78 Sleeve Durability

[chuckmoy]

I have made an interesting but obvious discovery recently. Many of Chinese 78s made by the Columbia and Pathé companies are much more durable and do not rip because the edges are sewn together, which prevents the regular ripping on most cardboard and paper 78 sleeves. It would be interesting to apply this method to other sleeves and see if it prevents the creation or expansion of tears.

[epigramophone]

Many UK dealer's 78 record covers (the first use of the term "sleeve" I can find dates from the early 1950's) have sewn edges.
As you say, they are more durable than the taped edges, but after 100 years or more the stitching can begin to perish.

[Lah Ca]

Durability is also affected by the quality of paper used--notably its method of production--materials and process.

Western wood pulp paper is highly prone to foxing and lignin/acid self-destruction as it ages. The weakening of seams on sleeves may be a side effect of a weakening of the paper as a whole.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxing

Aside from foxing, other types of age-related paper deterioration include destruction of the lignin by sunlight and absorbed atmospheric pollution, typically causing the paper to become brown and crumble at the edges, and acid-related damage to cheap paper such as newsprint, which manufacturers make without neutralizing acidic contaminants.[7]