verawhite•1mo agoProlific Poster

I nailed the perfect corner on a leather-bound journal yesterday

For the past week, I've been fighting with the corners on a leather journal for a gift. My go-to method with a heat gun kept leaving marks and looked messy. So, I dug out an old book that showed how to do it with just a bone folder and a damp cloth. After a handful of attempts, the leather finally folded smooth and tight with no bumps. That one corner came out so crisp it made the whole book pop. Why do we chase after all the new gear when old-school tricks still work? This little win made me step back and look at how I do things. Now I think we might be missing out by skipping the tried-and-true ways.

3 comments

3 Comments

nora_lewis1mo ago

You really hit on something with "why do we chase after all the new gear." I was totally that person, always buying the newest tool to fix a problem. I figured newer had to be better. Seeing your result with the bone folder and cloth actually changes my mind. Sometimes the simpler way is just the right way, and we lose that skill by always reaching for a gadget. It makes me want to go back and look at other old methods I brushed off.

joseph_ellis851mo ago

Honestly, @nora_lewis, you're spot on about how we skip over old methods. Tbh, I see this everywhere now, like in cooking where people buy fancy gadgets instead of using a simple knife. We get so caught up in having the latest thing that we forget the basics actually work better sometimes. Ngl, I've done it myself with tools for my hobbies, always thinking an upgrade will solve everything. But it's like you said, we lose those skills when we always reach for a gadget. Going back to simpler ways isn't just about saving money, it's about knowing how to do things right.

logan2361mo ago

My buddy tried to fix a squeaky floor with some high tech adhesive he saw online. It failed in a week. Then he watched an old video @nora_lewis shared about using simple wood shims. He hammered a few in, problem solved for good. He said it felt stupid how he went for the complex fix first. That gadget mindset is real, makes you overlook the simple answer that's been there forever.