My first full leather rebind split at the hinge after 2 weeks, did I mess up the grain direction?

Jana Harris · 2026-09-24T06:50:02.696655+00:00

I finished a full calf rebind on a 1920s poetry book two weeks ago and the front hinge cracked open when I opened it past 90 degrees at my bench in Portland. I think I glued the spine piece with the grain running top to bottom instead of head to tail, but I'm not sure if that's the real problem or if I just used too much paste. How do you all test grain direction before you cut, and does anyone else redo the spine lining after a hinge fails like this?

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My first full leather rebind split at the hinge after 2 weeks, did I mess up the grain direction? | Bookbinders - Thought Shares