A pen wiper consists of a cover, which in this case must be made of
leather suitable for tooling, and several leaves of soft material like
sheepskin or chamois, which should match the cover in colour. The
process of tooling the pen wiper does not differ essentially from that
already employed in the foregoing problems. It should, of course, be
carried through to completion before the book is made up. These parts
are to be tied together with knots of sheepskin thongs of the same
colour.
[Illustration: Steps in tying a knot]
The series of cuts given below show the progressive steps in forming
the knot, which should finally take the shape of Figure 5. After it has
been formed the thongs are passed through holes punched in the cover
and leaves of the pen wiper, and secured by a second knot formed on the
back, resembling Figure 4 with the ends cut as close as will leave
them securely tied.
[Illustration: Two designs for pen wipers]
Another illustration gives two suggestions for the design: A, a
rectangular pen wiper tied with two knots at the end; B, a circular pen
wiper tied with one knot in the middle. In these designs, and indeed
in all others, decoration should recognize (not antagonize!) the outer
form of the article to which it is applied. This point is made in the
illustration.