Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

The letter pages pictured above are the translation of the actual letter sent home to Hungary by our founder Louis Gregorencsics only weeks after arriving in America. He and our family were refugees from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.  This letter is an incredible artifact for us to have and capture our family business history!  Prior to fleeing their home of Sopron, Hungary, the Gregorencsics family planned on getting safely across the border simply to wait out the possible hostilities facing their beloved town of Sopron as the Russian soldiers and tanks began rolling into the city to quell the uprising.  Once across the border, prompt decisions were made and soon the family found themselves in a refugee camp preparing to be brought to America. With literally nothing but the clothes on their back, they boarded a US Air Force Constellation Plane and were enroute!   While missing all they left behind including most of the family, they took a chance on the land of opportunity!  62 Years later, the fact that Turul Bookbindery  Inc. was able to survive the WWII, Hitler, and Stalin, and be reestablished in America, shows how correct Louis Gregorencsics was!

The title of this section is a bit ironic………”What’s New at Turul!’    To be honest, usually nothing…. No new kindles, no new e-readers, rarely any new books!  However on occasion we do get some one-off custom created new bindings to create for clients.  But for the most part, nothing is new!

That is why we are unique, that is why our bookbinding, book repair, and restoration business are so unique.  When we do repairs, most are by hand and with old hand tools,  Even the machines we utilize to replicate the quality and old world craftsmanship in books is done with machines that are over a century old!    We have one sewing machine on which a placard is affixed to list the patents.  The most current patent on that machine is 1879…….Often we have to make parts or repair old parts to keep her going, but it is worth it.  You cannot duplicate the quality of that machines abilities.  The few times we try calling for a part it is funny hearing the dead silence on the other end of the phone.  The call goes something like this, ” So what model # are you looking for parts for?”   Our response “4”………. Soon the parts person pauses and replies, “and the other digits?”   To which we say, ” There are no others…..Model #4!”

We are essentially a recently opened time capsule, and watching us perform are art is similar to traveling back in a time machine.  We use some of the same techniques and tools from long ago.  This ensures that the quality of our work remains the best!    So in answer to the Question, “What’s new at Turul?”  We say, “What’s old is new again here!”  It may not be new to us, but it is new to the 4 or 5 generations of customers that came along after techniques were originally first used!   We forsee doing it that way for a long time to come, then we can guarantee that you or valued customer continues to get the highest quality book repair and restoration!

Every so often we get a project that is just something out of the ordinary or unique. (As if working on a bible from the 1800s is normal, but I digress….).  We recently were commissioned by a client to bind a commemorative book for a customer who’s 14 year old brother and 15 year old brother went to visit their grandmother. This sounds perfectly reasonable, so what’s the big deal?  They went by bike!

Still unimpressed? They lived in Caldwell and Grandma and Grandpa lived 2100 miles away in Montana . The book is filled with a permission slip from the local police chief vouching for the boys, it has letters from motel owners along the route saying how well behaved the boys were. It also has news stories of their trip as they were doing it. Amazingly it tool the boys only 24 days to make the trip and they packed only a pup tent and small supplies. The year was 1959 and what a different time it was!

Christmastime is a great time. The spirit of giving is all around. (Well, except for Black Friday). We love this time of the year because when our clients come in with their cookbooks, their family bibles, etc. Their is always an interesting back story of their family history. Maybe where their family lived, what a family member did and was known for, etc. Well our family as you may or may not know originated in Sopron, Hungary and it was about this time of the year in 1956 we were in a new country (USA) about to experience an American Christmas for our first time. What a gift it was to be able to begin a new life in this country so many decades ago!  We still keep Sopron in our hearts, and below is a photo of the Christmas Market there.

Christmas Market in Sopron, Photo via Flickr user: soulscape

Christmas Market, Sopron, from Flickr user soulscape

So our favorite little binders stopped by Santa the other day and would you believe the big guy asked them if they were good first , and then asked them if they could help him turn his naughty and nice list in to an easy to carry leather bound volume. Of course the little ones told Santa if you make the Castle and Police Car thing happen for us, we can hook you up with the bound volume. Don’t keep your keepsakes and letters in a box, make them into an easy to use book by bringing them to Turul Bookbindery Inc. today!

Did you know we can bind all of your kids artwork, and school papers into a book. A great way to do it is to save everything in an annually arranged manner, and chronicle each year of your child’s growth. AND YES MACARONI ART CAN BE BOUND INTO A BOOK! Here, our little one begins writing his memoirs!

Hard at work on his memoirs!

Well it is the Holiday Season officially. So we are in the mood to give! That is giveaway. Over the next month ending on 12/25/2013 we will be giving away $500 dollar credit towards a book repair or restoration. All you have to do is click share and like to be entered. Doing one without the other will not enter you. Only those of you that do both will be official. We repair books, albums, bibles, and do all types of custom book projects so the possibilities of what you could do with your prize is endless. If you took the time to read this, make sure you click like and share on our Facebook post right away! You gotta be in it to win it! Keep sharing it to get entered. 21 days left!

A rare family bible, restored to its original glory.

Don’t forget Small Business Saturday on November 30th this year!  Why not put down the big box store, and use something a little more manageable?