Draper Expert 63637 2-4.5 mm Revolving Punch Pliers

I will keep this as short and to the point as possible, since there is just _one_ function that this kind of tool should perform, i.e. punching holes through leather...

Well, I have seen several cheap revolving punch pliers like this, and usually they are very flimsy and not sharp at all, and you need to apply _a lot_ of pressure to obtain any result, but this is sharp as a knife!

I tried punching a series of holes of all sizes through a _double_ layer of very tough leather (a shoulder strap from an old purse), and the tool cut right through it as if it was butter, in an instant, and with almost NO pressure at all. Then I tried a large, thick, rough leather belt, and again I punched it almost effortlessly. I barely felt the puncher pass through the thick leather!

I was actually amazed at how sharp the various punchers are, since at first they might look quite ordinary.

Moreover, the workmanship of this tool is very high: the handles are very comfortable and look extremely durable (it is impossible to lose the grip); the safety lock is easy and works flawlessly; the rotating head (which clicks safely and precisely in position, but rotates in one direction only) is _extremey_ sturdy, with a really strong mechanism, and it even has a small compartment which receives the cut small leather pieces, that you can empty later by opening the central, tough plastic cap (a little hard to open, but this way you will not lose it...).

In other words, every detail of this tool screams "quality", and I think this justifies the higher price (never try to be cheap on tools like this, otherwise you might end up buying a lot of them in a very short time...)

RECOMMENDED!

Very well built, a good quality item for the money. Only used it for leather belts so far, but looks very substantial. Should last for some years

I had intended buying something cheaper, but the reviews for the cheaper ones were average at best and suggested I'd end up buying something better, so I decided to get it right first time. This is a nice, solid piece of kit, heavy enough to make you feel you've got something substantial that will do the job.

I'm pleased to say it did what it was supposed to do perfectly. I marked out my leather belt, placed it between the jaws of the punch, gave a quick squeeze and there was the hole. No hassle, no sweating and straining, just a job simply done. Unless you're a risk taker and are desperate to save a few pounds, I'd just get this and get it over and done with.

these pliers were designed to do one thing only and they do it pretty well.
I would be interested to understand why the upper grip in the natural way of holding the pliers has a square profile and the lower one is round. i would have thought rounded profiles like garden secateurs would be more comfortable.

The rotating punches, which others have had problems understanding, are quite stiff to turn the right way but then you wouldn't want them flopping about and moving when giving them some grunt. that said because they have to be anvil type cutters, the cutters themselves are not always absolutely square to the anvil so some extra grunt is called for to cut cleanly through thin material.

Whilst i am sure the small reservoir for holding the cuttings which is found under the circular orange disc you see in the picture works perfectly well if a blockage should occur then it is not beyond the wit of man to push a wee skewer up the nozzle of the punch to free it.

lastly you have got to wonder why am i spending time giving feedback on such a reasonably priced, completely functional, does what it says on the can piece of kit. well its a pretty dull Sunday afternoon!

The situation was that I'd found a nice new leather belt that I liked the look of. The problem was that it stupidly only included a few holes. This left me with having to make some more holes myself. I could have got a screwdriver out and attempted a botch job, but that would end up ruining my brand-new belt.

The solution was to look for a nice, easy to use tool that could do this perfectly for me. This Draper tool is THAT tool.

It's made from really strong and durable metal, which is painted with a nice black finish. It's also very easy to grip as it has rubberised handles.

To use it, you first simply flip the little silver catch to unlock it. You then rotate the punching prongs (clockwise if you're left-handed, anti-clockwise if you're right-handed) until you have the prong with the desired diameter of the hole that you want at the bottom above the brass plate (where you'll place your item). Once you've done that, you place your item between the brass plate and the prong, then squeeze the handles together, punching a hole through whatever it is you're hole-punching. Done.

You can then carry on for however many holes you want. The cut-out holes will go along the prong you're using, and end up inside the middle of the wheel (waste collection compartment). I've noticed that the cut-outs sometimes get stuck in the prongs, but as you cut more holes, these move up, but if you're bothered, you can use a bent-out paperclip to unblock them.

The waste collection compartment simply opens by pulling the orange panel (with the measurements on it) off. You can then replace this panel again.

Once you're done, simply flip the catch again, and it's locked and ready to put away until next time....

I'm very pleased with this tool as it gives very good results. Using it is absolutely effortless, as the prongs are sharp and just cut straight through with ease. The wheel is also very stiff, and only moves with force, which is good as you don't want it moving during the hole-punching.

So far I've used it on paper, cardboard, and leather. I'll probably try it on other materials later on. Read more ›