Appreciation post: That tiny bookbinding shop in Philadelphia changed my whole method

I was on a trip to Philadelphia last fall and walked into this little shop called The Bindery on 4th Street. The owner, a woman in her 60s, saw me struggling with a project and showed me how she uses a simple bone folder with a rounded tip instead of the sharp one I had been using. For years I had been making creases that were too deep and splitting the paper on some of my thinner folios. She let me test out her folder on a scrap piece and the difference was immediate and obvious. I bought one from her for 8 dollars and now I use it on every single project I do. Has anyone else had a chance encounter with a older binder who changed a basic part of your process?

2 comments

2 Comments

williams.amy1d ago

That bone folder tip is a game changer, I smoothed out my own rough creases after switching to a rounded one too.

the_piper15h ago

Wait, isn't a rounded one standard for paper?