Graders Notes Entry --> Spine Crushed / Flattened

[Topnotchman]

Imagine a bald persons head as a normal spine, than think of the coneheads from Saturday night live as a crushed spine. Its more of a narrow rounded point, not necessary sharp like a razor.

[Bomber-Bob]

If the cover was pressed without any interior wraps I'd agree but those interior wraps all create a curve for the cover to wrap around.

 

The curve's circumference becomes smaller but it can still curved when it gets a crushed spine designation.

 

That's not to say that it can't be creased but I'd say that an actual 'pointed edge' on a book designation with a crushed spine would be the exception rather than the rule.

 

 

Interesting, never thought about the interior wraps protecting the cover. Still, when one uses the term crushed it usually implies it's beyond repair. Dictionary Definition: to press or squeeze (something) so hard that it breaks or loses its shape. But who knows. If Joey can repair it, is this what is called 'plumping'. I've heard that term in reference to giving a spine some shape after a bad press. Another thought. If the spine was pressed this aggressively, I would assume it was to eliminate spine tics. Wouldn't these spine tics come back with a 'plumping' ?

[VintageComics]

I think crushing spines just happens from people using too much pressure across the entire book but because the spine is round it suffers the most.

 

The rest of the book is flat on flat pressure and if you remember from physics class, distributing the pressure across a larger surface (the entire cover) reduces the over pressure in a given area.

 

And I think while they are using the term crushed, it sounds worse than it actually is.

 

If the spine was actually crushed to a 'V' shape, all of the interior wraps would need to be creased to a V as well and the entire book would fan out, from the spine outwards.

 

I don't know if that makes sense. I'm trying to describe it as best as I can.

 

 

 

[namisgr]

Anyone want to take a shot at quantifying what a crushed spine is? You know it when you see it but I've seen books before that I know were nowhere close to a press that marginal.

 

I think of a razor blade. A spine should be rounded...not come to a point. Bet it can be fixed.

 

Maybe the pointyness can be fixed, but the break in the paper and the line from the break ("the crease running the length of the spine") can't.

 

It does not say crease running the length of the spine, it says crushed spine. Which could be a bend that can be popped back out and rounded with little to no evidence of previous existence.

 

I'm just building from the original poster, who wrote: Its probably a book with the "blown out" looking crease running the length of the spine. Typically its not visible face-on. One would have to see the comic, since grader notes from CGC are 2-3 word phrases without any detail.

 

Another sign of a crushed spine is this one from the Curator pedigree collection, which unfortunately had a few Fantastic Four issues sporting it. It's irreversible.

 

[joeypost]

Imagine a bald persons head as a normal spine, than think of the coneheads from Saturday night live as a crushed spine. Its more of a narrow rounded point, not necessary sharp like a razor.

 

I have seen some that almost come to a point. Especially moderns.

[joeypost]

Anyone want to take a shot at quantifying what a crushed spine is? You know it when you see it but I've seen books before that I know were nowhere close to a press that marginal.

 

I think of a razor blade. A spine should be rounded...not come to a point. Bet it can be fixed.

 

Maybe the pointyness can be fixed, but the break in the paper and the line from the break ("the crease running the length of the spine") can't.

 

It does not say crease running the length of the spine, it says crushed spine. Which could be a bend that can be popped back out and rounded with little to no evidence of previous existence.

 

I'm just building from the original poster, who wrote: Its probably a book with the "blown out" looking crease running the length of the spine. Typically its not visible face-on. One would have to see the comic, since grader notes from CGC are 2-3 word phrases without any detail.

 

Another sign of a crushed spine is this one from the Curator pedigree collection, which unfortunately had a few Fantastic Four issues sporting it. It's irreversible.

 

 

While certainly a possibility the color loss you see here can happen for numerous reasons aside from the spine being crushed.

[namisgr]

It's not a reading or folding crease, Joe. What do you think other than pressure could have caused it?

[joeypost]

It's not a reading or folding crease, Joe. What do you think other than pressure could have caused it?

 

Foreign substance that stuck to the release paper. Too much hydration in the spot lifting the inks. Too much heat, or a combination of any of those.

[comicquant]

I asked for clear pics but I think he's taking them with an old phone so this is the best he has. Joe, you'll probably recognize it right away but if you look at the keystone in the arch on the building and follow the spine downward you'll see its edge is jagged. This is the "blown out" affect I was talking about where the crease has broken color. The bottom half of the book doesn't appear to have the problem.

 

 

 

[joeypost]

I asked for clear pics but I think he's taking them with an old phone so this is the best he has. Joe, you'll probably recognize it right away but if you look at the keystone in the arch on the building and follow the spine downward you'll see its edge is jagged. This is the "blown out" affect I was talking about where the crease has broken color. The bottom half of the book doesn't appear to have the problem.

 

 

 

 

Hard to tell, but it appears there are breaks from too much pressure.

[Topnotchman]

Imagine a bald persons head as a normal spine, than think of the coneheads from Saturday night live as a crushed spine. Its more of a narrow rounded point, not necessary sharp like a razor.

 

I have seen some that almost come to a point. Especially moderns.

 

There is going to be different levels of how crushed or flattened a spine is, extreme examples I could see some coming to a point or crease, especially a thinner modern.

[Artboy99]

It's not a reading or folding crease, Joe. What do you think other than pressure could have caused it?

 

Foreign substance that stuck to the release paper. Too much hydration in the spot lifting the inks. Too much heat, or a combination of any of those.

 

Looks like the staple of the book that was stacked on top had removed the inks.

[namisgr]

It's not a reading or folding crease, Joe. What do you think other than pressure could have caused it?

 

Foreign substance that stuck to the release paper. Too much hydration in the spot lifting the inks. Too much heat, or a combination of any of those.

 

Looks like the staple of the book that was stacked on top had removed the inks.

 

Except that the vertical crease is much longer than a staple.

 

Having never seen that type of vertical crease on any of the 3000 comics I bought off the rack or raw books acquired over many years, and based on its location, I figured it had to be pressing-related in some way. Joe, thanks for the confirmation.

[Sqeggs]

Anyone want to take a shot at quantifying what a crushed spine is? You know it when you see it but I've seen books before that I know were nowhere close to a press that marginal.

 

I think of a razor blade. A spine should be rounded...not come to a point. Bet it can be fixed.

 

Maybe the pointyness can be fixed, but the break in the paper and the line from the break ("the crease running the length of the spine") can't.

 

It does not say crease running the length of the spine, it says crushed spine. Which could be a bend that can be popped back out and rounded with little to no evidence of previous existence.

 

I'm just building from the original poster, who wrote: Its probably a book with the "blown out" looking crease running the length of the spine. Typically its not visible face-on. One would have to see the comic, since grader notes from CGC are 2-3 word phrases without any detail.

 

Another sign of a crushed spine is this one from the Curator pedigree collection, which unfortunately had a few Fantastic Four issues sporting it. It's irreversible.

 

 

While certainly a possibility the color loss you see here can happen for numerous reasons aside from the spine being crushed.

 

Whatever caused it, it's a real bummer that it happened to a Curator copy.

[Philflound]

Crushed spine has mostly been used on square bound books, such as Giant Size Marvels. Instead of being square, the spine looks like a normal book with staples, Can't totally flatten the entire book with that many pages, but is significantly flat. Also, it doesn't have to pertain to the whole spine with square bounds. I've seen books where just the bottom 1/3 or so is flat and the rest is still square.

 

As for normal 8 wrap books with staples, the flat spine is usually the whole thing and almost looks as sharp as a razor blade that it's that flat.