I stopped using a bone folder for book creases and switched to my fingernail

I was 3 hours into rounding the spines on a batch of 12 journals last Tuesday and my bone folder kept slipping on the textured paper. Out of frustration I just ran my thumbnail along the fold line and it was way more controlled. No more skipped creases and I can feel exactly when the paper is about to split. Anyone else ditch the fancy tools for something as simple as a finger?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_gibson22d ago

Wait, did you read that article in Fine Bookbinding Quarterly about the old German binders who used their fingernails exclusively? It said the callus buildup actually gives you a natural "tool" that molds to your exact hand pressure. I tried it after my bone folder slid off some handmade paper last month and now my thumb's got this permanent dent. Still use the folder for French grooves though - finger can't match the precision on those.

kellys7822d ago

@claire_gibson that article changed how I look at a lot of stuff, not just bookbinding. It got me thinking about how we tend to overcomplicate things with fancy tools when our bodies already have built-in solutions. Like, I noticed my mom always uses her thumbnail to open those sealed plastic packages on food containers, never bothers with scissors. Or how my buddy who works construction can feel a loose screw with his bare fingers faster than any wrench can. There's this whole pattern of people developing these little workarounds that just work better than the official tool. Your thumb dent is basically a custom-made tool that evolved for exactly what you need it to do. That's pretty cool when you stop and think about it.

adam_patel22d ago

Admit I was pretty skeptical about the whole fingernail thing, but then I gave it a shot after a sharp crease job went sideways. @claire_gibson, you are spot on about that callus building up over time. My thumb's got a weird flat spot now too, but it gives me way better control on softer papers than a bone folder ever did. Still grab the folder for tight corners though, no getting around that.