Just don't get the hype about those expensive linen bookcloths

I was at a bindery meetup last month in Portland and everyone was raving about this $60 per yard linen from some specialty supplier. Three years ago I grabbed a roll of basic buckram from a local art store for $12 and it's held up fine across 40+ books. Nobody could tell me what makes the pricey stuff actually better for everyday rebinds. I'm not saying don't buy nice materials, but for most projects the cheap stuff works just as good. Has anyone else had good luck with budget cloths or am I missing something?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_mitchell16d ago

Right, my cheap stuff has held up fine for years too.

spencer_gonzalez116d ago

@olivermason That's actually a SOLID point about the garage sale find. Maybe the secret's not in the price tag but in how well it's stored all those decades before you use it.

olivermason16d ago

Grabbed a roll of cheap bookcloth from a garage sale for $5 two years ago and it's still going strong across dozens of projects. Nobody at my local guild could tell me the practical difference either when I asked about the fancy stuff. I figure for most rebacks and everyday books the budget cloth does exactly what you need it to do. The expensive stuff might be a little softer or have nicer colors but my $12 buckram has never let me down. I honestly think a lot of the hype is just people wanting to feel like they're using "proper" materials. If it holds up and looks decent, who cares what it cost.