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?

3 comments

3 Comments

felixlee1mo ago

It's a bible, not a suspension bridge. Linen seems like overkill.

rubyk861mo ago

My family bible from the 1800s is still holding up fine with its regular paper pages. Tbh, @aaronclark has a point about stuff lasting, but you don't need bridge-building materials for a book. A good leather cover and acid-free paper did the trick for mine. It's more about keeping it safe from water and direct sun than the page material itself.

aaronclark1mo ago

Linen's the only thing that won't rot in a hundred years, man.