My old boss Norm showed me a stitch in 2009 that I still use on every spine
Back in 2009 I was working at a small bindery in Portland and my boss Norm, who had been doing it for like 40 years, watched me struggle with a loose signature for 20 minutes. He finally walked over and showed me a simple kettle stitch variation that took him maybe 30 seconds to explain. I used it on a rebind last week for a customer's 1920s family Bible and it held perfectly through the whole process. Funny how one tiny thing someone shows you sticks with you for 15 years while I can't remember what I ate yesterday. Anyone else have a technique they picked up early that they still swear by?