My buddy in Milwaukee swore by using a bone folder from a craft store for scoring leather, but after ruining a $45 hide, I'm sticking with my proper finishing tool.

Has anyone else found a 'shortcut' tool that just completely failed on a real project?

2 comments

2 Comments

Ugh, that's brutal. Max472 has a point about technique mattering, but people forget how much the right tool builds good habits from the start. A bone folder might look similar, but the edge and flex are totally wrong for clean leather scoring, so you're fighting the material. That mismatch sets you up to fail even with decent skill. Sometimes the "real" tool is just the training wheels you need.

max4721mo ago

Honestly your buddy might be onto something though. Tbh a bone folder is just a smooth piece of hardened plastic, same basic idea as a scoring tool. Ngl wrecking a hide sucks but that sounds more like a technique issue than the tool itself being totally wrong. Plenty of people make do with what they have before buying the pro gear.