Had a chat with an old timer at the bindery supply shop that made me rethink my glue

I was grabbing some PVA at the local shop downtown and the guy behind the counter started asking about what I use for spine adhesives. He told me he's been using the same wheat paste recipe for 40 years and never bothered with anything else. I laughed it off at first but then he showed me a book he'd rebound in 1985 that still had a perfect hinge. Made me wonder if I've been overcomplicating things with all these fancy synthetic blends. Maybe there's something to sticking with the basics that I've been missing. Anyone else ever had a run-in with a traditionalist that made you question your whole setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.parker16d ago

That bit about the 1985 hinge really hit me. I had a similar moment when a bookbinder at a flea market showed me a textbook he'd done in the 70s with just hide glue and muslin. The spine was still flexible and tight. I switched to a simple PVA and methylcellulose mix for most of my work after that and stopped chasing expensive hybrids. It's just held up better for everyday books.

anthony12715d ago

Whoa, I gotta respectfully disagree with you on that one. I tried the simple PVA mix for a while and my spines just didn't have that same snap and longevity. The expensive hybrids are overkill for sure, but I think there's something to the modern glues that handle humidity and wear better over decades.