# Best way to separate pages **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722 "2024-07-24T02:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/1 "2024-07-24T02:39:48Z")
I have a book whose pages are stuck together. Cheap paper. Not very valuable to anyone but curious me. Any one know of a way? ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/2 "2024-07-24T02:46:48Z")
Do you know what caused the pages to stick together? Did it get wet? Or did some foreign substance get between the pages? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/3 "2024-07-24T02:56:45Z")
Dampness. Or wetter than I know. By water. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/4 "2024-07-24T08:00:46Z")
Steam might let you get the pages apart; hold the book over a pot of boiling water. Maybe a butter knife inserted near the spine would let you work it apart. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/5 "2024-07-24T08:44:24Z")
I’ll try the knife. I got the separate signatures apart. There are 7. I just peeled very gently. But I think they may have been glued to each other because there’s no text or page numbers. I’m deciding whether to remove all of the signature block from the binding. All I’d need to do is cut thru the flyleaf inside. If there’s was any glue on the spine it’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/6 "2024-07-26T00:19:45Z")
I just got done edge gluing all the pages in a signature back together and just now glued the signature back in place. We are on opposite phases. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-separate-pages/1004722/7 "2024-07-26T01:16:46Z")
I’m a great gluer. Lots of practice. Alas, my trials on separation of each leaf is not going well. I have a very long exacto blade in my knife handle. Well I cut two leafs about an inch and the tip of my pinky finger about a eighth of a inch. So it’s back to a butter knife.