Heard a guy at the library say all modern book cloth is basically the same quality.

He was telling a new binder that brand doesn't matter and to just buy the cheapest roll. I've used cheap stuff from a craft store and Holliston's, and the difference in how they fold and hold up over 5 years is huge. What's the biggest quality gap you've seen between two materials?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kelly22d ago

I used to buy the cheap stuff from the big box store. Then I tried a sample of the good linen from Talas and it was like a whole different material. The way it handles glue and folds without cracking just changed my whole view.

the_willow22d ago

Yeah the "folds without cracking" part is so true. I tried making a small book with cheap linen once and the spine just split at the crease. The good stuff almost feels like it wants to bend, you know? It's not just stiff board with cloth glued on top. Makes you realize how much the material fights you on cheaper projects.

max27322d ago

My buddy learned this the hard way. He made a whole set of yearbooks with cheap cloth and they all frayed at the corners in a year. Total waste. He gets it now, like @the_kelly said, the good stuff just behaves differently.