Special bindings
You can devide the craft of bookbinding in regular work and the applied art form.
The applied art form of bookbinding will give the binder the challenge to make a unique design, binding and decoration to make something special. The experiment is a important part in this work.
When you have a commission by a collector or booklover who wants to have a special binding and design for a book it takes time to develop ideas and sometimes new techniques.

Sewn on stubs, Dos Rapporté binding (developed by Benjamin Elbel)
3D printed white plastic, Zaansch bord spine
Design inspired by image of a gravure in the book with tools, here as a ‘kit’
Published by Atelier – Ganzenweide.nl
In the collection of the Royal Library in The Hague and private collection
Limited edition: 4

Sewn on vellum tapes on a vellum wrapper
Wegné wood cover, lasered parts to hold the vellum tapes, own development
In private collection

Cover in paste paper
Titel turned into blocs
Sliding box with lid, envelop for cd
All in paper
In private collection

Dos rapporté binding as developed by Benjamin Elbel
Buffalo leather, personalised dessin on covers
In private collection

Paper version with titel lasered in coveredges
Dos rapporté binding in a special version developed by Benjamin Elbel
This edition is forwarded by Benjamin Elbel, commisioned by bindery Wilgenkamp
In collection of the Royal Library The Hague and private collections
Edition: 65

Stub binding and longstitch binding
Padoek wood and Ingres paper, titel in lasercutting
Second International Competition Designer Bookbinders
In collection of Royal Libary in The Hague and private collections
Edition: 5

Sewn on stubs
Photographs are removable and can be displayed as single images
The title is lasered in black hardboard with coloured letter inlays
Paper, leather tapes and grey hardboard
In private collection

Extreme Oriëntal binding
Paper and grey hardboard, printing, inlays
Design inspired by the typographics of the book
International Xe F.I.R.A, International forum for artbooks
Organised by ARA Belgica in Brugge – Arabelgica.be

Soft slip cover of 100% wool felt, International Xe F.I.R.A
International forum for artbooks
Organised by ARA Belgica in Brugge – Arabelgica.be

Mixed media, paper
Seconda Mostra Internazionale di Rilegatura d’Arte in Italia
Maestro Rilegature

Star-binding with photo’s of letterboxes in different countries, sewn on leather tapes
Cover with magnets, bookclosure inpired by an envelope
Participating Délires de Livres

Jean the Gonet binding
Leather, paper, mixed media
Competition to honour 650 year city of Hoorn
Organised in collaboration with author André Nuyens, the Westfries Museum and Westfries Archive
3e prize

Symplified binding, text underlayed in personal technique
Paper and threads
Initiative by “Mooie Boeken” in collaboration with publisher ‘de Buitenkant’ and Museum Meermanno, The Hague
In private collection

Sewn on leather tapes in combination with coptic binding
Leather, paper, carborundum
Design inspired by Karasiks handwriting and colours
Exhibition ‘Karasik’ in Bibliotheca Wittockiana, Brussel
In coöperation with Studio Clavettes:
Edition: 1

Paper, museum board
Design inspired by the drawings in the book and used as underlayed reliëf
Bound for the Koopman collection, commissioned by the Royal Library in The Hague
Edition: 1

Paper, stitchings
Design inspired by the drawings in the book
Bound for the Koopman collection, commissioned by the Royal Library in The Hague

1990, ex.nr.79/100 by Albert Woda
Mixed media and paper
Design inspired on the first line in the book, the music notes and the girls look
Pointe de Paris, Librairie Blaizot, Parijs, – Librairieblaizot.com
Edition: 1

Mixed media, paper, white 100% felt slipcover
Design inspired by the rain falling down on a window
First International Competition by Designer Bookbinders, Engeland – Designerbookbinders.org.uk
Incline Press Award- Inclinepress.com

Photoalbum sewn on stubs
Leather and paper
Design inspired by the Japanese word for photo, relief under the leather
Collaboration of the members of ARA Belgica and lots of bookbinding societies around the world
With support from Signalo.nl
Edition: 1
