Bevelled Boards.—Very heavy boards for the sides champered around the edges.
Blind-Tooled.—When the tools are impressed upon the leather, without being gilt, they are said to be blind or blank.
Boards.—Are of various kinds, such as pressing, backing, cutting, burnishing, gilding, &c. The pasteboards used for side-covers are termed boards. The boards used for cutting books "out of boards" are called steamboat-boards. Tinned boards are used for finished work; while brass or iron-bound boards are used for pressing cloth-work.
Bodkin or Stabbing-Awl.—A strong point of iron or steel, fixed on a wooden handle, to form the holes in the boards required to lace in the bands. Used also for tracing the lines for cutting the fore-edge.
Bole.—A preparation used in gilding edges.
Bolt.—The fold in the head and fore-edge of the sheets. Also the small bar with a screw used to secure the knife to the plough.
Bosses.—Brass plates attached to the sides of volumes for their preservation.
Broke up.—When plates are turned over and folded at a short distance from the back-edge, before they are placed so as to enable them to turn easily in the volume, they are said to be broke up. The same process is sometimes applied to the entire volume.
Burnish.—The effect produced by the application of the burnisher to the edges.
Burnishers.—Are pieces of agate or bloodstone affixed to handles.