Bookbinding Merit Badge History

Earned through 1996391,054

Best year193115,521 earned

All-time popularity#78official, as of 2020#79by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1928. Peak year 1931 with 15,521. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1914No data available

1915No data available

1916No data available

1917No data available

1918No data available

1919No data available

1920No data available

1921No data available

1922No data available

1923No data available

1924No data available

1925No data available

1926No data available

1927No data available

192810,667 earned#16 of 88

192911,232 earned#18 of 89

193011,896 earned#18 of 92

193115,521 earned#15 of 96

193212,881 earned#18 of 98

193312,943 earned#20 of 101

193411,310 earned#21 of 101

193512,186 earned#21 of 101

19369,583 earned#22 of 101

193710,471 earned#22 of 102

193812,417 earned#22 of 105

193912,887 earned#22 of 106

194012,637 earned#22 of 106

194110,933 earned#21 of 106

19428,785 earned#24 of 110

19438,996 earned#24 of 112

194410,901 earned#23 of 111

194510,350 earned#24 of 111

19467,783 earned#24 of 111

19476,085 earned#26 of 111

19485,184 earned#27 of 111

19496,094 earned#27 of 111

19507,993 earned#26 of 111

19519,285 earned#26 of 111

19529,799 earned#27 of 120

19539,181 earned#29 of 105

195411,131 earned#32 of 103

195511,860 earned#31 of 100

195610,510 earned#32 of 100

19578,178 earned#36 of 100

19586,198 earned#45 of 101

19595,437 earned#48 of 101

19605,462 earned#51 of 100

19614,576 earned#59 of 101

19624,007 earned#60 of 101

19633,779 earned#62 of 102

19643,794 earned#62 of 107

19653,564 earned#61 of 109

19663,413 earned#63 of 110

19673,520 earned#65 of 112

19683,227 earned#70 of 112

19693,278 earned#72 of 113

19702,888 earned#77 of 113

19712,667 earned#76 of 113

19722,448 earned#91 of 124

19733,651 earned#80 of 122

19744,208 earned#86 of 121

19753,961 earned#89 of 128

19763,292 earned#94 of 130

19772,869 earned#93 of 130

19782,515 earned#92 of 131

1979510 earned#116 of 132

1980860 earned#99 of 132

19811,245 earned#103 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

1993No data available

1994No data available

1995No data available

19966 earned#132 of 134

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#132 of 134" means the badge was number 132 of the 134 merit badges earned that year. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1914—

1915—

1916—

1917—

1918—

1919—

1920—

1921—

1922—

1923—

1924—

1925—

1926—

1927—

192810,667#16 of 88

192911,232#18 of 89

193011,896#18 of 92

193115,521#15 of 96

193212,881#18 of 98

193312,943#20 of 101

193411,310#21 of 101

193512,186#21 of 101

19369,583#22 of 101

193710,471#22 of 102

193812,417#22 of 105

193912,887#22 of 106

194012,637#22 of 106

194110,933#21 of 106

19428,785#24 of 110

19438,996#24 of 112

194410,901#23 of 111

194510,350#24 of 111

19467,783#24 of 111

19476,085#26 of 111

19485,184#27 of 111

19496,094#27 of 111

19507,993#26 of 111

19519,285#26 of 111

19529,799#27 of 120

19539,181#29 of 105

195411,131#32 of 103

195511,860#31 of 100

195610,510#32 of 100

19578,178#36 of 100

19586,198#45 of 101

19595,437#48 of 101

19605,462#51 of 100

19614,576#59 of 101

19624,007#60 of 101

19633,779#62 of 102

19643,794#62 of 107

19653,564#61 of 109

19663,413#63 of 110

19673,520#65 of 112

19683,227#70 of 112

19693,278#72 of 113

19702,888#77 of 113

19712,667#76 of 113

19722,448#91 of 124

19733,651#80 of 122

19744,208#86 of 121

19753,961#89 of 128

19763,292#94 of 130

19772,869#93 of 130

19782,515#92 of 131

1979510#116 of 132

1980860#99 of 132

19811,245#103 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

1993—

1994—

1995—

19966#132 of 134

Grand total through 1996:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Bookbinding: workbook data

Printings (67)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	HC	Notes
	1920		2						Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
x	1923		2						Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
	1924	not made
c	1925		3A-1 over 2	back-3					Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
x	1925		3A-1	back-3					Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
x	1926		3A-1	back-3					Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
x	1927		3A-2	back-3			3378		Craftsmanship-Bookbinding
x	1928		3B	back-3			3378
x	1928		3B	back-3			3378		with 1929 pasted Requirements
c	1929		3B	back-3			3378
	1929	December	3B	back-3			3378
c	1930	March	3B	back-3			3378
x	1930	August	3B	back-3			3378
x	1931	July	3B	back-3			3378
x	1931	December	3B	back-3	1M		3378
	1932	January	3B	back-3			3378
x	1933	January	3B	back-3	1M		3378
x	1934	March	3B	back-3	1M		3378
x	1934	December	3B	back-3	1M		3378
c	1935	June	3B	back-3	1M		3378
x	1936	February	3C	back-3	2M		3378
x	1937	October	3C	back-3	1M		3378
x	1938	March	3C	back-3	2M		3378
x	1939	April	3C	back-3	2M		3378
x	1939	April	3D	back-3	2M		3378
x	1940	December	3D	back-3	2M		3378
x	1941	April	4	back-4	2M		3378
c	1942	May	4	back-4	2M		3378
x	1943	May	4	back-4	2M		3378
x	1944	April	5A	back-5a	2.5M		3378
x	1945	February	5B	blank	2.5M		3378		4-7/16" title width and 3-1/2" from red line to bottom of title
c	1945	May	5B	blank			3378
x	1945	September	5B	blank	3M		3378
x	1946	November	5B	blank	3M		3378		4-3/16" title width and 3-1/4" from red line to bottom of title
	1947	not made
x	1948	August	5B	blank	3M		3378		4-1/4" title width and 3-1/4" from red line to bottom of title
	1949	not made
x	1950	February	5B	blank	3M		3378		4-1/4" title width and 3-5/16" from red line to bottom of title
x	1951	April	5B	back-6a	3M		3378		date printing shows 300045 with a very small little mark where the "1" should be-4-1/2" title width and 3-5/16" from red line to bottom of title
x	1951	November	5B	back-6a	3M		3378
x	1952	November	6	bacl-6b-1	3M		3378
	1953	not made
x	1954	January	6	back-6b-2	2M		3378	HCI
x	1954	September	6	back-6b-2	5M	1954	3378
x	1955	March	6	back-6b-2	5M	1954	3378	HCJV1
x	1956	May	6	back-6b-2	5M	1954	3378
x	1956	October	6	back-6b-2	7M	1954	3378
x	1957	May	6	back-6b-2	10M	1954	3378	HCJV1
	1957	September	6		4M	1954	3378
	1958	not made
	1959	not made
x	1960	March	6	back-6c-2	5M	1954	3378
c	1960	December	6	back-6d	5M	1954	3378	HCJV2
	1961	not made
	1962	not made
x	1963	January	6	back-6f	4M		3378	HCJ
x	1963	April	6	back-6g	4M		3378
x	1964	August	6	back-6h	5M		3378	HCK, HCP
	1965	not made
x	1966	June	6	back-6i	3.5M		3378
	1967	not made
	1968	not made
x	1969	January	7	back-7	5M	1969	3378
x	1970	February	7	back-7	3.8M	1969	3378	HCL
x	1970	October	7	back-7	5M		3378	HCM
	1971	not made
x	1972	July	7	back-7	3.4M		3378
x	1973	December	8	back-8a	4M		3378	HCT
x	1974	August	8	back-8b	4M		3378	HCT
x	1975	August	8	back-8c-1	4M		3378	HCT
	1976	not made
x	1977	April	8	back-8c-2	2.9M		3378
	1978	not made
x	1979	March	8		2M		3378
	1980	January	9		1.9M		3378
x	1981	June	9	back-9a	1.8M		3378
	1982	February	9	back-9a	1.5M		3378
x	1983	February	9	back-9a	1.5M		3378
x	1984	April	9	back-9a	2M		3378
x	1985	December	9	back-9b-2	1.5M		3378
x	1986	November	9	back-9b-2	2M		3378
	1987	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
1927
1928	10,667	16	88
1929	11,232	18	89
1930	11,896	18	92
1931	15,521	15	96
1932	12,881	18	98
1933	12,943	20	101
1934	11,310	21	101
1935	12,186	21	101
1936	9,583	22	101
1937	10,471	22	102
1938	12,417	22	105
1939	12,887	22	106
1940	12,637	22	106
1941	10,933	21	106
1942	8,785	24	110
1943	8,996	24	112
1944	10,901	23	111
1945	10,350	24	111
1946	7,783	24	111
1947	6,085	26	111
1948	5,184	27	111
1949	6,094	27	111
1950	7,993	26	111
1951	9,285	26	111
1952	9,799	27	120
1953	9,181	29	105
1954	11,131	32	103
1955	11,860	31	100
1956	10,510	32	100
1957	8,178	36	100
1958	6,198	45	101
1959	5,437	48	101
1960	5,462	51	100
1961	4,576	59	101
1962	4,007	60	101
1963	3,779	62	102
1964	3,794	62	107
1965	3,564	61	109
1966	3,413	63	110
1967	3,520	65	112
1968	3,227	70	112
1969	3,278	72	113
1970	2,888	77	113
1971	2,667	76	113
1972	2,448	91	124
1973	3,651	80	122
1974	4,208	86	121
1975	3,961	89	128
1976	3,292	94	130
1977	2,869	93	130
1978	2,515	92	131
1979	510	116	132
1980	860	99	132
1981	1,245	103	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996	6	132	134