Meet the Tools: Objects That Have Been With Us Since Day One

Meet the Tools

A celebration of the objects that have stayed with us from the beginning.

Some tools earn their keep. Others earn a place in the family.

Over the last 20 years, the spaces at SB Libris have changed — from our home lounge room to a small View St shop, then downstairs in a double shop to now upstairs, above the shop! But a handful of tools have been with us the whole way. Some still work daily. Others have taken on new roles — still present, still part of the story.

Here are a few of the originals.

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The Chandler & Price Guillotine 

You’ll see it before you hear it — a solid, cast-iron guillotine standing proud in the shop.

This manual guillotine was used daily for trimming books until we moved the bindery upstairs in 2021. Too large (and far too heavy) to make the move, it now lives downstairs in our retail space, displaying some of the bookbinding equipment and materials we keep in stock.

It’s still one of the most asked-about items in the shop — and no surprise. Its iron arm and well worn handle have seen thousands of cuts. The kind of machine that reminds you how books used to be made — carefully, by hand, one at a time. (and yes! The blade has been removed!!)

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The Large Standing Book Press

This one has a story that begins before SB Libris.

The large standing press — now in the front window — came from Simon’s father’s business in Melbourne. It made the journey with us to Bendigo in 2003, and like the guillotine, it was too heavy to haul upstairs when the bindery moved.

It hasn’t pressed a book in several years, but it’s still full of life. A Devil’s Ivy has made itself at home, winding around the top and up the wall beside it! It’s not just a press anymore — it’s part of the room.

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The Antique Laying Press

We found this piece at auction just before opening the bindery in 2005 — a solid, beautifully made laying press that’s been with us ever since. I couldn’t tell you exactly how old it is, but its hand-worn timber suggests it’s seen a lot of years — and a lot of books.

It’s hard to miss. Heavy, grounded, and full of character. We often take it to the Lost Trades Fair, where it always draws questions (and photos). People are drawn to it — the weight of it, the shape, the authority it seems to have.

We still use it weekly upstairs for rounding spines, backing books, and adding pressure just where it’s needed. Its job hasn’t changed — and neither has its reliability. Some tools don’t need updating.

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The Book Press with Brass Handles

One of the first we bought — and still a favourite.

There’s a particular pleasure in using a book press that’s been properly made. This one, with its smooth brass handles and solid base, has helped bind everything from wedding albums to artist books to tiny runs of personal journals.

It’s not flashy, but it’s beautiful. The kind of tool you reach for without thinking — because it’s always been there.

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The Type Cabinet

Downstairs, near the embossing bench, sits a well-worn type cabinet.

Each drawer is filled with lead type — different fonts, different sizes — sorted, stacked, and ready to be set by hand. We’ve had this piece since the beginning, and it still plays a quiet but important role in our embossing work.

It’s a link to the early days of printing, when everything had weight — literally and metaphorically. You don’t choose a typeface lightly when you have to place each letter with tweezers.

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More Than Just Tools

These pieces have seen every season of our business — the quiet starts, the busy weekends, the pivots, the people. They’ve shaped the work, but also the space. The way we move, the way we think, the way we remember how we got here.

Not everything stays. But they did. And we’re glad for it.

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If you’re visiting the shop this month, take a look — the Chandler & Price and the standing press are right there in the window. 

We’ll be sharing more stories and behind-the-scenes details on Instagram in the lead-up to our 20 year celebration on June 20. We'd love for you to follow along — or drop in and say hello.