Debate: Is hand-sewing headbands worth the extra time or just old-school flexing?

Tbh I overheard two guys at a guild meetup last month arguing about this. One said machine-sewn headbands are fine for 99% of projects and hand-sewing is a waste of hours. The other guy swore that hand-sewn bands lay flatter and don't pop off after a few years of use. I've done both ways on my last 6 rebinds and honestly I'm split. The machine method saves me like 20 minutes per book and looks clean enough. But I had a 2018 restoration job where the machine headband started lifting at the edge last year. Has anyone else noticed a real durability difference or is it just about the craft aesthetic?

3 comments

3 Comments

lucasw8212d ago

Guess I'll just have to hand-sew my way into the afterlife then.

rowanharris12d ago

lucasw82 is living the dream honestly. That machine headband lifting on your 2018 job is exactly why I lean hand-sewn for anything I want to last. The stitches sit deeper into the textblock so they actually grip the spine instead of just sitting on top like a sticker. Plus you can adjust tension as you go which machines can't do. It's an extra hour per book for me but I've never had one fail in seven years of doing it.

ward.jamie12d ago

Gotta disagree a bit - machines can adjust tension fine, just not the same way hand sewing does.