c/bookbinders

Appreciation post: I thought Japanese hole punching jigs were just a fad until I made a 400-page text block in one go.

The registration was so perfect I haven't had to re-punch a single signature in the six months since I bought the $35 tool from a shop in Kyoto, so has anyone found a good source for the special awls that fit them?

Just dropped $80 on a new bone folder and it feels like a total game changer

My old plastic one was warping and leaving marks on the cover stock... this one glides like butter and makes my folds so crisp. What's the one tool you splurged on that actually felt worth it?

Vent: I had to pick between linen or cotton thread for a big repair job

I was fixing a 1920s family bible and had to choose between linen thread for its strength or cotton for its flexibility. I went with linen and it held up great, but it was way harder to work with on the curved spine. Anyone have a go-to thread for old book repairs?

My old backing press finally gave out after 15 years

The wooden screw snapped clean through yesterday while I was rounding the spine on a leather-bound journal. I had to finish the job with a couple of clamps and a prayer. Anyone have a good source for replacement parts for vintage presses, or is it time to start looking for a new one?

Always thought you needed a bone folder for crisp folds, but my local library's repair workshop showed me a trick.

The volunteer there just used the back of a plastic spoon on some 80gsm paper, and the crease was perfect. Found that detail in their handout about basic home repairs. What's your go-to tool for folding when you don't have the 'right' gear handy?

Can we talk about the right way to use PVA for spine lining?

I keep seeing folks at the Portland guild using straight PVA for spine lining, which I think is a mistake. It gets too stiff and brittle over time, especially in a dry climate. I always cut mine 50/50 with methyl cellulose for flexibility. Has anyone else switched and noticed a big difference in how the book opens?

My biggest glue disaster happened during a custom order for a wedding guestbook

I was in my workshop last month, rushing to finish a leather-bound guestbook for a couple in Denver. I mixed a fresh batch of PVA, but I must have measured the water wrong because it was way too thin. When I applied it to the spine, it soaked right through the decorative endpaper and left a huge, dark stain. I had to stop everything, carefully peel off the ruined sheet, and recut a new one from my backup paper stock. It set me back almost a full day, but I got it done. Has anyone else had a glue consistency issue ruin a project at the worst possible time?

Just realized I spent 4 hours trying to get a clean edge on some handmade paper for a cover.

It was this heavy flax paper I made myself. Looked great until I tried to cut it. My usual rotary cutter just tore it. Tried a scalpel, still ragged. Switched to a metal ruler and a fresh blade, pressing down hard. That sort of worked, but it wasn't perfect. Finally dug out an old bookbinding bone folder and scored a deep line along the ruler first, then cut. That did it. Clean break. Why did I not try that first? What's your go-to method for tricky paper?

TIL that the first known bookbinders were monks in the 2nd century

I was reading an old article from a museum website and it said they used wooden boards and leather, which surprised me because I thought it started much later. It got me thinking about how long the basic methods have actually been around. Does anyone know any other early history facts about the craft?

Switched from a bone folder to a Teflon folder for my leather work

I was getting small marks on some dark blue goatskin covers, even after being really careful. My teacher at the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts suggested trying a Teflon folder instead. After using it on my last three projects, the leather is totally smooth with no shiny spots or scuffs. Has anyone else made this switch and noticed a big difference?

TIL a museum conservator said they never use PVA for repairs on old texts

They said the acidity will damage paper over decades, and only use wheat paste. I've been using PVA for everything, including my personal projects. Should we be phasing it out for anything meant to last?

My buddy swore by that new PVA glue for spines, but I saw his book fall apart after a month

He said it was faster drying, but I noticed the joint on his copy of 'Moby-Dick' had completely failed. Now I'm sticking with my old wheat paste recipe. Anyone have a favorite brand for that?

PSA: Had to choose between a bone folder and a Teflon folder for a big calfskin project

I was working on a full leather binding for a client in Asheville and needed a new folding tool. The choice was a standard bone folder or a Teflon one from Talas. I went with the Teflon, thinking it would be gentler on the skin. It left zero marks, but honestly, it doesn't have the same heft or feel as the bone tool for creasing. Anyone have a preferred heavy-duty bone folder they use for thick leather?

I was convinced decorative headbands were a waste of time until a customer in Portland showed me her grandmother's repaired journal

A client pointed out my headbands were too tight and now I always check the spine swell before sewing.

After a regular customer mentioned the text block on their custom journal felt 'cramped and hard to open flat', I realized I'd been pulling my kettle stitches way too tight for thicker text blocks, so has anyone else adjusted their sewing tension after getting similar feedback?

I keep seeing people skip the grain direction check on book cloth

I was helping a friend with a project last week and noticed they didn't test the stretch of their cloth before cutting. They just assumed it was fine... but when they glued it, the cover started to warp as it dried. It's a basic step, but I see it a lot in online videos too. The grain should run parallel to the spine, not across it. I learned this the hard way on a custom order two years ago, and I had to redo the whole cover. A quick tear test or just feeling how it bends shows you which way it gives. It takes ten seconds and saves so much headache. Has anyone found a foolproof way to mark the grain side on darker materials where it's hard to see?

Tried the 'quick stitch' method on a leather journal versus proper saddle stitching and the difference is huge

Pro tip: My book press pressure was way off for months.

A client in Chicago pointed out the uneven swell on a quarter leather binding I did last week. What's your method for checking press pressure before a big project?

My buddy from the Portland book arts center told me my headbands looked like 'sad little worms'

He was right, I was just using leftover thread and not shaping them at all. Now I spend 15 minutes per book with proper cord and a bone folder to get that tight, rounded look. Anyone have a favorite thread weight for 1.5 inch spine books?

I finally switched from PVA to wheat paste for spine lining

The PVA was making my spines too stiff and cracking after a few years. The wheat paste gives a much more flexible, durable hold. Anyone else made this switch and noticed their books open better?

Vent: My headband material frayed on a custom order and I lost a full day

I was finishing a leather-bound journal for a client and the decorative headband I was sewing in just kept unraveling. It took me about 8 hours of redoing the same 4-inch section before I realized my beeswax was too old and brittle to seal the threads properly. Has anyone else had a simple material fail on them like that?

Tried a new glue from a craft store in Omaha, total waste of $35

I bought a bottle of 'Archival Bookbinding Adhesive' for a rebind job last month. It set way too fast and left a weird, brittle film on the spine. Ended up having to strip the whole thing and start over, losing about three hours of work. Has anyone found a good PVA that actually stays open long enough for a proper spread?

Found a weird trick for stubborn PVA glue on leather spines

I was working on a 1920s poetry collection and the old leather was just refusing to take the new adhesive cleanly. Out of pure frustration, I tried a tiny bit of glycerin mixed into the PVA, about one drop per ounce, and it leveled out perfectly without weakening the bond. Has anyone else found a safe additive for tricky leather work?

My new guillotine blade chipped on some handmade paper

I was trimming a set of endpapers I made with cotton rag pulp, and the blade hit a thick clump I missed. It happened yesterday afternoon, right in the middle of a big project. Has anyone else had this happen, and what's the best way to smooth out a small nick without sending the whole blade out for sharpening?

I've been cutting my book cloth wrong for a whole year

I was working on a custom journal for a client last month, trying to get the cover material to lay flat around the boards. No matter how careful I was, I'd get these tiny wrinkles at the corners that I'd have to hide. I was blaming the glue or the cloth quality. Then I watched a video from a binder in Portland, and she said something simple: 'Always cut your cloth with the grain running parallel to the spine, not across it.' I had been cutting it whichever way the piece fit on my table to save material. I tried her way on a test piece, and the cloth just stretched and folded so much cleaner. It was a total facepalm moment. I wasted so much good linen trying to fight the material's natural give. Has anyone else had a basic technique click way later than it should have?