Can we talk about that $60 bookbinding kit I grabbed off Etsy?

I was pumped to start bookbinding, so I dropped $60 on a starter kit from some shop on Etsy. It came with a bone folder that was basically plastic, a cheap awl that bent on my second hole, and thread that kept fraying like crazy. I wasted three evenings fighting with that stuff before I gave up and ordered individual tools from a proper supplier for maybe $50 total. The difference is night and day - the real bone folder actually creases paper flat, and the awl goes through signatures like butter. Has anyone else burned cash on those all-in-one kits and regretted it, or did I just pick a bad seller?

3 comments

3 Comments

anna_fox71mo ago

Bone folder was basically plastic" tells me everything. I got one of those kits too and the "bone folder" snapped clean in half the first time I tried to actually burnish a fold. It's wild how the individual tools end up costing less and actually work.

casey161mo ago

Ngl, I read somewhere that those kits are basically just a grab bag of the cheapest versions of tools and they almost always mess up when you actually use them. @anna_fox7 had the same exact experience I did then, my bone folder cracked on the second fold too. Honestly, buying stuff separately even if it costs a few bucks more is way better than dealing with that frustration.

the_margaret15d ago

Does this trend bug anyone else? It's like everything's designed to fail now. Bought a set of drill bits from a big box store, first one snapped on soft pine. Same with those pre-assembled spice racks - the hinges fall off after a month. We're paying for the convenience of a bundle, but the savings disappear when you have to buy real stuff twice. Just feels like we're all being trained to expect garbage and call it a deal.