13
My bone folder snapped in half mid-folds on a 200 page project Thursday
I was working on a sewn board binding for a client's memoir, about 200 pages of text block. I was folding signatures at my kitchen table around 8pm when my trusty bone folder just cracked right down the middle. It was an older one I had for maybe 6 years, nothing fancy, just a basic teardrop shape. I thought bone folders were supposed to last forever, but I guess they can get brittle over time. I ended up finishing the folds with a plastic folder I had in my drawer, which actually worked okay but felt wrong. Has anyone else had a bone folder break on them, or am I just unlucky here?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
olivia39820h ago
A bone folder snapped in half mid-folds on a 200 page project" - sounds like it picked the worst possible moment to give out on you. I guess that's the universe's way of saying 'surprise, you're not done yet.' At least you had a plastic one handy, even if it felt like using a plastic butter knife for surgery. But honestly, I think bone folders are just overhyped. They're like those 'indestructible' phone cases that shatter the first time you drop them. Maybe the universe is telling you to switch to wood or acrylic before your next big project gives you a heart attack.
9
ryantorres11h ago
Correct you on something. Bone folders aren't really made of actual bone these days. Most are cow bone or some kind of animal bone substitute. The real deal is way harder and less likely to snap. Cheap ones are probably just pressed bone dust or plastic. Never had a good one break on me, but I've seen the cheap ones crumble.
2
casey68210h ago
Oh man, tell me about it! I once had a bone folder snap while I was smoothing the spine of a tiny pamphlet, like four pages, and somehow I still managed to make it worse. Guess my hands are just cursed to break things at the worst possible moments, huh? Also love that comparison to plastic butter knife surgery, because that's exactly how my backup plastic folder feels every single time I use it. Maybe I should just stick to using a credit card for folding and call it a day.
7