What can a publishing company do before its press is up and running? Well, it can make blank books (think of it as a literature of pure potential). We decided to make a blank book that honors the trees its made of.
Xylobooks are handmade blank books bound in hardwoods using a binding we invented here at the shop. They were designed to marry traditional bookbinding methods with a clean, modern aesthetic that emphasizes the tactile nature of the materials and the connection between wood and paper. High-quality, recycled archival paper, cotton twill tape, and tiny iron nails create a sturdy, simple object. The wooden planks provide a portable writing surface and the cotton bands create a place to hold cards and other bits of ephemera.
The production of xylobooks is a collaboration between Container Corps and Jonathan Nussbaum, a local furniture maker who crafts the wooden pieces using responsibly harvested hardwood scraps salvaged from the cutoffs produced by furniture production. The species include beautiful Northwest woods like Oregon bigleaf maple, madrone, western walnut, juniper, and cherry. Each book is unique, with variations in grain, color, and knotholes.
And, when you fill your xylobook up, don't despair, bring it on over to the shop. We can take out the block of pages for your archives and put in a fresh set for a small fee.
These are first edition Xylobooks, and supplies are limited. Editions are produced when scrap wood becomes available, and as such each edition will consist of a unique set of wood species and grain patterns.
Please note in the photos that some of the Juniper books have vertical grooves routed in them, since some of this wood was being made into panelling. Specify if you'd like grooves (it kind of reminds me of the walls of a cabin) or not, and I'll try to fulfill your wish, while supplies last. Either way, also note that the Juniper is by far the most scented of these woods, if that's what you're into.
64 leaves, 128 pages | 4" x 5.25" | $45
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Oregon Red Oak
Juniper
Cherry
Beech
Oregon Bigleaf Maple