Shoutout to the old binder in Portland who told me to stop using PVA for everything

Last week I was at a small book fair in Portland, and I got talking with this binder who must have been in the trade for 40 years. He saw the book I was working on, a leather rebind of a 1900s novel, and asked what glue I used on the spine. I said my usual PVA mix, and he just shook his head. He told me that for older, more brittle paper, a wheat paste or starch paste gives a better, more flexible hold and is easier to reverse if needed. I've been using PVA for three years because it's fast and strong, and my whole crew does the same. But he argued that always reaching for the modern adhesive is a habit that can damage the very books we're trying to save. It got me thinking about when to stick with tradition versus when to use the new stuff. Has anyone else made a switch like that after a piece of advice from an old timer?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah_kelly781mo ago

Oh man, the "fast and strong" line got me. That's the exact sales pitch that gets us all. It's like when you're cooking and you just dump a bunch of hot sauce on everything because it's easy, and then your grandma shows up and is like, "Honey, sometimes you just need a little butter and salt." And you're standing there holding your franks red hot like a fool. That binder was your grandma for glue.

angelab761mo ago

Grandma's glue wisdom seems a bit over the top though.

sethb4517d ago

Ever get that feeling you're using a sledgehammer for a finishing nail? I had a tile guy tell me once that my "good enough" thinset was actually wrecking the moisture balance on a historic bathroom floor (he was right, it was a mess). Sometimes the old way is just the right way for the job.