How to use punch pliers
Updated: October 2026
You have the pliers in your hand, a belt on the table, and one chance not to put a hole 3 mm off the centre line. How to use punch pliers is one aligned squeeze with a tube that has clicked into size, then storing the points away from fingers. The [punch pliers comparison](/hub/pliers/punch-pliers) is the catalogue. This page is the procedure for a revolving head or a single-hole strap punch. There is no ranking here. Inspect the tube, click the turret, pad if the listing asks, then squeeze once. If the hole sits far from an edge, stop before you twist the handles. That job belongs to a drive punch.
You have the pliers in your hand, a belt on the table, and one chance not to put a hole 3 mm off the centre line.
You have the pliers in your hand, a belt on the table, and one chance not to put a hole 3 mm off the centre line. How to use punch pliers is one aligned squeeze with a tube that has clicked into size, then storing the points away from fingers. The punch pliers comparison is the catalogue. This page is the procedure for a revolving head or a single-hole strap punch. There is no ranking here. Inspect the tube, click the turret, pad if the listing asks, then squeeze once. If the hole sits far from an edge, stop before you twist the handles. That job belongs to a drive punch.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | How it closes | Anvil | Where the slug goes | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Diyife Diyife belt hole puncher, 6 sizes, blue | Lock not stated | Two spare plates | On the pad | 8.8 | about £7.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  TOWOT TOWOT belt hole puncher kit, 6-hole rotary | Storage buckle | Spare plate and sharpener | On the pad | 8.4 | about £7.62 | View offer |
 Draper Draper Expert revolving punch plier 63637 | Jaw catch | No spare plate | Waste cavity | 9.3 | about £14.23 | View offer |
Before the first squeeze
Inspect the cutting tube before you mark anything. On a revolving head, rotate until the size you want sits square to the pad and has clicked or locked. A half-index leaves an oval smear instead of a hole. Lyon Leathers’ notes on Selzer-style heads say to turn the turret with the marked direction, not against the sprocket. On the single-hole strrng punch, look for the prong. One United Kingdom review said the tool arrived without one.
Mark the spot with an awl or a pencil once you know the size. How far along the belt is on punch pliers for belt holes. Diyife tells you to put carton-type paper under the belt. Practise on an old strap first. Open the jaws fully. At work, PUWER 1998 still treats this as work equipment. On the Draper Expert 63637, UK reviewers describe a catch that makes the jaws look narrow until you flick it. On TOWOT and XOOL, undo the storage buckle before you squeeze.
The squeeze
Set the leather so the mark sits over the pad, not hanging off the anvil. Close the handles in one firm motion. British Leather Supplies’ beginner guide is a steady squeeze with no twisting. Rocking a dull tube until the hole looks round is how you tear the grain.
Hold for a moment at the bottom of the stroke, then open. Draper’s listing describes a small waste cavity that holds punched leather until you tip it out. A second overlapping punch will keyhole the first.
If the wheel feels stiff, do not force the turret with another tool. United Kingdom XOOL reviews called the selector stiff and the storage hook confusing once opened. Turn it with the handles open so the tubes clear the pad.
If it will not cut
A tube that only dimples the grain is dull, off-centre, or on stock the throat cannot shear. The tube must meet the pad, not the edge of the plate. Swap the pad if the kit includes a spare and the old one is cratered. Diyife and TOWOT list spare plates. Draper and BGS do not. This page does not treat foil tricks as a tested method.
Several United Kingdom TOWOT reviews added belt holes easily. One said the cut was incomplete on a thick belt. One United Kingdom WORKPRO review said an oval in 3 mm leather failed and a handle came off. If you are leaning on the handles, stop. That decision is on punch pliers vs a drive punch. Do not hammer the handles. Card and paper are listed on BGS 75835. One of two United Kingdom reviews said it did not cut either and asked for a refund.
Storage and spare plates
Put the tubes away pointing at the pad, not at a pocket. TOWOT and XOOL list a storage buckle. Draper has a jaw catch in United Kingdom reviews. WORKPRO reviewers describe a latch, and a size lock some found stiff. Close it before the tool goes in a drawer.
Rotate or replace the anvil when the surface is pitted. A cratered pad leaves a ragged exit. The screwdriver in Diyife and TOWOT kits is for that plate, not for the turret screws unless the listing says so. Wipe damp slugs out of any cavity. If you bought the strrng 2 mm punch, check the prong is still there after a drop.
Common questions
How do I select the size?
Rotate the revolving head until the tube you want sits square to the pad and has clicked into place. Compare it with an existing hole before you mark the good belt. On a single-hole punch there is no turret. The size is the tube you bought, 2 mm on the strrng listing.
Should I put card under the belt?
Yes when the listing or the leather is thin. Diyife asks for carton-type paper under the belt. British Leather Supplies gives the same advice for thin stock. Thick veg-tan on a pad that is already cratered still needs a flat anvil more than it needs extra card.
Why is the wheel stiff?
United Kingdom reviews of XOOL in particular called the selector stiff. Open the handles so the tubes clear the pad, then turn the turret the way the head is meant to rotate. Do not lever it with another tool. A storage hook that is still clipped shut will also make the head feel locked.
What if it does not cut through?
Check that the tube has clicked onto the pad, swap a cratered plate, and stop if you are forcing thick leather. Incomplete cuts on thick belts show up in United Kingdom TOWOT notes. That is a drive-punch job, not a second twist of the handles.
How do I empty the slug?
Open the jaws and tip or pick the disc out. Draper’s waste cavity holds slugs until you empty it. Other kits leave the disc on the pad. Do not blow into the tube with the handles towards your face, and do not leave damp leather sitting in the cavity overnight.
How should I store the pliers?
Lock the handles with the buckle, catch or latch the listing describes, tubes towards the pad. Keep them out of a jumble of screwdrivers where the points can catch. Wipe damp leather out of any cavity so the tubes are not stored wet.
When should I stop and use a drive punch?
When the hole is beyond the throat, the leather only crushes, or an oval cutter will not feed along the strap. One clean miss is enough. Do not keep rocking the pliers to enlarge a hole. That tears the grain instead of shearing a slug.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.
- amazon.co.uk listings in this category, 19 October 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Knipex 90 70 220 revolving punch pliers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Draper 63637 revolving punch plier (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: Placing UKCA or CE marked products on the market in Great Britain (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: INDG291, providing and using work equipment safely (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- British Leather Supplies: a beginner’s guide to punching holes in leather (retrieved 19 October 2026)