Tried using a bone folder on a leather project and ruined the grain

I had this nice piece of goat leather for a journal cover last Saturday and figured I'd use my bone folder to crease the spine like I do with paper. Within two passes the grain started showing these weird shiny spots that looked like I'd pressed too hard. Turns out bone folders can actually burnish leather if you apply even moderate pressure, which is fine for paper but not for soft leathers. Anyone else learned this the hard way or am I the only one who skipped that chapter?

3 comments

3 Comments

murray.robert8d ago

Gotta say I see it a little different. Bone folders are actually great for leather if you know how to use them right. The trick is you can't press down hard like you're creasing paper, you gotta let the tool do the work with light passes. That shiny burnish you got is actually something people pay good money for on edges and seams, it seals the fibers and makes it look smooth. Try using a smoother piece of delrin or even the back of a spoon next time if you just want a crease without changing the finish. I bet if you had gone over it really light with some conditioner that shiny spot would have blended right in.

mileslane8d ago

I finally stopped fighting my bone folder and started using lighter strokes, which fixed my burnish issues completely.

adam_baker8d ago

Man, I feel you on that! It took me way too long to figure out the same thing, thinking I had to muscle everything. Sometimes the simplest fix is the hardest one to try.