Visited a shop in Portland that still uses hide glue

Saw this old bindery downtown last week. They were using hide glue for everything. Smelled awful but the guy said his books from 30 years ago still hold up fine. Anyone else ever work with the stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

morganhayes18d ago

Hide glue is strong stuff but it has some downsides people don't talk about. It doesn't hold up well in humid climates and can get brittle over time if the mix isn't perfect. Most modern binders use synthetic glues for a reason, even if the old timers swear by their methods.

wendy_carr18d ago

Add to what @morganhayes said - hide glue also demands a perfect temperature when applying or it sets too fast and the joint fails before you can even clamp it. Synthetic glues are way more forgiving for that.