Rant: The so-called 'archival' bookcloth at that supply shop downtown is a joke

I stopped by Bindery Supplies Plus on Grand last weekend looking for some decent material for a restoration project. The owner kept pushing this 'acid-free' buckram they had at $18 a yard, saying it was the real deal. Got it home, tested it with my pH pen, and it came back at a solid 6.2, borderline acidic. For that price I expect something that won't eat through a 200 year old text block in a decade. I called them out on it and the guy got defensive, said I was being too fussy. Has anyone else run into shops selling fancy labels but junk materials?

2 comments

2 Comments

aarons3611d ago

Right? I once bought 'museum grade' board that turned out to be glorified cardboard.

sanchez.mia11d ago

Oh 100% that cardboard junk is so common. I think the real deal is usually sold as "rag board" or "100% cotton museum board" - the cotton fibers make it way more rigid and it won't yellow over time. The cheap stuff is all wood pulp with a coating that flakes off in like 2 years.