Had to choose between traditional buckram or bookcloth for my first full rebind

I was working on rebinding a 1950s encyclopedia set and couldnt decide between stiff buckram or a softer bookcloth. Buckram won because I needed something tough enough to handle all the kids pulling them off the shelf in my library. Has anyone else dealt with buckram fraying at the edges when you cut it, or did I just get a bad batch?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliviapatel14h ago

Wait, have you tried using a rotary cutter on buckram instead of scissors? That stuff frays like crazy with regular blades, I learned that the hard way when I was making covers for a set of old gardening books and ended up with fuzzy edges everywhere. I switched to a fresh x-acto blade and a metal ruler, and it helped a ton, though I still had to go back and seal the raw edges with a little PVA glue. Also, I swear by this trick my grandma taught me for cutting fabric covered buckram - if you've got a little fraying, a quick pass of a lighter over the edge can melt the fibers just enough to stop them. Just be careful not to hold it too close or you'll end up with a burnt smell and a nasty brown line, lol.

carr.daniel20h ago

Oh man, buckram fraying is the worst! I swear it's not just you, that stuff can be super temperamental when you cut it. Maybe try a fresh blade next time or seal the edges with a little PVA before you start cutting.