Hit 200 perfect endbands and I think the fuss is overblown

I just finished my 200th hand-sewn endband last week and honestly, I think people make way too big a deal about them. In my experience, a simple cloth strip with glue works just as well for most bindings. I've had books from five years ago with those basic endbands holding up fine, no fraying, no gaps. Meanwhile I've seen these fancy silk endbands come loose on collector editions after a year. Maybe I'm just not doing them right, but I'd rather spend that time on the spine lining. Has anyone else found that the basic approach outlasts the fancy ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.parker11d ago

Switched to cloth strips myself and never looked back, they hold up way better.

ivan_perez11d ago

Yeah, you're not wrong. I did the same thing a few years back after getting tired of the paper stuff tearing at the worst times. Cloth just has more grip, so you don't need to use as much to get the job done. Plus, they don't leave those little paper bits stuck everywhere. The trick is to wash them on hot with a bit of vinegar to keep them from getting funky. I've got a stash that's been going strong for over two years now, no signs of wear. Saves money too, once you get past the initial few bucks for a roll of unbleached cotton.