The difference 10 years of handling can make on leather binding

I found a 1987 edition of The Hobbit at an estate sale last month that had been rebound in calfskin by a hobbyist. The spine was cracked, the corners were worn through, and the leather felt dry like old paper. Then I pulled out a similar calfskin binding I did myself in 2004, and the difference was night and day - mine still flexes and has that soft patina from proper hand oiling. Has anyone else noticed how much improper storage or lack of conditioning ruins a binding over a decade or two?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane2444d ago

Read a blog post from a guy in Oregon who restores old books for libraries. He said leather bindings from the 1980s are actually worse quality than stuff from the 1800s because of cheap tanning chemicals. He swore by neatsfoot oil every six months. I tried it on a beat up 1960s encyclopedia set I got for free, the difference was insane after a year. The dry, crumbly ones just need regular attention, not fancy tools.

elliot_johnson4d ago

Yeah I used to think old books were just fragile trash but that Oregon guy's approach actually makes a ton of sense.