Warning: My mentor told me to never use PVA glue on full leather spines, and I finally learned why the hard way.

I ignored her advice on a $80 commission last month, and the spine cracked after just two openings. Has anyone found a flexible adhesive that actually holds up for leather work?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyj231mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah, PVA gets way too brittle. I switched to a flexible bookbinding glue like Jade 403 for leather spines and it's been solid. That stuff actually moves with the material instead of cracking.

sarah_johnson462mo ago

Guess some mentors just like to be dramatic.

sam_harris682mo ago

Oh man, "like to be dramatic" is putting it MILDLY. My old mentor would turn a simple check-in into a full-on crisis meeting. One time he called me at 7 PM because a client email used the word "unfortunate" and he was convinced the whole deal was dead. It was just exhausting.