I just switched to shaw 150 oh well . now that I know theres an alternative I might consider them in a year . Even if they use shaw ' s infrastructure . <| sep |> My favorite is probably split board bindings . They are relatively simple from the point of sewing and board attachment , open well , and are durable . The madeup endsheets , spine construction and covering methods keep them from being utilized more often . It was the workhorse binding for libraries and business for several good decades . If you have an instructor that can show you the ins outs of the tricky bits , these bindings are great . If not , expect some frustration as they are mostly found in 19 th century bookbinding manuals that tend to leave out some steps or make things overly complicated . e . g divide the cover into 9 ths to determine the placement of overbands . For general usefulness , case bindings are always good . Produces a book that looks , acts , and behaves like any hardcover should . They are quick and easy to make with relatively little fuss . If books had an ice cream flavor , this would be vanilla or chocolate . It is a standard that is hard to go wrong with .