I finally used a bone folder on a different kind of paper | Bookbinders - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

Jamie Sullivan · 2026-04-13T14:10:07.062782+00:00

Tried it on some handmade lokta paper from Nepal for an endpaper, and it left a faint, shiny streak instead of a crisp crease. Turns out the surface sizing reacts differently to pressure and heat. Anyone know a better tool for delicate, fibrous sheets like that?

kai8395mo ago

Totally had that happen with some banana leaf paper. You gotta basically just let the tool's own weight do the work, zero extra force.

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blairm775mo ago

Why even bother with a bone folder when a smooth river stone works better?

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thomas.river5mo ago

Oh man, that's actually the sizing getting burnished. A bone folder is probably still your best bet, just use way less pressure on papers like that.

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