Remember when we used to paste endpapers by hand?

I was cleaning my workshop yesterday and found an old brush I used for applying paste back in the early 2000s. Back then, every endpaper got a careful hand coating of wheat paste, then I'd smooth it down with a bone folder and hope like crazy I didn't get wrinkles. Now I've got a little roller setup that does it in half the time with way less mess. I picked up the roller at a library binding supply shop in Chicago about 5 years ago, and honestly it was the best 40 bucks I ever spent. But part of me misses that quiet, slow rhythm of doing it by hand. Just me, the brush, and the smell of paste. Any of you still doing it the old way, or is everyone on the roller train now?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_eric1d ago

Chicago supply shop... I bought the same roller. Haven't touched a brush since.

lilyt901d ago

Wait, are you telling me you actually prefer a roller over a brush for cutting in? I used to be so stubborn about using brushes, thought rollers were only for big flat walls and trim and stuff. Then my buddy handed me one of these at a job site and I was like "okay fine, let's see" and honestly it was way faster and just as clean if you know what you're doing. I still grab a brush for weird corners or detail work but for most straight lines a roller is totally fine. Changed my whole workflow actually.