# Uneven Edges On  Some Books.......

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 18, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777 "2011-02-18T04:00:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777/1 "2011-02-18T04:00:23Z")

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… and absolutely straight edges on others. Why is that?

Is it cheaper to make the uneven ones, because I have seen some books where the price was the same as the straight-edged ones?

Is it traditional with some book binders and they bind them _all_ this way? (I admit I haven’t checked this out, hence the question regarding tradition).

As a personal preference, it’s easier for me to turn the pages of the straight-edged ones.

Thanks

Q

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777/2 "2011-02-18T04:05:55Z")

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It’s called a [deckle edge](http://cool.conservation-us.org/don/dt/dt0981.html).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777/3 "2011-02-18T04:12:43Z")

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Thanks, **Duckster**! 🙂

“deckle edge”

Learned something new today. Awesome!

Q

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**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777/4 "2011-02-18T04:35:46Z")

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I like the uneven edges when they do it on books.

Personally I think it makes it simpler to turn the page.

That’s a minor thing overall though so I am guessing it is more a marketing thing. A marketing thing that frankly works on me (inasmuch if you offered me a book with a smooth cut of pages or the same book with the deckled edge I’d take the latter).

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uneven-edges-on-some-books/571777/5 "2011-02-18T04:48:10Z")

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Older books can have the projections turn brittle and break off during use, pretty much just from looking at them, covering you and your immediate vicinity in what appears to be diseased confetti.

I do like it when it’s new and deliberate, though. However, some books are produced with uncut edges (done in the old days as a way of proving that no one had read the book before you purchased it). You would cut the edges page by page as you read. Even sharp knives would leave the edges somewhat fuzzy and a dull knife might produce major scallops. A few books are still made uncut and you stumble across relatively recent books in used book stores in which the back third of the book was never cut. That tells you everything you need to know about the previous owner’s reading experience.