Thought the old-timer was wrong about PVA vs wheat paste, now I own 3 ruined books

Been using PVA for years on paper repairs but that guy at the bindery in Columbus said I'd regret it on fragile leather, and after 6 months the joints on my last project peeled apart completely, has anyone else had PVA fail on older materials?

3 comments

3 Comments

torres.blair17d ago

Tried that combo once myself, ended up gluing my hand to a 1920s Bible.

simonk9817d ago

You ever try mixing a little wheat paste into the PVA for the older stuff? That combo's held up way better on my 19th century books.

lily_cooper17d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back on this one a little. I've been using PVA exclusively on all my antique leather repairs for like 8 years now, and I never had a book fail on me. That sound like maybe the leather was already too far gone or you didn't prep the surfaces right. Like if the leather is dried out and crumbly, no glue is gonna fix that. I fixed a 1700s prayer book with just PVA last year and the joints are still holding strong, no peeling at all. Maybe your shop was too humid or you didn't let it cure long enough before handling.