The Yorkshire bookbinding firm with clients such as Rod Stewart, Phil Collins and The Folio Society

Watching artisans at work, whether it’s blacksmiths, watchmakers, or in this instance, book binders, is a joy to behold. And the team at Smith Settle are all artisans, each playing a part to produce something akin to a work of art that will last more than a lifetime.

One of their latest high-profile commissions has been for The Folio Society which has just released a new limited edition of Beowulf, one of the oldest known works of English literature, featuring an introduction by historian Dr Janina Ramirez and illustrations by the artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins.

Limited to 750 copies, the edition is bound in blocked yellow leather, with each book hand finished. It’s an intricate process that includes sewing the pages together, creating the book's casing, and the stamping of the leather.

For financial director Tracey Thorne and her small team at Smith Settle, one of the few businesses continuing this traditional craft, it’s hands-on, labour intensive work – a labour of love you might say.

Smith Settle was founded in Otley back in 1981 by Ken Smith and Brian Settle (hence the name), and is now one of the leading book binding firms in the UK. In 2006, the business was taken over by Tracey and Don Walters, who both worked for the company, and since then it has continued to flourish, leading to a move to bigger premises in Yeadon.

The business originally included a publishing arm, which was sold 20 years ago, and now its sole focus is book binding. Tracey started out in 1991 as an office junior and worked her way up the ranks and as director she now runs the show.

Over the years Smith Settle has collaborated with The Folio Society on numerous projects, of which Beowulf is just the latest. “We started working with them when we were in Otley and I’m very proud to work with them because it’s never a standard job and there’s always so much detail involved,” says Tracey.

They produce books of all shapes and sizes and as well as The Folio Society their customers include Faber and Faber, London-based publisher Slightly Foxed, as well as individual authors wanting bespoke copies of their books.

They’ve done one-off books for the likes of Rod Stewart and Phil Collins. “In Rod Stewart’s case it was a quarter bound leather book and it had to be in Celtic’s colours. We had to take a Pantone book and go to Sports Direct to find a Celtic top so we could find the nearest green leather colour that matched.”

They also work with Lee Child’s publishers to create special editions of his books for the bestselling novelist. “A few years back we were asked to make some limited editions for him and so every year when he does a new book we get four sets of sheets.”

The majority of their work involves limited edition books and the costs depend on the size of the order, the materials used and the type of paper customers want. The job itself hasn’t changed all that much and you suspect that if a book binder from a hundred years ago walked into the workshop most of the equipment would be instantly familiar to them.

“The only thing we have changed is we have a digital press to do the short runs,” says Tracey. “Beowulf was sewn on this,” she adds, showing me another machine. “Some of the machinery is nearly as old as I am but it’s all built to last – and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The workshop is a cavernous, clattering space with its own distinct rhythm. Sue Hargreaves, who folds the pages after printing before the binding process starts, has worked for Smith Settle for more than 30 years. “I enjoy it,” she says. “I do other jobs but I mainly do the folding. I’m 75 now and this keeps me going.”

Most of the team have been with the company for many years and in Danny Mackintosh’s case since he left school. He joined as a teenage apprentice and 13 years later is now the bindery manager. “You get a lot of job satisfaction out of doing this. You know if The Folio Society is happy with it then you’ve done a good job,” he says.

He works alongside Sue Barry, the quality controller, who casts an expert eye over all the books, slipcases and solander boxes before they are shipped out.

Their meticulous attention to detail is constant and watching the team go about their tasks like a well-oiled machine is a strangely calming and therapeutic experience. Each of them has their own job to do but can chip in to help others during the busiest periods – Tracey herself will sometimes lend a hand numbering pages when needed. “Everybody mucks in,” she says.

Kate Grimwade, The Folio Society's production director, has worked with Tracey and co for a long time and says having this trusted relationship is crucial. “We’ve worked with Smith Settle for something like 20 years and we know that they will always bind our books beautifully,” she says.

So when it came to giving Beowulf the limited edition treatment, Smith Settle was the obvious partner. “Such a famous old-English poem like this needs to be hand bound in England, to me that’s very important, and we know they will always take enormous care with our books. They’ve got such amazing skill in book binding and attention to detail, and it needed that extra special care,” Kate says.

“The reason we choose Smith Settle is because they are artisans working as craftspeople making these beautiful books, and I think people have rediscovered a passion for beautiful books. There’s a huge resurgence in books, and books as an object of desire.

“I think this goes across a lot of things. So much is made about how far we’ve come so quickly in the digital world, but I think that people really appreciate things that take time and there’s a big resurgence of interest in crafts across the board, beautiful things that last a lifetime. And these books are part of that.”

So although book binding might be something of a niche industry these days, it’s far from a dying art. “It’s not when you’re doing work like we’re doing for The Folio Society, or Faber and Faber,” says Tracey. “Publishing houses come to us and we still get people coming in wanting us to print 15 copies of their autobiography, which we did the other week. It’s always a pleasure to do these type of jobs.”

For collectors, limited edition books are highly sought after. “I used to deal with a guy who got the majority of the limited edition Folio Society books and he always insisted on having number 99. Then he’d send it back and ask us if we could bind it differently to the rest of them, because he wanted his to be totally unique.”

And this uniqueness, the smell, look and feel of books, is at the heart of their enduring popularity. “There was a time when Kindles came in and everyone was saying books were dying,” says Tracey, “but we’ve always been busy and I hear so many people say, and I agree, that you cannot beat having a book in your hand.”

For more information about Smith Settle visit www.smithsettle.com; The Folio Society edition of Beowulf is available now exclusively from www.foliosociety.com