A while ago I made this sketchbook, based on a nineteenth century design, that features a built in pencil holder. It is covered in natural linen and functions well, having a full 360 degree flexibility that landscape format sketchbooks should have, so that they are convenient to hold while sketching. Given the admittedly obsessive amount of attention that bookbinders give to the evenness of the squares, I never was quite satisfied with the size of the top square, to make up for the space of the pencil. Three large squares looked even worse. There are many solutions to this problem, often hiding the pencil in the spine or incorporating it into some kind of catch or tie.
But recently I purchased the account book below, which had a more clever, though much more labor intensive solution—recess the pencil holder into the front cover. The finger space to remove the pencil was similarly recessed. Not unimportantly, the pencil lead is protected when housed. Peeking into the bottom pocket revealed a lot of marks from the pencil being removed and inserted. About a third of the book is filled with pencil notes, primarily lists of food purchases from 1903-1909. The manufacturer of the book is Royal—even the paper has their watermark—and the advertisement on the front flyleaf appears from the turn of the twentieth century.
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Peachey Conservation 
Really interesting, especially the placement of the pencil holder. Can you describe how you handled the joints on what I assume is a case binding? If this was a basic case binding I’d say the joints need to be tightened, but this is intentional.
Well, the whole structure pretty much works together. Thickish signatures and a link stich on five tapes so you can really pull the thread tight. Thick, soft thread so you can flatten it in the signatures with no swell. Flat back, only PVAc and aerolinen on the spine of the book, adhered on the outside of sewn (around the first signature) exposed aerolinen hinges, which is likely the most important structural feature. Separate pastedown. This one has a thin (10pt. board?) spine piece on the case. I tried some without a spine piece, but this did not add as much flexibility as I thought it might; the turnins seem to add a great deal of rigidity on their own. The spine piece also helped keep the case at the spine from puckering outward which interfered with the opening. This outward puckering is a problem on some conservation rebindings, where an additional rod is needed to keep the covering and the spine of the book acting together. And, as you noticed, pretty big joints so the thinnish boards so they can fold in on themselves.
I love that you can fold the back cover all the way round. well done. I also love the account book’s proportions.
I understand what you are saying about the pencil not looking right, but I really like the way you have it built into the bottom of the page. The other method is too elaborate and takes away from the simplistic view you have achieved. Your blank book is very well done and probably more widespread for the time.
This is great! Thank you for sharing it. Does it have a patent number in it?
Chela
No patent number, just “Patent Secured”, which I think has little legal meaning, like “Patent Pending”.
As someone who came to book arts through drawing that is a sweet design on the sketch book you made but I really like the account book!