Stuck on the glue choice for my bookbinding project

I'm learning traditional bookbinding and hit a moral gray area. Is it wrong to use strong synthetic glue instead of the old animal-based kind? My mentor says it ruins the art, but I think it helps the books survive longer, in my experience.

3 comments

3 Comments

nelson.wesley1mo ago

Synthetic glue often gets too stiff and can crack the spine over time. Animal glue stays flexible so the pages can move without tearing. Many centuries-old books used hide glue and they're still holding up. Your mentor might be pointing out that synthetics change how the book feels and ages.

wendyking29d ago

Medieval manuscripts often used hide glue; do any synthetics come close, @nelson.wesley?

kaifox29d ago

My buddy tried restoring an old book with modern glue, and the pages ended up cracking. Makes you wonder why they ever switched from hide glue, right?