Glue vs thread for a 300 page novel, my results were clear

I bound two copies of the same novel, one with PVA glue and one with linen thread. After six months, the glued copy started to crack at the spine when opened fully, but the sewn one still lays flat. The extra hour it took to sew signatures was worth it for a book meant to be read. Anyone else find that modern glues just don't hold up over time like traditional sewing?

2 comments

2 Comments

gonzalez.grant16d agoTop Commenter

Totally agree with @emery_craig. My old paperback copy of a mystery novel is held together with basic craft glue from a decade ago. It's dog-eared and the cover is torn, but the spine is fine for pulling off the shelf now and then. For a book you just need functional, a quick glue job absolutely does the trick. Not everything needs to be built for the next century.

emery_craig16d ago

But what about books that aren't meant to last forever? I've got a cheap paperback I glued back together five years ago and it's fine for my shelf. For a daily reader that gets beat up, sometimes a simple glue fix is all you need. Not every book has to be a family heirloom.