In the world of book making, bone folders are used to score and crease paper. But did you know that bone folders can also be made from materials other than the bone of a cow, deer or elk? In this post, I’ll share 5 materials I was surprised to see used in the creation of bone folders. If you’re looking for a vegan folder option, some of these might make great substitutes.
What makes a material “unexpected”?
The most commonly used materials for bone folders are the leg bones and horns of cow, deer or elk as well as a polymer material called Teflon. An unexpected material is one that falls outside of traditional bone while still meeting the the top 5 desired properties for a good bone folder.
Wood
Hard woods like hickory, maple, oak and bamboo are strong and work well for bone folders, but are expensive to create. If you have any talent making your own tools + a few downed maple trees or a bamboo forest nearby, you are in luck!
It’s worth noting that Eastern countries have used bamboo folders for many years because of their durability. The only drawback? They’re very hard, so it can be tough to form a pointed tip.
Rock
Some bone folders are carved from agate, which is formed in volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Agate is primarily made of quartz and chalcedony, which are extremely strong. They have a nice weight and are all unique, one-of-a-kind folders with lots of different color variants.
Jade has also been used, but is expensive to procure and thus very rare.
Metal
Metals like silver, brass, steel and aluminum have also been used to make bone folders. Their strength and durability is incredible, but metal is subject to oxidation over time and can leave marks on paper.
Interestingly enough, the first metal bone folder patent was obtained in 1889 by J.C. Forman of Cleveland, Ohio. He called it the “Excelsior Metal Bone Folder” and included alloy metals to help with resistance to oxidation. Many book binders love the design and have tried to emulate it themselves using other materials. There’s just no end to how creative we can be!
ABS Plastic
ABS plastic definitely feels like plastic, but is very strong and can withstand heat up to 221 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it a good choice if you’re looking for a very inexpensive, vegan-friendly bone folder.
ABS plastic is smooth and easy to make in any shape or size, so you can usually find one for every need. Just be sure to check each end of the folder to see if the shape meets your needs. For example, my ABS folders have a 1mm thick tip, which isn’t my favorite because I prefer it to be more pointed. That said, it’s perfect for scoring and helps avoid marring paper.
Ivory
Ivory is only worth mentioning because it’s all over the Internet in various academic contexts with regard to bookbinding. That said, it’s illegal. Keep that in mind.
As a material, ivory is harder and heavier than bone. For these reasons, it was less likely to be used for the purpose of paper folding and creasing. There are very few examples, but I did manage to find the photo below showing several folders and tools used for other purposes.
Hope you found this as interesting as I did!
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Thank you for taking me along on your book making journey!
Misty
