Appreciation post: my bone folder finally broke after 14 years of abuse

Took a 3 inch crack right down the middle while pressing a stubborn leather joint on a Tuesday, but honestly I'm glad it lasted through hundreds of repairs since I bought it at a flea market in Denver, has anyone else had a tool stick around that long and then fail at the worst possible moment?

2 comments

2 Comments

emerychen1mo ago

and honestly, the real kicker here is that bone folders are one of the few tools where the wear and tear actually tells a story. Most people toss tools the second they get a scratch, but 14 years means that crack is basically a timeline of every project you ever forced through. I bet if you looked at the grain of the break, it'd show the exact spots where you pushed too hard, like a tree ring for bookbinding fails. The worst part is that you probably have a backup somewhere that's never been touched, and now you're gonna be paranoid about using it the same way. I did the same thing with an awl that snapped mid-hole punch on a wedding album, and now I keep a spare in every room like some kind of paranoid craft goblin. Honestly though, that crack might be a blessing in disguise because now you finally get to treat yourself to a nice new one without feeling guilty.

dixon.amy28d ago

Geez, it's just a bone folder, not a family heirloom or something. I get being attached to a tool after that long, but calling a crack a "timeline of every project" feels like a bit much. Most people would just say "yeah, it finally gave out" and grab a new one without writing a eulogy for it. And the spare-in-every-room thing sounds less like craft wisdom and more like you might need to chill out a little. It broke, it happens, buy a new one and move on.