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Finally chose the linen thread over cotton for a restoration job
I had an old 1890s hymnal from a church in Savannah that needed rebinding, and I went back and forth for days on whether to use cotton or linen thread. Linen costs more but it doesn't stretch as much over time, so I went with it... the book lays flat now and the signatures feel solid. Has anyone else wrestled with thread choice for older books and regretted one?
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shane_wilson7d ago
That linen thread thing reminds me of a buddy of mine who tried to save money on a Civil War diary restoration. He used cotton thread thinking nobody would notice the difference. Fast forward two years and the stitches started sagging, the signatures got loose, and the whole spine basically went floppy. He spent twice as much time and money fixing it than if he'd just used linen from the start. You made the smart call with that 1890s hymnal, especially with the humidity in Savannah messing with cotton over time. I've seen that laid flat result you're talking about and it's honestly the best feeling when it works out right.
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