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?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_chen8113d agoMost Upvoted

Ever try hide glue on old leather?

torres.blair13d ago

Yeah, it works great for small tears (just warm it up first).

wader7113d ago

I had the same shiny problem with PVA on some old letters. I mean, the wheat paste just looks and feels more like part of the paper when it dries. It's a pain to mix but it's worth it for the right look.