That time a customer pointed out my endbands were backward

I been binding for about 6 years, but last spring a retired librarian came to pick up her journal and asked why my headbands were facing inward. Turns out I had been sewing them on the wrong side of the text block for years. Now I double check orientation before I glue up and it looks way more professional.

3 comments

3 Comments

rowan8491mo ago

Read endbands date back to 8th century Coptic bindings, @dylan_anderson.

dylan_anderson1mo ago

Actually that's not quite right, they're called endbands not headbands. Headbands are the ones on top of the spine only, endbands are the ones on both the head and tail. Sorry, but I see this mixed up all the time and it bugs me a little. I get what you mean though, I did the same thing for years until a customer pointed it out too. Feels real dumb when you finally figure it out, doesn't it?

lisa8201mo ago

Isn't it funny how language works like that in so many parts of life? Like how people say "ATM machine" all the time but machine is already in the name, or how everyone calls it a "PIN number" when the N already stands for number. I catch myself doing it too with stuff like "chai tea" which just means tea tea. But honestly I think these little quirks just show how language evolves and how we learn from each other over time. It's kind of cool when you stop to think about it even if it does make you feel a bit silly at first!