Tried using PVA glue for a full leather binding instead of wheat paste

Everyone online swears by wheat paste for leather, but I used PVA on a small journal binding last month and the leather laid down perfectly with zero warping. Has anyone else had good results breaking the rules on adhesive choices?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyhunt1mo ago

My grandmother used PVA on her kitchen countertops back in the 70s and they held up better than any of the fancy modern stuff I see today. It's funny how we get told there's one right way to do something, but then life shows you that rules are more like suggestions. I've noticed this with cooking too, everyone says you have to use fresh herbs but dried ones work just fine in most recipes. Maybe the trick is just knowing when to bend the rules and when to stick with tradition. Your success with the leather sounds like one of those times where common sense beats expert advice.

kai_west1mo ago

I used PVA on a full goatskin rebind of a 1940s encyclopedia set about 6 months ago. The leather laid down flat with no bubbles at all, even on the spines. Only thing I'd watch out for is making sure the glue is super thin or it can bleed through the leather.