General Tools 1280M Hollow Steel Punch, 1/2 in

These are not precision tools. I ordered 10mm, when it arrived was stamped 3/8 and 10.0. Actual measurement was somewhere between the two, 9.87 to 9.97 mm diameter. It was sharp enough for cutting #4 plastic, corrugated cardboard and cereal box cardboard. I feel confident it would cut leather and most rubber gasket materials with one good rap.I am using it with a small hammer and a nylon cutting board, it cuts with one good rap.It has not chipped.It has already deformed on the top/hammer side. I do not think this is hardened tool steel.I am storing it in the finger of an old work glove with a couple drops of oil.I am using this to make 410 bore shotshell overshot cards.

I bought this to punch holes in plastic lids for standard and wide-mouth canning jars. It makes the correct size holes to fit silicone gaskets for inserting 3-piece air valves for fermentation projects, like kombucha tea and raw sour kraut. It is much less expensive to buy lids, gaskets and valves to assemble, then buying pre-made fermentation-lid kits. I did not want to buy an electric drill and special bit. This tool will bite through the sturdy, plastic canning-jar lids with 1 or a few hard hammer hit(s). I am a bit concerned the tool's sharp edge may become dull after not too many holes are made. I will update on how many uses it achieves, if it becomes dull. I'm usung it on sturdy, plastic lids, abouut 1/16" thick, like a large jar of peanut butter.

Dull and will not hold an edge. The first one arrived with a nick in the edge, I should have tested that one but I just sent it back for a replacement. Replacement arrive without a nick. After using it ten times on a folded (political flyer) cardstock over a pine block it would take 5-7 whacks with a mallet and it still wouldn't cut the last one clean. I did have a go at re-sharpening it with a Dremel and it did work better for a while. Still couldn't hold an edge very long. I do not think this metal has been tempered in anyway. I would try for another brand unless not going to use this too much.

This is very sharp, cuts right thru 4 layers of nylon webbing. Clean cuts and they can be removed using the handy side hole. Heavy duty piece, I am confident it will last, and can be sharpened.If you like my review please indicate it was helpful.

With one firm rap from a sturdy composite tip hammer, a hollow punch should go through soft, thin leather into soft wood backing rather easily. Not this punch. The end was ground but not properly sharpened and honed. I had to use a craft knife with a long thin tip blade to finish cutting out the holes this punch didn't make. The end result was a lot more work trying to salvage the appearance of the holes. I've worked on the punch's tip, sharpening and honing it, and it now cuts out clean holes.

Like any tool review, it depends on the buyer/reviewer.I worked as a Mechanic for over 40 years, that being said, if you need a tool like this-THEN THIS IS YOUR TOOL!! If you find this tool not to be what you thought it was, then YOU have NO KNOWLEDGE of what YOU are doing.A GOOD tool is a tool that works for you when you know what you are doing!!!!!

Metal is soft, not hardened steel at all. Used to punch a hole in Sunbrella cloth and the punch cutting edge rolled over and bent the first time I tried to use it. Don't buy. Bought a set from Harbor Freight that work much better.

Great solid 3/16 inch hole punch, which unfortunately had almost no info about dimensions of the body/shaft in product description, and was too thick for our needs. I have included a photo of the punch on a grid for size info. Dimensions: Length 4 in; body width ~3/8 in.; hole size 3/16 in. Made of forged (not stainless or carbon) steel, so it may be a softer steel and need sharpening more often when it loses its edge. But very sturdy build as a result. Not useful for our purposes, so we are returning it.

This punch is working well so far making wads for reloading purposes.. A fast way to use this punch is to clamp it in a Vice with cloth or thin wood so you dount marr it , stand the puch up vertically , lay the material to be punched on top of the cutting edge and hit firmly with a rubber or wood mallet..Place some kindof materialor tape around the cutout if you are making alot of your items,that way they won't fall out.For the price I think it is a good buy.

I got one to punch some holes in the leather ends of a guitar strap so I could fit some strap locks without the traditional massive warping associated with the oversized diameter of the lock relative to the hole in the end of the strap. Two whacks later and the locks fit nicely - a first.

I used it to stamp out smaller washers from bigger washers for my motorcycle windscreen. It worked great on nylon plastic.

Giving them a single star for reselling a lightly used item that was advertised as new.

It appears to be of Mild Steel. Not worth the trouble returning..................