My first hand sewn book looked like a dog chewed it. Six weeks later, I made one that looks store bought.

Started with cheap linen thread from a craft store. It kept breaking and the tension was all wrong. Switched to a proper waxed thread from Talas and practiced the kettle stitch for an hour every night. The difference in the spine's strength and the neatness of the signatures is crazy. Anyone have a favorite thread brand for heavy paper?

3 comments

3 Comments

jake15726d ago

My buddy Dave swore by Ritza tiger thread for his leather journals.

matthew_ward825d ago

Yeah, Dave's onto something with that tiger thread. I tried it on a wallet project last year and it's really tough stuff. The waxed finish makes it so much easier to pull through tight holes without fraying. It just gives everything a solid, professional look that holds up.

the_jenny9d ago

Is tiger thread really that good for bookbinding? I had the same problem with cheap thread breaking and switched to a basic waxed linen, but maybe I need to level up. Sounds like it makes a huge difference in how clean the final product looks.