amyr57•3mo ago

Still not sold on Japanese stab binding - give me reasons why I should try it

I've been doing case binding for about 5 years now. My buddy kept telling me to try Japanese stab binding for this poetry collection he wanted. I told him it looked too flimsy and the exposed spine would get wrecked in a year. He handed me a book he did 3 years ago that still looks brand new. The stitching held up, pages were tight. I checked every single signature. Now I'm thinking I was wrong about the durability part. But I still hate how fiddly those thread tensions get. Anyone else fight with keeping the tension even across all those holes?

3 comments

3 Comments

jade2263mo ago

Just stitch slow and breathe between each hole.

lindahunt3mo ago

Tension is a nightmare if you ask me. You can breathe all you want between holes and still end up with one side looser than a handshake from a politician. Not worth the headache for something that's basically just a pamphlet glued together.

victor_carter512mo ago

Hold up, tension is actually the thing that makes a booklet look professional and lie flat instead of curling up like a dead leaf. Take your time setting it up evenly and you won't get that loose side problem, it's all about checking your first couple of holes before you commit. Maybe it's just me but a wonky, floppy booklet looks way worse than the couple minutes it takes to dial in the tension right.