Had to choose between PVA and wheat paste for a repair job

I picked PVA for rebinding a 1920s novel last week and the spine cracked on day two. Anyone else run into issues with PVA being too stiff for older paper?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_fisher281mo ago

Totally feel your pain. I used PVA on a 1930s textbook and the hinge just snapped clean off a week later. Now I always reach for wheat paste for anything pre-1960, it lets the paper move a bit more naturally.

-1

lisa_grant1mo ago

Totally hear you, @julia_fisher28. Wheat paste is a lifesaver for older paperbacks, man.