Linen thread was used because of its ability to expand with humidity which minimizes any chance of tearing the pages. Multiple reenactment organizations’ pages which tackle medieval book binding techniques add that coating the linen thread in beeswax increases its resiliency to moist conditions. According to an in-class speaker for Medieval Anthropology 392 on July 11, linen string was used for shoe making. For this craft the thread was also coated in beeswax so that it could better withstand water exposure.
July 12, 2011
Why Linen Thread?