When you start out in most crafts whether as a student, a weekend DIY or as a professional, one of the very first most useful tools to get is the bone folder. Not because it’s cheap, but because of the versatility it’s going to offer your work. But what are the best bone folder tools?
The best bone folder tools on the market are:
- VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder (Best Overall Bone Folder Tool)
- Arteza Bone Folder (Best 4 Set Plastic Bone Folder Tools)
- DeedyGo Real Bone Folder (Best Handmade Genuine Bone Folder Tool)
- Arteza (Best Versatile 4 Set Plastic Bone Folder Tools)
- VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder (Best Versatile 2 Set Real Bone Folders)
- CrafTreat Teflon Bone Folder (Best Portable Ergo-Square Bone Folder Tool)
- Crafty Gnome Bone Folder (Best Teflon Bone Folder)
- DeedyGo Real Bone Folder (Best Handmade Genuine Bone Folder Tool)
- Martha Stewart Bone Folder (Best Most Popular)
- TipTop Carbon Tool Set (Best Origami & Quilling Bone Folder Set)
- Books by Hand Bone Folder (Best Real Bone Folder For Book Binding)
For each of the bone folder tools, I will look at the pros, cons, and other features you can expect to be included (or not included). But first let’s go over what a bone folder tool is and a guide to help you choose the perfect one for you. Happy shopping!
What is a Bone Folder Tool?
A bone folder is a simply handheld tool used to smoothen, crease, burnish, and score materials such as leather, paper, and several others. Using a bone folder tool is fairly simple and will make your leather working, paper crafts, card making, sewing, origami, and all other crafts work in general a ton easier!
As the name implies, some bone folder tools are made using the bones of actual animals — often recycled cow bones. But in recent times, most bone folders will be made from synthetic materials such as Teflon and some other types of plastic materials.
Bone Folder Tools Buying Guide
This is quick guide for the best bone folder tools. It’s going to help put all the bone folder tools up for review in this post in perspective to help you make an informed decision in picking the perfect one for you!
Material Used To Make The Bone Folder
Why’s this important? This is important because while many crafters will want a bone folder that’s actually made from a bone, others will appreciate novel materials. The material used for an ideal bone folder as the name implies should be bones.
But from current trends, many producers are drawn towards materials that aren’t bones from animals — with the most common ones being plastic, wood, and glass,
The material used for bone folder tools each comes it’s own advantages and disadvantages. While plastic, wood, and glass will offer a cheap animal free product, it’s usually going to come at the expense of the kind of quality you’re to get in an ideal bone folder tool.
For example, glass will break at a point and plastic may be bendy and not sturdy especially when you want a really sturdy bone folder tool.
Size Of The Bone Folder
This purely has to do with the ergonomics of the tool and it’s surely something you will want to consider. Since bone folder tools come in different different sizes, that is widths, lengths, and thickness, the overall size of the bone folder tool you choose should fit into you hands and should be comfortable working with it.
Tip Of the Bone Folder
The tip of the bone folder tool is probably one of the most important factors to consider since that’s basically the part of a bone folder tool that sees a lot of activity. What you will generally would want is a tip that’s “V” shaped, round shaped or a rounded “V”.
If you will be using your bone folder tool to exclusively crease then you will not be bothered by this.
But if you’re looking to use your bone folder tool for a variety of activities like paper crafts, origamis, mounding leather, etc, then you probably want a fine novel edge you will be able to maneuver details, tight & sharp, and hard-to-reach places on the work.
You will also want the tip of your bone folder tool to be highly durable and not wearing out easily. You will often get these types of durable tips in bone folders made from actual bones.
I recommend getting a bone folder tool set that has all the 3 basic tip shapes — including a combination of real bone tool and Teflon depending on your budget. Or buy individual bone folder tools with the 3 basic varieties of tip shapes.
Flexible vs Rigid Bone Folders
Some bone folders come rigid while others come with a bit of flexibility to them. If you intend using your bone folder tool on robust materials like leather, cardboards, etc that will require some amounts of pressure then a bone folder that’s highly sturdy is what you will need.
On the contrary, if you will be working on a lot more delicate materials like fabrics, papers, tissues, etc then you wouldn’t mind a bone folder that’s bendy or a bit flexible.
Bone Folder Tools – Reviews
Here’s my review of the best bone folder tools. You’re going to get the best overall bone folder tool, the . Here they are in no particular order!
VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder (Overall Best Bone Folder Tool)
The VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder is made from actual bones so it’s of high quality and it’s nothing like the cheap plastic or wooden ones you sometimes come across. With its durability and sturdiness, it’s especially great for application on a wide range of materials like paper, leather, fabric, to mention but a few.
If you’re into scrapbooking, bookbinding, paper crafts, or you’re the leather crafts kind of person, and you’d like a perfectly smooth bone folder that will leave no scratches even on the most delicate materials when scoring, creasing, smoothening, or burnishing, this tool will served you wonderfully a your entire lifetime.
Key Features
- Bone Folder Size: approx. 6” x 0.8” x 0.2 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 0.7 Oz.
- Material: Made from durable genuine bone
Pros:
- Made From actual bones
- Super sturdy
- Easy to use
- Light weight
- Comfortable to use
- It won’t glaze, scratch, or leave a sheen on your surfaces
- Extremely high quality
- Exceptionally smooth
- Ideal size for a variety of activities
- Nice tip edge makes it great for hard-to-reach areas
- Very good packaging
- Can be used on super tough materials and the most delicate materials
Cons:
- May be slightly thick in hand for people with small hands
- May come with a tiny bit of blemishes depending on the bones used
If you’re interested in the VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
We R Memory Keepers (Best Trim and Scoring Kit For Paper Crafts)
The Trim and Score board is by We R Memory Keepers. It’s the best one single tool set you can use to trim and score all at a go. It comes with a bone folder tool. This product will offer you a bone folder tool for scoring, a titanium blade for trimming and a scoring board all in one place.
This bone folder is made of plastic and it’s perfect exclusively for scoring. It has a safe compartment for you to store the bone folder so it doesn’t get lost or damaged easily. The board this product comes with is foldable and can be expandable to a full 12 x 12 inch board.
The board has a sturdy locking feature that keeps the board in place to ensure everything is precise. The board that comes with this product also has measurements to help make the trims and scores accurate. There’s also some sort of an inbuilt ruler that also serves as a guide.
Pros:
- Not pricy
- You can trim and score with one simple tool
- A complete kit for scoring and trimming
- Results precise scoring and cuts
- Nice tip that is perfect for hard-to-reach areas of paper and card
- Easy to use
- Versatile
- Ideal for making gift bags, paper rosettes, boxes, cards, envelopes, and more.
- Has a bone folder storage space
Cons:
- There’s a bit of a learning curve to it
- Extra attention must be given to the score lines and creases on the board otherwise you will score or crease wrongly
If you’re interested in the We R Memory Keepers product, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
EK Tools Bone Folder (Best Melamine Plastic Bone Folder)
The EK Tools Bone Folder is made using high quality polished melamine plastic. Although not a bone like you would expect, most modern bone folders are made from plastics and the EK Tools bone folder is simply durable and one of the very best you can find.
It has a very pretty design and is highly ergonomic. It makes crisp creases for scoring, smooth burnishes, and make folding paper very easy and fun. It’s also a great tool for rubbing and smoothing surfaces.
With the fine narrow shaped blunt tip of the EK Tools Bone Folder, you will be able to make score paper in the most perfect way, help you tear paper if you want a more natural edge, and neatly flatten folds
Key Features:
- Product Size: approx. 0.34 x 2.44 x 8.41 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 1.4 Oz.
- Material: Durable Melamine Plastic
Pros:
- Very easy to use
- Its produced from durable melamine plastic
- Fine shaped tips for working hard to reach areas of the work
- Sturdy
- Makes rub-ons and smoothing easy
- Beautiful ergonomic design
- Nice varieties of different edges
- Light weight
Cons:
- Be careful not to drop it at least not too often because tips can easily chip off
If you’re interested in the EK tools bone folder tool, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Arteza (Best Versatile 4 Set Plastic Bone Folder Tools)
The Arteza Bone Folder comes in a set of 4 bone folder tools. This is NOT actually made from bones but from highly durable plastics that doesn’t flex or bend. It’s very smooth and as a result glides effortlessly on the material it’s used on.
It has a great sturdy build and it’s extremely gentle on the hand even if you have arthritis in your hand. The Arteza Bone Folder set has four unique bone folder tools that can be used to accomplish any paper-making craft project or work.
You will get a standard bone folder, a small bone folder that has a knife-shape tip, a large size bone folder that has a pointed tip, a bone folder with a curved tail, and a typical card creaser that has curved edges.
Key Features:
- Product Size: Approx. 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 2.82 Oz.
- Material: Durable Plastic
Pros:
- High quality plastic material
- Professional tool set
- Durable
- Highly versatile for any kind of paper craft-project
- Fairly lightweight
- It’s portable
- Perfect for you if you have arthritis or easily get hand fatigue
- Clean strong edges
- Great gift item
- Leaves no sheen
Cons:
- Doesn’t have the durability of a real bone folder
- A bit pliable
If you’re interested in the Arteza Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder (Best Versatile 2 Set Real Bone Folders)
The VENCINK bone folder set is made from polished real bones of cattle and so it’s highly smooth, sturdy, durable, and will not glaze or scratch your paper work, fabrics, leather crafts, or other materials.
This product also has additional uses which includes burnishing and creasing materials for leather working, scrapbooking, card making, origami, handmade books, bookbinding , sewing, offices supplies, school handmade DIY crafts and other DIY paper art and crafts.
This 2 genuine bone folder set has about 3 versatile tips. It’s ergonomic, easy to hold, use, and control, and extremely gentle on the hand.
Key Features:
- Bone folder size: approx. 6 x 0.94 inches
- Crease maker size: 4.7 x 0.94 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 0.6 Oz.
- Material: Real Cattle Bone
Pros:
- Has multiple uses
- Versatile
- Great design
- Pointed tip will make creasing and scoring material easy including hard to reach corners
- Good smoothing tool
- Light weight
- Comes in a very good packaging
- It’s uses range from super tough materials to the most delicate materials
Cons:
- May have a bulky feel in hand
- May sometimes leave a tiny bit of shine depending on the material you use on
If you’re interested in the 2 Set VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
CrafTreat Teflon Bone Folder (Best Portable Ergo-Square Bone Folder Tool)
The CraftTreat Teflon Bone Folder as the name implies is made from Teflon material. But the special thing about this Teflon Bone Folder is it’s Ergo Square shape that helps to maximize the comfort, flexibility, control, and efficiency of this bone folder tool.
There’s more to this tool than meets the eye. The Ergo square shape of this tool allows it to have a variety of tips with the main working tip angling at 45 degrees which you can use for a wide array of scoring for paper crafting, origami, bookbinding, and leather burnishing when scrapbooking.
This 2.9 x 1.9 inches portable size bone folder tool is ergonomically designed to fit nicely into your hand easily and allows you to securely wrap your fingers around it in the most comfortable way.
Key Features:
- Product Size: Approx. 2.95 x 1.95 x 0.25 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 2.11 Oz.
- Material: 100% Teflon material
Pros:
- Highly Versatile
- Has one of the best ergonomic designs
- Adhesives doesn’t get stuck to it
- Requires very small effort to use
- Makes crisp creases
- For flawless folds
- Great for making unblemished burnishing
- Can be used as a glue applicator
- Perfect for removing air pockets after gluing
- Doesn’t chip off when dropped accidentally
- Doesn’t discolor with age like most do
Cons:
- There’s a learning curve to its use
- May be uncomfortable in the hands of people with big hands
If you’re interested in the CraftTreat Teflon Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Crafty Gnome Bone Folder (Best Teflon Bone Folder)
The Crafty Gnome Teflon Bone Folder is made from 100% Teflon a plastic material that’s very durable and results in extra smooth bone folder tool.
Although it’s not made of actual bone, you will be amazed by its premium quality — This tool is perfect for scoring, folding, creasing, origami, bookbinding, scrapbooking and many more activities in the arts and crafts space.
The Crafty Gnome Teflon Bone Folder is ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip with its overall shape and light weight. It has an amazing grip feel and is extremely gentle on the hand.
The special thing about the Teflon material is that it’s non stick so you’re guaranteed you’re not going to have to deal with sticky, glue or other adhesives materials getting stuck to it when you’re making your crafts work.
Key Features:
- Product Size: approx. 6.25″ x 0.75″ x 0.37 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 1.9 Oz.
- Material: 100% Teflon
Pros:
- It’s flexible
- Glues and Adhesives doesn’t adhere to it
- Ultra smooth
- Made from 100% durable Teflon material
- Doesn’t leave a sheen
- Great for burnishing folds
- No scuffs
- It’s non-scratch
- Results professionals looking projects
- Durable
Cons:
- Some parts of its edges are quite sharp so needs extra care on thinner materials
- May be slightly thick in the hands of people with small hands
If you’re interested in the Crafty Gnome Teflon Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
DeedyGo Real Bone Folder (Best Handmade Genuine Bone Folder Tool)
The DeedyGo Real Bone Folder is hand carved from genuine ox bone and it’s a highly durable and a sturdy bone folder tool. It’s nicely and smoothly shaped for paper creasing, scoring, Origami projects, bookbinding, sewing work, or paper folding without leaving any damage to your materials.
The DeedyGo Real Bone Folder is actually very similar to the VENCINK Genuine Bone Folder in terms of overall size, material, and shape but differs slightly in price and weight as the DeedyGo Real Bone Folder is slightly lower in price and less weighty.
Key Features:
- Bone Folder Size: Approx. 6” x 0.8” x 0.2 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 0.3 Oz.
- Material: Natural OX Bone
Pros:
- It’s very comfortable to use
- Ideal for a variety of craft activities
- Suitable for both professionals, beginner crafts people, students, and kids
- Easy to use
- Sturdy
- It won’t glaze or scratch your surfaces
- Very light weight
- Comfortable to use
- Ideal size for a variety of activities
- Fine tip for hard-to-reach areas
Cons:
- Because it’s from natural Ox bones it may come with a couple of blemishes
If you’re interested in the DeedyGo Real Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Martha Stewart Bone Folder (Best Most Popular)
This is the Martha Stewart Bone Folder and it’s a definitely one of be safest gambles on this list. It’s a well known bone folder tool brand and is known for its quality and functionality.
The Martha Stewart Bone Folder Tool is versatile and can be used for creasing, burnishing, scoring, and smoothing materials such as tissue, cardboard, leather, and paper. You will be able to make all your scoring, creasing, folding, and burnishing easy and professional looking.
You will also quickly get used to how to use the pointed tip of this tool when scoring and the wide end for smoothing and burnishing your materials.
Key Features:
- Product Dimensions: Approx. 9.02 x 2.95 x 0.43 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 1.62 Oz.
- Material: Plastic
Pros:
- It’s very solid and sturdy
- Very Easy to use
- Comfortable to hold and use at various angles
- It’s versatile
- Perfect for different varieties of crafting
- Durable
- Very smooth
- Good for people with big hands
- Makes precise scores and cuts
Cons:
- A bit pricy
If you’re interested in the Martha Stewart Bone Folder Tool, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
TipTop Carbon Tool Set (Best Origami & Quilling Bone Folder Set)
The TipTop Carbon Bone Folder Tool Set is my pick for the best tool for origami. It comes with a set of quilling tools you can also use for paper quilling and other activities like book binding, scrapbooking, heat transfer vinyl, and card making.
To be more specific, the bone folder from this tool set is made from good quality plastic material that can be used to make fine accurate creases and folds. The quilling and weeder tools this product comes with is what you would want to use to make decorative spiral designs, and place precise cuts and embellishments (respectively).
Key Features:
- Size:
- Bone folder: 7.6 inch
- Curved bone folder: 4.7 inch
- Weeding tool: 5 inch
- Quilling tool: 5 inch
- Product Weight: approx. 0.81 Oz.
- Material: Plastic and Stainless Steel
Pros:
- Good affordable price for the set
- Good quality
- Versatile
- Very safe for use
- Good for professionals, beginners, students, and kids
- Makes origami folds very easy
- A great starter kit for quilling
- Sturdy
- Bone Folders are exceptionally smooth and has fine edges
Cons:
- You don’t get to choose the color of the tools of your choice especially with quilling tools
- There’s a learning curve to using them
If you’re interested in the TipTop Carbon Tool Set, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
Books by Hand Bone Folder (Best Real Bone Folder For Book Binding)
The Books by Hand Bone Folder is a high quality organic bone folder sourced from cow. The natural bone material used for it make this tool very smooth and durable. It has a sturdy smooth feel in hand but not too heavy.
This bone folder can be used for a variety of bone folder activities like scoring, creasing, folding all kinds of materials including the very delicate and the extremely robust ones alike. It’s very comfortable to use and exceptionally hardwearing.
The tip of this tool is nicely rounded. It’s particularly great for book binding. Whether you’re making creases, folds, or scoring from soft or hard cardboard for your book bindings projects, this tool will work like magic with its durability and precision.
Key Features:
- Product Dimensions: Approx. 9.6 x 1 x 0.39 inches
- Bone Folder Weight: approx. 0.96 Oz.
- Material: Cow Bone
Pros:
- Best For book binding
- Can be used on tough materials
- Comfortable to use
- Very smooth and won’t glaze or scratch surfaces
- Made from cow bones
- Very easy to maneuver
- Super sturdy
- Very Easy to use
- Ideal size for a variety of activities
- Nice rounded tip
- Very thin
Cons:
- It may have some imperfections on it which depends on the batch of bones used
If you’re interested in the Books by Hand Bone Folder, you can check it out over here on Amazon!
How Do You Use A Bone Folder Tool?
Related Question
What Can You Use Instead of a Bone Folder?
You can use anything that has a flat hard and smooth surface as an alternative to bone folders provided it won’t mark or scratch the materials you’re folding, creasing, or scoring.
I will always recommend getting a bone folder tool but if you must know some of the best bone folder alternatives there are, then here are a list of things you can try.
- Plastic Table Knife: For creasing, folding, and scoring
- Popsicles stick: For folding
- Dull Side Butter Knife (plastic or steel): For creasing, folding, and scoring
- Exacto knife (end side not the cutting edge): For Folding
- Empty ball pen: For creasing, folding, and scoring
- Plastic Wall Scraper: For Folding
- Spoon: For Folding
- Comb (opposite side): For Folding
- Plastic citrus peeler: For creasing, folding, and scoring
- Ruler: For folding
- Scissors Handles: For Folding
- Piece of Strawboard: For Folding
- Bottle Cap: For Folding