Bamboo joint strokes are regularly found on the handful of extant calligraphic works of the Jin and Tang dynasties, and are considered one of the distinguishing features of these works. These special strokes have been the subject of considerable scholarship. Most research attributes them to creases in the paper and regards them as little more than registration marks for positioning characters. However, this ”positioning” hypothesis fails to explain many examples of these strokes in Jin and Tang calligraphy. It is therefore necessary to reconsider the causes of these folding marks in the context of writing method and writing environment. Before the Northern Song dynasty, the most common way to write calligraphy was by holding the paper in the hand rather than laying it flat on a desk or table. In order to create a steady surface for writing, the paper was often folded to strengthen its structure. The likelihood that many extant pieces were drafts rather than final works further explains the presence of unintentional bamboo joint strokes. In sum, considering creases in the context of actual Jin and Tang writing practice offers deeper insight into the early history of Chinese calligraphy by explaining the mysterious phenomena of the bamboo joint stroke.