refunded.
Hook Pottery Paper
Andrea Peterson is a papermaker, studio artist, and educator exploring natural fibers as a process, science, and art form. As a child and into her adult life, she has been an explorer of the natural world. Every day she is inspired by the environment and harnesses her experiences into hand papermaking adventures.
Andrea and her husband, Jon Hook, co-operate Hook Pottery Paper in northwest Indiana; a fine arts gallery and art studios. This facility was founded with the intention to create works of art and research in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Find her paper in “Paper, Board, Cloth & Leather”, paper making supplies in “Papermaking”, and soap & balm under “Miscellaneous”.
From subtle white lines on light cream paper to bold and electric combed stripes, Andrea’s line of paste papers has something to offer everyone, and any project. Her expressive designs are executed on a range of her hardworking handmade paper, which means they are not afraid of any book or box-making applications you’re bound to need them for. All paste papers are internally sized.
Unsure of where to start? Order a sample book here.
Special Run paste papers are marked with an * - once they’re gone, they’re gone! NB: Given their limited nature, these papers are not included in Hook Pottery Paper sample books.
All sheets are $15.00
Sample books are $25.00
These handmade beating mallets were designed to help you macerate cooked paper fibers by hand. Each mallet is made with care by the members of the Hook Pottery Paper family. The mallet heads are fashioned from fruitwood that has been seasoned for three years to ensure stability and longevity, and each mallet’s lightweight but strong handle is made of poplar wood. Once assembled, the entire mallet is sealed with a beeswax and linseed oil finish formulated to withstand the wet working conditions.
Each mallet head measures approximately 3 by 5 inches and weighs between 13 - 22 ounces. This weight range has proven to effectively pack a punch while still comfortably suiting a wide range of body types. Handles measure 1 by 12 inches.
NB: This is a handmade product created from a living source. Each mallet, while guaranteed to work hard, will vary.
Soap and Balm
Handmade at Colophon
There are a selection of tools in the shop that have been made by Colophon’s owners. I continue to manufacture the tools and look forward to adding to the options available as I learn more about the needs of my colleagues. Many of these handmade tools are marbling supplies created for the beginning or advanced marbler.
Below are a few items available in the shop under “Marbling Supplies”
Water-based colors have been used for centuries to create marbled paper. Colophon’s original water-based marbling colors are made in house by Mary with original recipes from passed down from Colophon’s paper marbling founder Don Guyot. Ever-inquisitive, Don formulated these colors by experimenting with traditional recipes he found in old texts. Each color is its own special combination of pigment, binder, surfactant, and water, and as such has its own personality.
Stone ground in water, these colors are concentrated in 4oz jars with instructions for mixing with oxgall before use. Shelf life is indefinite so long as jars are stored with the lids securely fashioned to prevent them drying out.
While each color is sold individually, you can also purchase a Basic Set of marbling colors at a slight discount. See below.
TIER 1 Colors: $6.50 each
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Chrome Green
Russet
Titanium White
Van Dyke Brown
TIER 2 Colors: $9.50 each
Cobalt Blue
Forest Green
Steel Grey
Terre Verte
Titanium Yellow
Ultramarine Blue
Ultramarine Violet
Yellow Ochre
Prussian Blue* currently unavailable
TIER 3: $10.50 each
Black
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Orange
Cadmium Yellow
Chrome Green Light
Deep Red
Ultramarine Pink
BASIC SET: $58.00
**No substitutions at this time
Burnt Umber
Chrome Green
Titanium White
Cobalt Blue
Cadmium Yellow
Deep Red
Black
Drawn through the colors in the marbling tank, marbling rakes can be used to create a staggering variety of marbled paper patterns. The regularly spaced brass teeth allow marblers to create and repeat standardized patterns with ease. I make Colophon’s rakes in house using solid brass pins set in a cedar wood strip (they smell so good!).
I offer two rake styles, and each is available in two sizes. The Bouquet/Peacock Rakes are so named because they are commonly used to create traditional patterns sharing the same name. Please note: the rake size corresponds with the appropriate marbling tank (e.g. Large Rake pairs with the Large Tank).
Standard Rake Dimensions:
Large (for the Large Tank): 32 inches long, teeth set 3 inches apart
Small (for the Small Tank): 26 inches long, teeth set 2 ½ inches apart
Bouquet/Peacock Rake Dimensions:
Large (for the Large Tank): 23 inches long. 2 inches of space between teeth on a row, 1 inch of space between rows.
Small (for the Small Tank): 18 inches long. 2 inches of space between teeth on a row, 1 inch of space between rows.