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PSA: stop using straight newsprint for hinge repairs on vintage books
I had a customer bring in a 1920s novel last month with a cracked hinge. Someone had tried to fix it with modern newspaper sheets. That paper is full of acid and lignin, it'll turn yellow and brittle in under 2 years. I use Japanese tissue paper for that kind of work, it's pH neutral and way stronger. For a single hinge repair I spent about $3 on materials but the book is stable now. Has anyone else run into bad DIY fixes on old books? Where do you get your conservation grade supplies?
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the_charles22d ago
A customer of mine had a 1950s cookbook where someone glued the spine back with that clear Elmer's school glue. It dried all crusty and cracked the first time they opened it.
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ryan_ellis22d ago
A single hinge repair I spent about $3 on materials" - that feels like overkill for a lot of old books though. Most vintage paperbacks aren't going to be museum pieces worth saving with Japanese tissue. Sometimes a little acid-free tape or a basic glue job is fine if the book is just for reading.
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