A display at the Boston Public Library made me rethink book cloth

I was looking at their conservation exhibit and saw a 19th century ledger bound in plain linen. The note said the original binder chose it for strength, not looks, and it's held up perfectly. I've always picked fancy cloth, but maybe simple is smarter for heavy use. What's the toughest binding cloth you've used for a project?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyl391mo ago

Ever try that standard buckram from Holliston? It's ugly as sin but it's basically indestructible. I rebound a set of old shop manuals with it ten years ago and they still look new, even with greasy hands using them. Forget the fancy stuff with patterns, that coating just cracks. A tight weave with a good acrylic coating is what lasts. That old binder was right, function over fashion every time for a working book.

martin.riley1mo ago

You're right about that Holliston buckram, @finleyl39. The real test is how it handles being left in a damp garage or toolbox, which that stuff seems to laugh at. Pretty beats durable when the book actually gets used.

daniel_gonzalez1mo ago

Actually, the coating is the part that cracks on the cheap stuff... the good acrylic coating is what makes it last. That tight weave they use is just the base. If the coating is thin or weak, moisture gets in and the cloth underneath rots. Seen it happen on a lot of cheaper bindings. The Holliston stuff works because the coating bonds right into the weave. It's not just about being tight, it's about that layer being part of the material.