I used to think a bone folder was just for creasing paper

At a workshop in Portland, I watched an older binder named Eleanor smooth a leather spine with her bone folder, not just fold. She said, 'The flat edge is for pressing out air pockets under the leather, it's not just a creaser.' I tried it on my next project, a small notebook cover, and it made the leather lay down so much cleaner. Has anyone else found a simple tool can do more than its name suggests?

3 comments

3 Comments

hayden_nelson8514d ago

Oh for sure, a bone folder is a workhorse. I use the rounded end to burnish edges on thin leather, gets a nice shine. The flat side is perfect for tucking in bookcloth without leaving a mark. Honestly, half my tools get used for jobs they weren't meant for.

terryk2814d ago

Wait, you can burnish leather with it too? @hayden_nelson85 just blew my mind.

hayes.joel8d ago

lol right? Hayden saying "half my tools get used for jobs they weren't meant for" is the real truth. My bone folder is basically a fancy butter knife at this point, I've used it to open paint cans. We all out here just pretending the tool names mean anything.