Ditched my cheap bone folder for a bamboo one in Tokyo last fall

I used to swear by those plastic bone folders you get in a starter kit, the ones that cost like $3 and feel like a toy. But after a week in Tokyo I visited this tiny shop near Kappabashi, and the old guy running it handed me a bamboo folder and said 'try this on your next project.' Man, I didn't realize how much I was fighting my tools until that moment. The bamboo one glides way smoother on paper, and it doesn't leave those weird shiny streaks on my endpapers. I also like that it's lighter so my hand doesn't cramp up after folding 50 signatures. Now I'm wondering if I should go back for a proper teflon folder too, has anyone made that switch and regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenniferb5310d ago

Oh man, "fighting my tools" hits way too close to home. I once spent a whole weekend wondering why my bookcloth was peeling until I realized I'd been using a dull bone folder that was basically scraping it off with a vengeance. You're making me seriously reconsider that plastic folder sitting in my drawer, it's probably plotting my next hand cramp. Did you notice a big difference in the sound it makes too, or is that just me being weird about paper noises?

amy97510d ago

Respectfully, I think plastic folders have their place - they're lighter and don't dry out your hands like bone does. And honestly, isn't the sound more about your technique than the tool?