This article originally came from a question someone asked on my blog, about this image:
The picture at the top of the “stitching leather” post you just made shows what looks like a slit in the leather and a strap pulled through it. Is there anything special you have to do to cut a slit like that? Do you have to worry about it tearing (like, widening the slit, if you see what I mean), afterwards, or is the leather too tough for that to be a problem?
Yep, there is a tool for that! It’s called an oblong punch, or a slot punch, and they are very handy. Oblong punches come in a variety of lengths and they’re one of the more expensive leatherworking tools. The good ones will run you $30~$60 a pop, and look like this:
While the cheap ones run closer to ten bucks, and look like this:
The oblong punch has multiple uses. As shown in the Fili bracer, it can be a clean, professional way of attaching straps so that the end is not visible from the top side — it’s also stronger, because it changes the direction that the stress is applied to the attachment point. (Usually the strap would be affixed with a rivet, but in the Fili bracers I worked it into the stitching instead). Veg-tan leather heavier than 4-5 oz is unlikely to tear (unless it starts getting old and brittle), and the rounded edges of the slot punch help distribute the stress.
Here’s a picture of the Fili bracer laid out flat to make the slots easier to see:
Some more examples of using the oblong punch to attach straps:
It’s also used for buckles, punching the slot that the buckle tongue is threaded through:
And also for the tails on locking buckles, because they require slots rather than round holes (this is what I originally bought the 3/8″ slot punch for):
Good news though, if you can’t afford to spring for a slot punch, you can easily substitute with a hole punch and a utility knife:
So that is the slot punch, THE END! 😊