Unpopular opinion: Japanese stab binding is overrated for most projects

I used to do it for every journal I made, but after 30 books I realized the spine limits how flat it lays. Switched to coptic binding about 2 years ago and never looked back. Anyone else ditch a technique they thought was the gold standard?

3 comments

3 Comments

logan65812d ago

oh man, @phoenix573 you really gotta give coptic a shot if flat lay is your thing. japanese stab looks cool but it's basically a brick after a few signatures. have you tried linking your coptic stitches across the spine or do you stick to the standard single needle method? i found that using a thicker thread and doing a double loop on each station helps the book open even wider without stressing the spine. just my two cents but once i switched i never missed the stab binding's look.

phoenix57312d ago

Wait, you think coptic is actually better for flat lay? Might have to try that.

lily5712d ago

logan658 really hit the nail on the head there. coptic changed the whole game for me too, japanese stab looks nice but it's just not functional for everyday use. kinda wish i'd tried it sooner.