The old glue pot trick I thought was a myth worked on my 1950s Bible rebind

I was trying to reattach a spine on this old Bible from my grandpa and the modern PVA just wouldn't hold to the dried out leather. Out of frustration I heated up a little pot of hide glue like my grandad used to do, and it grabbed tight in about 10 seconds flat. Has anyone else gone back to old school adhesives for tricky vintage books?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew9162d ago

Actually, hide glue is technically a PVA cousin since both are synthetic now. The real secret is the heat reactivation, it lets you adjust the bond before it sets.

williams.amy2d ago

Hide glue is the real deal for old books. Modern PVA just slides off that dried out leather like water on wax. Your grandad knew what he was doing and it still works today.