My old bone folder snapped after 14 years, had to improvise

I was mid-way through rounding the spine on a batch of 12 journals last Tuesday when my old cow bone folder just cracked clean in half. That thing had been with me since I started binding in 2009, and I never thought to buy a spare. I grabbed a spare plastic one from the drawer, but it kept leaving shiny marks on the leather, so I ended up using the flat end of a teaspoon for the evening rush. Has anyone else had a favorite tool give out on them without warning, and what did you switch to that actually worked?

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daniel_martinez921mo ago

Ouch, that one really stings. Losing a tool you've had that long feels like losing a buddy, especially when it happens right in the middle of a big batch. Fourteen years is a long run for a bone folder, so at least it went out working. I honestly can't believe you made it through the rest of that night with a teaspoon, that is some real grit right there. My own folder is going on nine years and now I'm side eyeing it a little after reading this. Hope you find a good replacement that breaks in nice for you.

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