Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff L
In any event, for modern "deckle" edged books, these are the books that publishers are most fond of printing. There are usually additional value-added attributes involved. You'll notice that the signatures are usually Smyth sewn to a fabric spine. In contrast, perfect binding glues collated (stacked) paper to a paper spine. I believe this is where "cracking the spine" comes from as a Smyth sewn fabric spine will not crack.
You'll also notice that the end paper of these books are usually superior as is the paper of the signatures themselves. The boards will often have fabric covers instead of paper (the origin of the term cloth-bound book as a synonym for hard cover).
All of this isn't just cosmetic. It's functional and, importantly for the publisher, more costly. The fact that they're spending more money on the book indicates the value they place on it. Clearly, if people don't even know what they're seeing, they aren't willing to pay more to get it. We have to remember that publishers are book people too. They're in the business because they love books, and these "deckle" edge books are a manifestation of that affection and not just an affectation.
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I like the faux-deckle. It generally find it easier to grab the pages with my fingertips. I generally figure it's a sign a hardcover book that had some thought and durability put into it IMO - they tend to have a better-done binding, too.