c/bookbinders

Serious question, has anyone else been totally wrong about paste paper?

I always thought it was just messy craft stuff, not real bookbinding, until I saw a demonstration at the Guild of Book Workers conference in Chicago. Watching someone make a complex, marbled sheet that looked like stone completely changed my mind about its potential for covers. What's a technique you wrote off that actually impressed you later?

I was rounding my spine edges wrong for a year

I was using a bone folder on my rounded spines, pressing straight down like the book was flat. Saw a video from a binder in Portland where they rolled the folder along the curve, following the shape. Tried it on a cookbook project last night and the difference is huge, no more flat spots. Has anyone else had a spine rounding method that just clicked for them?

Tried a weird trick to fix a stubborn spine and it actually worked

I was working on a leather rebind of a thick old dictionary, and the spine just would not set flat after rounding and backing. My usual method with the nipping press wasn't cutting it. Out of pure frustration, I grabbed a cheap hair straightener from my bathroom, set it on low heat, and gently ran it over the spine area for a few seconds. The heat softened the glue just enough for me to press it into shape with my hands, and it held perfectly after it cooled. Has anyone else used a non-traditional heat source like this for a quick fix?

Watching people skip the grain test on their book cloth is a special kind of pain.

I saw a video tutorial with 50k views where the binder just slapped the cloth on without checking, and now I'm wondering if that's why my last commission's spine bubbled after a month in a humid client's house.

My uncle told me to always use PVA glue for headbands and it messed up a project

He's been binding for 30 years and swore by it, saying it gives a strong, clean hold. I used it on a leather journal last fall, and after about 4 months, the headband got super stiff and started to crack. It basically ruined the flexibility of the spine. I switched to a flexible animal glue for my next few books and the difference is huge. Has anyone else had a glue choice backfire like that? What do you use for headbands now?

I dropped $120 on a Japanese hole punch jig and I'm still not sure it was worth it

It's a beautiful tool from a shop in Kyoto, and it makes perfect sewing holes every single time. But I've done maybe 30 books with it, and I could have just used my old ruler and awl. Some folks say the time saved is huge, others say it's a luxury for people who bind a lot. Has anyone else bought a specialized tool that split the room like this?

A talk with a librarian about my 'perfect' bindings changed my mind

I was showing a friend who works at the city library some of my recent projects, feeling pretty good about my tight, clean case bindings. She picked one up, opened it, and said, 'It's lovely, but it feels like it's fighting me.' She explained that library books need to open flat easily, without strain on the spine, so people can read them without holding the covers down. I had always focused on making books look neat and stay closed, but she said for real use, the binding should help the book live. It hit different because she wasn't talking about craft, she was talking about function for readers. Now I'm rethinking my whole approach to spine flexibility and rounding. For those who bind books meant to be used hard, not just sit on a shelf, how do you balance durability with that easy open?

Wasted $75 on a 'premium' bone folder that snapped on my third book. The cheap one from the craft store is still going strong.

Vent: A client asked me to bind a book with pages from a 1920s newspaper

She brought in a stack of old Chicago Tribune pages she found in her attic, wanting them bound as a gift for her dad. I had to explain how the acid in the paper would eat itself apart in a few years, no matter what I did. Has anyone else found a way to handle requests like this without just saying no?

A week of perfect signatures and a huge mess

Last week I had a job to bind twenty copies of a local history book for a museum. The first three days went great, every single signature folded and sewed up clean. Then on Thursday, my main glue pot tipped over and covered my bench in a sticky mess that took two hours to clean. I lost a whole afternoon and had to rush the last five books, which I'm not happy about. Has anyone else had a small disaster totally wreck your schedule on a big job?

My book press slipped and crushed a fresh cover in my garage workshop

I was using a cheap press from a craft store and the screw gave out, ruining a leather cover I'd just spent two days tooling. What's the most reliable press you've used for under $200?

My uncle told me to always use hot glue for headbands

He said it sets fast and holds better than PVA. Tried it on a small run of 50 notebooks last month. The glue got brittle after two weeks, three covers popped right off. Now I'm back to my usual method with a slow set adhesive. Anyone have a better fix for quick headband work that actually lasts?

PSA: I found a way to get perfect headbands on cheap cloth without any fraying

I was binding a set of notebooks for a local school project and the budget was tight, so I had to use this basic cotton from the craft store. Every time I tried to make a headband, the edges would just shred. After three ruined attempts, I tried brushing a thin line of clear nail polish along the cut edge and letting it dry for about 10 minutes. It sealed the threads completely and gave me a clean line to work with. The headbands went on smooth and the books have held up for 6 months now. Has anyone else found a good trick for dealing with fray-prone materials?

I heard a binder say they only use paste for repairs, never glue, and it got me thinking

I was at a small book fair in Austin last weekend and overheard a conversation between two older binders. One of them was very firm, saying, 'For any repair on paper over fifty years old, I won't touch PVA. It's wheat paste or nothing.' I've always used a mix, but that strict rule stuck with me. I'm working on a 1920s poetry collection with some loose signatures right now, and I'm second-guessing my usual method. Has anyone else found that a paste-only approach works better for certain older materials, or is that more of a personal preference thing?

I finally got my head around rounding spines after a total mess with some old poetry books

I mean, I was trying to round and back a set of three Tennyson collections from the 1920s, and the spines kept coming out lumpy or just cracking. I watched a bunch of videos, but it wasn't clicking. Then I read a tip in the 1988 edition of 'Bookbinding: A Step-by-Step Guide' about using a backing hammer at a 45-degree angle and doing it in three passes, letting the glue set a bit between each. Tried it on the last book and it came out perfectly smooth. Has anyone else found that old book useful, or is there a better modern guide you'd recommend?

Tried using PVA glue versus wheat paste for a 19th century repair job

I had to fix a falling apart family bible from around 1880. The old pages were super thin and brittle. I used modern PVA on one test page and it made the paper stiff and shiny, which just felt wrong. So I mixed up some cooked wheat paste (the old way) and it soaked in better, kept the paper flexible, and looked right. Has anyone else had to pick between new glue and old methods for a period piece?

Saw something interesting at the library in Springfield

I was at the main library in Springfield last week and noticed they have a whole section of new books bound in cloth with bright patterns. The librarian told me they're working with a local binder to make them more durable for kids. It's a cool way to keep older books in use longer. Has anyone else seen libraries doing this kind of repair work?

I laughed when a client asked for a book bound with beeswax and string

A lady came into my shop in Asheville last fall with a handwritten journal and asked for a binding using only beeswax and linen thread, no glue. I thought it was just a weird hippie thing that would fall apart. I tried it on a test piece, and after letting it cure for a week, the wax-set spine was surprisingly strong and flexible. Has anyone else had a request that sounded silly but actually worked out?

Tried using a bone folder from the craft store for a week and the tip snapped clean off

It was a cheap $3 one from the local shop, and I learned you really do get what you pay for with basic tools. Anyone have a brand they trust for heavy scoring?

I always thought those $200 bone folders were a total scam until I borrowed one from a friend in Seattle last month.

Now I'm torn between thinking it's just a fancy stick and admitting the finish on my leather work is noticeably smoother, so what's the real deal: essential tool or overpriced hype?

My press board cracked on a custom order for the library in Springfield

I was finishing up a set of six leather-bound ledgers for the local history room, and my old wooden press board gave out with a loud snap right in the middle of the final pressing. I had to quickly cut a new board from some scrap maple I had in the garage, but it wasn't perfectly flat. Has anyone else had a press board fail, and what's your go-to material for a quick replacement that won't warp?

I finally gave in and tried that 'cold glue' method for leather spines

For years I thought it was just a messy shortcut, but a binder in Chicago showed me her 15-year-old repair that still holds perfectly. Has anyone else switched from hot glue and seen a real difference?

I finally picked a new glue for my leather covers

It was between a traditional wheat paste and a modern PVA. I went with the PVA for a rush job on a custom journal, and it dried way too stiff. Anyone have a flexible PVA brand they actually like?

Appreciation post: My old bone folder finally gave out after 15 years

I was working on a leather journal last week and the tip just snapped clean off. I replaced it with a basic Teflon one from a craft store in Austin for like $8, and honestly, it glides so much smoother on synthetic materials. Anyone have a favorite brand for traditional bone folders that won't crack?

I was wrong about using PVA glue for headbands

For years I thought a strong PVA like Lineco Neutral pH was the only way to go, thinking it would hold forever. Then I tried a traditional animal glue on a set of six leather journals last month, following a tutorial from a binder in Edinburgh. The flexibility is just better, the spine moves more naturally, and the set-up time gave me more control to position everything perfectly. I'm switching for any project where I want that classic feel. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference in how the book opens?