Had to pick between coated linen thread and waxed nylon for a heavy repair job

Went with the waxed nylon on a 400 page textbook and it held up way better through the stress points than the linen would have, anyone else find certain threads just fail on thick spines?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_baker616d ago

Did you see that article on bookbinding forums about waxed nylon lasting twice as long?

amyh126d ago

@emma_baker61 I actually had the OPPOSITE experience with a 600 page medical textbook I fixed last year. The waxed nylon cut right through the signatures near the spine folds after about 6 months of heavy use. I switched to coated linen thread on a similar thick book and it's held up way better because linen has more give under tension. The nylon is tougher but it's also stiffer, and that stiffness creates stress points that can cause paper tears near the hinge. Linen might wear out sooner but at least it fails slowly instead of just SNAPPING through the pages.

linda_reed6d ago

Point out if you noticed the nylon thread fraying at all before it cut through, or if it just gave out without warning. @emma_baker61's article might not have accounted for the difference between spine tension in thick versus thin books. That slow failure from linen sounds like it could save you a lot of heartache down the road though.