robin628•1mo agoProlific Poster

Saw a video of someone using a bone folder made from an old deer antler

I was watching a bookbinder on YouTube last night and she was pressing down her folds with this antler tool she said her uncle carved. She claimed it glides better than plastic or wood because of the natural oils. I have been using a basic teflon folder for 3 years and never thought about trying something like that. Has anyone here used a bone folder from a non-standard material? Did it make a real difference or more of a gimmick?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_shah381mo ago

Oh man, "glides better because of natural oils" - that's exactly what I noticed. I picked up an old cow bone folder at an antique shop last year just for kicks, and honestly I was surprised how smooth it felt compared to my plastic one. The antler thing makes total sense since they're both porous materials that hold onto natural oils. I tried it on some heavy cardstock and it just slid right through without that sticky drag I get from my teflon tool sometimes. Not saying it's a total game changer but it definitely feels nicer in the hand and makes the work a little more satisfying.

william_harris1mo ago

You know, I gotta disagree a bit on the "smoother" thing. I tried a bone folder years ago and it felt like it snagged on every little fiber in my paper. Maybe I had a bad one, but the Teflon ones just feel more slippery to me.