The Arcane Bindery is run by me, Eric Mickols. I got my start making books by Sewing together computer paper and binding it with leftover scraps of costume cloth from Halloween. I quickly transitioned to using more traditional methods and materials, dying and tooling my own leather to make a real medieval style for my books.

For me, making books is a meditative process. I made my first books as a way to relax after long days of being a computer programmer, giving my hands something to do while my mind wandered. Hand stitching books and carving leather turned out to be just what I needed.

Once books got into my head, I was amazed by all the places in life that books were still used and treasured. From photo albums to movie props and religious texts, books were still all over in our modern age. Even if many of our storybooks were going digital, physical books still held a special place. That’s when I decided to open the Bindery, and bring a Medieval flare to all of these traditions.

Book Binding With Fantasy in Mind

After spending decades of my life playing tabletop RPGs, I realized what a difference a good prop or two can make to immersion. Its one thing to say that your wizard has a spellbook, and its another thing entirely to pull it out at the table and crack it open. Its one thing to say that your adventuring party has recovered a lost tome, but totally mind blowing to hand it over and for them to hold it in their hands.

My books focus on the feeling of awe that can be inspired when you handle a real leather book at the table after imagining them for so long. My books are made out of strong materials and are made to be passed around. The leather and impressions are there to last. Over time, the natural leathers I use on the book covers grow even more beautiful, as the “antiquing” finishing process is replaced by real wear marks and natural oils from your skin.

So whether you are using one of my screw bound notebooks for character notes, one of my hand-tooled spellbooks as a room decoration, or a massive custom ordered grimoire, make sure that you never forget the magic inside the books and the games we play. Even if the book stays on a shelf, the striking spines and coloration of an Arcane Bindery book will surely bring a wonderful ambiance to your gaming space.