Swore by PVA glue for years, finally gave linen thread a real shot

I was always a PVA guy for spines, thought linen thread was just for the old school purists who like making things harder. Last month my usual PVA gave out on a 1880s novel I was recasing and I had to order thread overnight from a local shop. After sewing with it for that one book, I get it now - the flexibility and the way it holds up to opening flat is just better. I still use PVA for some things but the thread has me rethinking my whole go-to setup for anything older than 1950. Anybody else made a late switch on a basic material like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_wilson14h ago

What broke on the 1880s book exactly - the spine piece completely detached or just the hinges gave out? PVA failures usually tell me I skimped on glue coverage or let it dry too fast on old paper. Trying to figure out if my PVA method is flawed or if linen thread really is that much better.

jesse_burns814h ago

@val_wilson the whole spine piece came off clean, hinges gave out completely. Linen thread is way tougher for old paper, PVA alone just doesn't hold up once the paper gets brittle.