Tried using a bone folder from the craft store instead of my fancy teflon one and honestly? The cheap one works better for certain folds.

I've been binding for about 4 years now and always used a nice teflon folder I got online for $25. Last week I needed a quick crease on some endpapers and grabbed the $3 bone folder from Michael's that I bought as a joke. Turns out the bone one gives a sharper crease on lighter papers without leaving that shiny mark. The teflon one is still better for heavy cardstock though. Has anyone else found that the "cheap" traditional tools sometimes outperform the modern ones?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams1mo ago

Right there with you! I spent $40 on a fancy folder that lives in my drawer while my beat-up $2 bone folder from a garage sale does all the heavy lifting.

cole_baker1mo ago

...and @uma_williams is absolutely right about that. I had a buddy who does book restoration and he told me about finding a bone folder at an antique mall for like a dollar. Thing was all scratched up and had this dark patina from decades of use. He said it folded like butter from day one compared to his brand new one. I guess there's something about that old bone being worn in just right that you can't fake with a new tool, no matter how much you spend on it. Makes you wonder how many other "upgraded" tools are really just expensive versions of something that already worked fine.

phoenix2461mo ago

$2 from a garage sale? That's wild. I paid $3 on sale at Michael's and thought I got a deal, but a garage sale find is next level. Mine has this weird little groove worn into the side from some former owner's thumb that actually fits my grip perfectly now too. Never would have thought a beat up used tool would feel so right in the hand.

-3