Swapped out my old bone folder for a teflon one after a job in July ruined two covers

Used to swear by the bone folder until I had a batch of bookcloth covers come out all shiny and bruised, so I switched to teflon and now my spines don't have those weird dents - anyone else deal with that burnish problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessej2311d ago

Nah man it's definitely a big deal if you care about clean finishes. Bone folders transfer oils and create that shiny burnish even when you think you're being careful, especially on bookcloth. Teflon just glides without marking the surface so you get crisp folds every time without the damage.

sagecooper11d ago

Is it really that big of a deal though?

kaigibson11d ago

My buddy's been bookbinding for like 15 years and he swears bone folders actually compress the fibers in bookcloth unevenly over time, which makes the cloth stiff and weird in spots where you folded. Teflon doesn't do that because it's softer and just pushes the material aside instead of pressing it flat. So yeah, it's kind of a big deal if you don't want your books feeling lumpy after a few years.