The article addresses the problem of Ethiopian sewing being confusedly referred to as ‘Coptic’ at the occurrence. Indeed, the technical jargon sedimented an outdated idea of similarity between Ethiopian and Coptic binding traditions. Therefore, to distinguish their respective fields of relevance, the article discusses the definition of Coptic and Ethiopian bookbinding and evaluates the probable origins of the terminological misunderstanding. Although pioneering and open to reconsideration, the last section of the article compares Ethiopian and Coptic sewing techniques to identify their similarities and differences. Based on the comparison, the modern Ethiopian binding technique differs from the ancient Coptic one. Therefore, the term ‘Coptic chainstitch’ to describe the Ethiopian technique is considered misleading.