[Illustration: FIG. 9. Back of book sewn on raised bands.]

[Illustration: FIG. 10. Band of flat vellum sometimes found on
old books with flat backs.]

[Illustration: FIG. 11. Typical appearance of a book, before it
is sewn, with small trenches cut in the back in which the bands are to
be laid; a bad method, but often used to produce a flat back.]

This cutting of the back to make room for the bands was afterwards more
easily effected by means of a saw--as it is done now--and in the
eighteenth century was especially used by the French binder Derome le
Jeune, who is usually made responsible for its invention.

The existence of the sunken bands on early embroidered books probably
marks the beginning of this vicious system, but here there is some
excuse for it, whereas in the case of ordinary leather-bound books there
is none, except from the commercial standpoint.

In the case of vellum books there may be some reason for using the
'sawn in' bands, as it is certainly difficult to get vellum to fit
comfortably over raised bands, although numerous early instances exist
in which it has been successfully done. Again in the case of 'hollow
backs,' the bands are kept flat with some reason. But for all valuable
or finely bound books the system of 'sawing in' cannot be too strongly
condemned.

'Sawing in' can be detected by looking at the threads in the centre of
any section of a bound book from the inside. It will show as a small