Bookbinders' Hand Tools

These are used by heating them (perhaps to 110 degrees celcius) and pressing them onto a piece of gold leaf or stamping foil resting over the cloth or leather to be printed.

• DECORATIVE ROLLS are brass wheels with a design engraved around the edge, and attached to a long wooden handle.
• FILLETS are similar to rolls, but the design is only a straight line (or more than one line).
• PALLETS are strips of brass with short handle attached. The edge of the strip has a decorative or straight line pattern engraved, similar to rolls and fillets. Typical length is six inches. The pallet is usually curved, allowing the user to emboss it with a rolling action.
• HANDLED ORNAMENTS are brass patterns engraved into the end of a shank of brass, with a handle on the other end.
• HANDLED LETTERS are similar but have letters. A full set consists of capital letters, punctuation and figures. Sets of handled letters exist with a wide range of typefaces.
• TYPE HOLDERS are like a miniature chase on a handle. A line of types (typically brass types, but normal printing types or even Linotype (etc) slugs can be used) is inserted into the holder and kept in place by pressure screws.
• Note that Brass Types are listed in our Special Founts section.