PSA: The glue in a 19th century copy of 'Moby Dick' was made from boiled horse hooves

Found that out in a footnote of a restoration guide from the Boston library. Anyone know if modern animal glues are still that... specific?

3 comments

3 Comments

young.nora15d agoMost Upvoted

Wow, that's a wild fact. A lot of specialty wood glues are still animal based, but they're usually just labeled as "hide glue." You can still find the weird old recipes if you look hard enough though.

joel_martinez15d ago

Check if modern glue uses fish bladders instead.

the_jennifer15d ago

Yeah I actually looked this up a while back for a project. Most regular glue you buy now is synthetic, but some fancy bookbinders and restorers DO still use fish glue. It's made from swim bladders, and they say it's super clear and flexible. You have to order it from specialty craft suppliers though, it's not at the hardware store.