News

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Marcus Janssens, winner of the Harmatan Award for Forwarding in this year’s Society of Bookbinders International Competition!

Learning about bookbinding just got a lot easier

All About Bookbinding produces high-quality tutorial videos by renowned bookbinders. Three titles are currently available to purchase for online viewing or download: An Introduction to Traditional Gold Tooling and Restoring Antiquarian Leather Bindings, both presented by Trevor Lloyd MBE, and the latest, Preparing and Covering a Modern Full-Leather Binding, featuring Designer Bookbinders President Stuart Brockman.

For details and to purchase, visit allaboutbookbinding.com.

Harmatan leather chosen for the Coronation Bibles

Shepherds, Sangorski & Sutcliffe and Zaehnsdorf collaborated with Oxford University Press to produce four finely bound bibles for His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation. Six staff spent over 300 hours binding and finishing the bibles.

The leather chosen — a rich crimson vegetable-tanned goatskin — was produced by Harmatan. The final specification included leather doublures with dark blue leather inlays, navy blue silk flyleaves, hand-sewn silk endbands, raised spine bands and a full 24ct gold leaf gilt finish inside and out.

The Stationers’ Company Warrant 2022

We are delighted to have been granted The Stationers’ Company Warrant, awarded for quality, environmental practice and customer service. Launched in 2014, the Warrant has established itself as a mark of recognition, highlighting excellence within our industry.

Holiday closures

Spring: closed Friday 22 May, reopening Monday 1 June.
Summer: closed Friday 24 July, reopening Monday 10 August.
Autumn: closed Friday 23 October, reopening Monday 2 November.
Christmas: closed Wednesday 23 December, reopening Monday 4 January 2027.

Fold to Fold

A multi-year project bringing together many makers and collectors to preserve unique pattern papers used in book production, illustrating geological time. The cover leather is batik-dyed Harmatan goatskin, with a Harmatan suede box.

— Mary Bartlett, Dartington Hall

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

When you make an enquiry with us we collect and store limited personal details (name, business name, address, email and phone number) on a database that is not shared with any third party. Card details are shredded immediately after use. Contact us if you wish to be excluded from any of these protocols.

Annual price review

A price increase on all leathers takes effect from 1 January each year.

Leather thinning & splitting services

Harmatan — £100 per hour ex VAT, minimum charge ½ hour. We accept no liability for damage or thickness variation on leather not produced by Harmatan Ltd.

Also available via Hohenforst Splitting Co (USA), Yves Orbach (Belgium) and Shepherds Bookbindery Ltd (UK).