Am I the only one who thinks these perfect spine hinges look fake?

I keep seeing people post pics of their bindings with spines that have zero gap or crease at the hinge, like it's glued solid. Last week at a meetup in Portland, someone showed me their rebind and the book wouldn't open flat cause the hinge was too tight. Why are folks chasing that clean look if it kills the function?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicesingh1mo ago

So you're saying a book that doesn't open flat is a real book? Isn't the whole point of a book that you can read it comfortably, not have it fight you every page? I get that people want crisp lines and that factory-sealed look, but if you can't actually use the thing, what's the point of all that work? Yeah, a tight hinge looks pretty in photos, but try flipping through it at a reading club or when you're half-asleep in bed. It's like buying a car with doors that don't open. You're just asking for a cracked spine and a frustrated reader. Maybe the real craft is making it look clean AND work right.

walker.max1mo ago

yeah @alicesingh i totally get what you mean. a book that fights you is just annoying. i had this one journal that wouldn't lay flat and i couldn't even write in it without holding it down. it's like the binding is just for show, not for actually using the thing.

barbaraw471mo ago

Have you ever tried cracking the spine gently on a new journal, @walker.max? I’ve had to do that with a few hardcover notebooks that just wouldn’t cooperate. A little pressure down the center and then pressing it flat on a table a few times usually does the trick without messing up the look.