Why does nobody talk about how linen thread breaks easier than polyester?

I spent last Sunday rebuilding a 1920s novel that had those heavy woven endpapers. Got halfway through the signatures and snap - three separate threads gave out on the same spine. Everyone swears by linen for the "authentic feel" but I had to redo four sections after that mess. Switched to a bonded nylon thread and finished the rest without a single break. Has anyone else had this happen with linen on thicker books?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason36112d agoTop Commenter

Had a buddy who restored old books for a living. He swore by linen until he tried doing a thick encyclopedia set and snapped thread on almost every signature. Switched to a waxed polyester and never looked back.

karenw9012d ago

Friend of mine had a similar experience. She got a bunch of old cookbooks to rebind and the linen kept fraying at the needle holes. She switched to a coated nylon thread and said it was night and day how much easier it all went.