Hello, I'm about two years into learning how to bind books and since I'm starting a few months of intensive leather work, I picked up a second-hand copy of THE SILMARILLION to deconstruct and rebind. The flypage indicates it's the first US edition (Houghton Mifflin Company) and the map is still tipped in at the back (distorting the textblock slightly--another problem I want to solve), but it's also got an edge treatment on the top.

The pages are dyed red on the top edge, and I don't remember seeing that on any other version I've seen over the years. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't about to ignorantly destroy the Holy Grail for a learning exercise.

The book's in fairly decent shape (sans dust jacket, green cloth on boards, gold stamp on the front cower and spine), but I bought it as a complete redo project from the sewing up.

Thanks much, Brian

Not the Holy Grail. Good luck on your bindery training!

Thanks, Elwë.