Bone folders aren't actually bone anymore (most are plastic or teflon), but that shop owner knew his stuff.

That one spot will keep bugging you because the wax darkens the fabric over time, so fresh wax on a worn area never quite matches the rest. I learned this the hard way on a 257 from 2011, tried to spot fix it, and ended up with a patch that looked shiny next to 13 years of fade. Your best bet might be to rewax the whole panel or even the entire bag so it all ages together. Also worth knowing the color will even out a bit after a couple months of handling, so don't judge it on day one.

Oh nice, 25 minutes is huge for a long-haired client. The thing nobody talks about is how much less stress it puts on your wrists and shoulders since you're not fighting gravity with a brush the whole time. That alone makes the setup worth it once you've done it a few times.