PVA glue vs wheat paste - I was a hardcore PVA guy until last month

I used to swear by PVA for all my bookbinding projects. Thought wheat paste was just for old timers who didn't know better. Then I tried repairing this 1890s ledger a guy brought into my shop in Portland. The spine was cracked, pages were falling out, and PVA just wasn't gripping the old paper right. After 3 failed attempts with PVA, I mixed up some wheat paste from scratch. That stuff soaked into the paper fibers like nothing else, no bubbling, no stiff feel. The whole repair held solid after drying overnight. I'm still using PVA for new books, but for restoration work I'm converted. Anyone else find certain adhesives work way better for specific paper types?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_hart1mo ago

You ever work with really brittle old paper that just crumbles if you even look at it wrong? I had a similar switch happen with a 1920s diary I was trying to save. PVA made the paper feel like plastic and the edges curled up real bad. Wheat paste was like magic, it just soaked in and held everything together without making it stiff. Now I keep both around, wheat paste for anything older than 1950 and PVA for the modern stuff. The grain matters too, like fine papers need a lighter touch than thick cardstock.

oscar3901mo ago

Yeah exactly, I've had the same thing happen with some old maps from the 1800s I was trying to flatten out. PVA just sat on top and made them feel like stiff plastic, plus the edges curled up like you said. Wheat paste worked way better, it actually bonded into the fibers without changing the feel of the paper. I keep both too, but for anything before 1950 I always grab the wheat paste first.