My bone folder was backwards for 5 years. Found out in a 2 minute video

I always pressed the flat side down when folding signatures. Thought the rounded edge was just for smoothing. Then I watched a quick tutorial from a binder in Portland. She flipped it over and the crease went crisp in one pass. Felt like an idiot. Checked my older projects and saw all the soft, uneven folds. Now I use the bone edge for every fold. Anyone else spend years using a tool wrong before someone corrected you?

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1 Comment

graceblack12d ago

Wait, you used the flat side for folding for FIVE years? I read somewhere that bone folders have been around since like medieval bookbinding, and the rounded edge is specifically for creasing without damaging the paper fibers. Man, I get it though. I used a craft knife backwards for years, I kept breaking blades because I was pulling instead of pushing. The video must have been a total lightbulb moment for you. It is wild how one tiny detail can change everything about your results.