Bookmending tape.

November 5, 2004 12:49 PM

Bookmending tape. I'm looking for brands/recommendations for 1/2" - 1" wide bookmending tape, to fix broken hinges, and/or cracked spines from the inside, and with adhesive that will not damage the paper. Nothing super-fancy, and bonus points for something I could maybe find in local stores! Thanks!
posted by carter to grab bag (7 comments total)

Gudy-O? or something like it.
posted by amberglow at 1:10 PM on November 5, 2004

Single-sided, more like duct tape for books - should have made this clear - but thanks, amberglow!
posted by carter at 1:23 PM on November 5, 2004

ahh--that place probably has what you want tho--they're famous as the place to go for book stuff.
posted by amberglow at 1:34 PM on November 5, 2004

Book tape? It's what libraries use. I have no idea of a non-mail order source.
posted by stet at 2:59 PM on November 5, 2004

You can find varieties of this stuff at many arts and crafts stores. I know Pearl Arts has some here in Boston.

Mailorder may be your best bet if you want some. I use www.gaylord.com at work all the time. They have the basic Scotch stuff here. I use it all the time to mending serials and journals for my library's bound collection. It's a decent all purpose tape. Usually, you'd use one kind of tape for fixing bindings and another for fixing pages. If you just want to fix torn paper, we use Filmoplast P on our monographs.

Now if you want to get fancy, you can get all tricked out with Japanese paper and various preservation techniques, but I only do binding and book triage and am no archivist.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:17 PM on November 5, 2004

Used to be a professional bookbinder, but don't know anything about booktape. When a book falls apart, saving the cover isn't enough.
posted by zaelic at 4:17 AM on November 6, 2004

Book tape fun!

I dig the linen tape. It looks nicer. But any of those would do. Just make sure you get something acid-free and it has something resembling "archival" on the label.

Disclaimer: I'm not a bookbinder, but I'm a book fiend. And a photographer who's obsessive about acid-free products. YMMV.
posted by bedhead at 6:18 AM on November 6, 2004