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Stumbled on an old binding stat that stopped me in my tracks
I was flipping through a 1960s bookbinding manual I found at an estate sale last month, and it said the average hand binder could only finish 8 to 10 books a week back then. That blew my mind because my crew does about 40 a week using modern presses and glues. The manual also mentioned that most binders used animal glue exclusively, which took hours to set. Makes me grateful for PVA and quick dry times now. Has anyone else found an old stat that put your own workflow in perspective?
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wadea531mo ago
Respectfully, that 8-10 a week number might not tell the whole story. Those hand binders did everything by hand with animal glues and no electricity, so comparing that to your 40 with modern tools is like comparing a covered wagon to a pickup truck. Your crew has better materials and machinery, but those old timers worked with a different set of limits that don't really line up with today's standards.
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Wade, you're missing the point-the covered wagon still got people where they needed to go.
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