A leather punch is a

hole punch A hole punch, also known as a hole puncher or paper puncher, is an office supplies, office tool that is used to create holes in sheets of paper, often for the purpose of collecting the sheets in a Ring binder, binder or folder (such collected sh ...

specifically for making holes in

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

. The working tip of the punch is a hollow steel cylinder with a sharp circular knife-like edge. The leather piece is placed on a hard surface, which may be a part of the tool set, and the punch is forced through it, cutting out a small circular piece which is discarded. The punch may be a simple metal tool struck with a hammer; or several such punches may be mounted on a rotary

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

on a

pliers Pliers are a hand tool used to hold objects firmly, possibly developed from tongs used to handle hot metal in Bronze Age Europe. They are also useful for bending and physically compressing a wide range of materials. Generally, pliers consi ...

-like tool with an anvil, with the desired size selected by rotating the turret. Hole diameters typically range from about 1mm to 6mm. They are typically used for making holes for

buckle A buckle or clasp is a device used for fastening two loose ends, with one end attached to it and the other held by a catch in a secure but adjustable manner. Often taken for granted, the invention of the buckle was indispensable in securing two ...

eyelets image:Eyelets For Curtain.jpg, Curtain grommets, used among others in shower curtains A grommet is a ring or edge strip inserted into a hole through thin material, typically a sheet of textile fabric, sheet metal or composite of carbon fiber, wo ...

, and

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylinder (geometry), cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the deformed e ...

s in

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

s, belts,

bridle A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit. It prov ...

s, etc.

History

Common "Turret Pliers" pictured above were first Patented in 1865, by Peter Bauer of Newark, New York, as a Spring Punch, being a means for "punching holes of different sizes into leather, paper, or any other substance or material of a similar nature, and for inserting and heading eyelets"; as described in the patent.

References

Hole making {{tool-stub

History

See also

References