Guy at the Ohio Antiquarian Book Fair said skip the wheat paste and use PVA on my 1840s calf binding, and now the hinge is shot

Beth Hunt · 2026-10-06T22:55:03.27143+00:00

I was rebinding a cracked calf volume from 1843 and a seller at the Ohio Antiquarian Book Fair in Columbus told me nobody uses wheat paste for hinges anymore, PVA is stronger and faster. I went with it, and 5 months later the hinge is stiff and pulling away from the spine because there is zero flex in that joint. So what do you all use on old leather hinges when the customer wants it to hold but still open flat?

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Guy at the Ohio Antiquarian Book Fair said skip the wheat paste and use PVA on my 1840s calf binding, and now the hinge is shot | Bookbinders - Pinecone Attack