I swore by my bone folder for everything until a project last month

I was working on a leather cover for a custom journal and my usual tool kept leaving faint marks on the grain side, which really bugged me. A binder friend in Chicago told me to try a polished agate burnisher instead, and it gave a way smoother finish without any scuffing. Anyone have a favorite burnishing tool for delicate leathers?

2 comments

2 Comments

alex_hall911mo ago

My aunt in Maine makes leather belts and she switched to a glass burnisher years ago for the same reason. It's funny how we stick with a tool that works okay until we see a real problem. I've noticed this with a lot of stuff, like phone chargers or kitchen knives. You don't realize there's a better way until the old one actually fails you in a specific situation. That smooth finish is everything when you've put hours into a piece.

gonzalez.grant1mo ago

My old cordless drill finally quit on me mid-shelf project.