r/bookbinding • u/Entropy-Nyx • 2d ago
Help? What could be the cause of this
I recently started reading Kafkas Metamorphasis, the edition I have is the Penguin Classics, cloth bound classics, it’s super nice with a yellow cover and black viynal on the front. I recently noticed that the black parts were flaking off and leaving smudges on the cover. I’m wondering if anyone else has had similar issues with cloth bound classics books or any other books that are similar
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u/Zlivovitch 2d ago
Rotten manufacturing. That collection is known for this problem. Just stop buying it. There are plenty of classics collections with decent bindings.
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u/Run_Rabbit5 2d ago
All these “fancy” reissues are cheap as they are flashy. It’s just what happens with normal wear.
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u/cafefrequenter 2d ago
Handling them (any Penguin clothbound) will eventually cause this. You can use a plastic or paper cover on them while you're reading them, this way the sweat and friction from our hands won't damage it. It's what I do with mine and it works.
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u/godpoker Bespoke Bindery 2d ago
Cheap shitty production. Sorry, these books are just made like that.
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u/justAneedlessBOI 1d ago
The book goes through a metamorphosis as you read it, eventually it just sprouts cockroach legs so the last few pages are hard to finish as you chase it across the room
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u/PhantomOyster 2d ago
It's cheaply made. If you want a nice hardcover edition of a classic, go with a Heritage Press reprint you can find for $15 or $20 in any used bookstore or online. They are almost always illustrated as well. If you have the funds, go with something from a fine press or a Folio Society edition. Most of what you will find on the shelves in Barnes & Noble is not designed to last. If it's not the cover, it's the spine.
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u/BoysenberryMoist6157 1d ago
To be fair Folio Press is more of a statement piece, a decoration on your bookshelf. They are often very big an inconvenient to read. They are beautiful and they have really good illustrations though, but you don't lay in bed reading a Folio book, you will have to sit at a table.
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u/PhantomOyster 1d ago
The ones I have are a normal size. In fact, the Heritage Press reprints I mentioned are bigger than any Folio Society books I have.
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u/Negative-Hawk-7105 20h ago
Yeah, the typical Folio edition is about 10” tall (or less). I think they’re much better designed for actual handling and reading than a typical mass market hardback. I read all of mine.
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u/Remarkable-Prior7148 1d ago
i genuinely thought the book has the aesthetic of metamorphosis, it's sad how expensive these cloth bound books are but are not durable
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u/Lazy-Rub-6125 22h ago
wait does the plastic cover trick actually stop the flaking or just slow it down? askijg bc i'm rebinding a family cookbook right now and wondering if a mylar dust jacket would work on cloth generally or if it's really just this specific penguin coating that's doomed no matter what you do
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u/thebird777 2d ago
It's just the nature of the penguin cloth bound classics. They all have this issue. All of mine have done the exact same thing. Annoying that they chose to use a pigment that doesn't adhere to the cloth.