How to Set Rivets by Hand: Riveting Leather Without a Press

Setting rivets by hand is a basic skill for any leatherworker. You don’t need expensive machines, just a few of the right tools and a little practice. We’ll show you how to get clean, neat joints without a press, whether you work with traditional leather or modern waterproof webbing.

Preparing the holes and the tools you need

For the rivet to sit straight and the joint to look neat, you need a clean hole punched at a right angle. Depending on whether you work with leather or waterproof webbing, get the following tools ready:

Saddler’s mallet: why put the ordinary hammer away?

To punch cleanly through the material, use a heavier saddler’s mallet (nylon or wood). The extra weight gives enough momentum to punch through leather, or the fabric core of webbing, cleanly and without unnecessary effort. With a hammer that is too light, you have to strike the tool many times, which is tiring and puts needless strain on both the punch edge and the material.

The material of the mallet head (such as hard nylon) matters a lot: metal-on-metal blows deform and mushroom the ends of your punches, which drastically shortens their life. A good mallet also absorbs recoil much better. The work is quieter and more accurate, and your hand won’t hurt even after a long riveting session.

Rubber cutting board: a shield for your tools

You can’t do without a good cutting board. It goes directly under the material so that the punch tip doesn’t hit the hard table after it passes through the leather or webbing. A good board (rubber or plastic) keeps the punch from going blunt or breaking right away.

Rotary punch pliers and drive punches for leather

For leather and other softer materials, you have two options:

Rotary punch pliers: speed for occasional crafting

They are the most common choice thanks to their speed and versatility. A big advantage is that one tool gives you six different hole sizes, and you switch between them simply by turning the head. Some models also let you replace individual punch tubes: if one goes blunt from frequent use or you damage it, you don’t need new pliers; you just replace that one part.

Classic drive punches (hole punches)

With their thinner walls, you can punch through leather cleanly with minimal resistance. You get a clean hole perpendicular to the surface, which is essential for setting rivets by hand.

Punching waterproof webbing: when pliers are not enough

Waterproof webbing has a strong textile core that resists punching. We compare all the tools in the article Comparison of hole punching tools. Ordinary leather tools (including rotary punch pliers) go blunt on this fabric very quickly, and a punch tube can even crack after just a few holes.

For a clean result without frayed fibers, you need replacement punches. With these punches, you can punch through the textile core of the webbing smoothly, without deforming the material. They are versatile: you can fit them on a steel hand-held handle or use them later in a hand press.

Choosing a rivet: single cap or double cap?

Before choosing the tools for the riveting itself, you need to know what type of rivet you are holding. Although you set both types in a similar way, you need a different base for each.

Single cap rivet: the underside is flat with a visible hollow, and you can set it on any flat, hard surface.

Double cap rivet: both caps are domed and it looks finished from the grain side and the flesh side. To keep the shape of the caps, you need an anvil with a concave recess.

Tools for setting rivets by hand

Once you know whether you will work with single cap or double cap rivets, you can get the right set of tools ready. The right combination of rivet setter and base keeps the rivet from deforming when you strike it.

Hand rivet setter

• A metal tool with a concave recess at the end that matches the size of the rivet cap. You use it for both types of rivets so that the top cap stays nicely round after you strike it with the mallet.
  

Anvil vs. a solid flat base

When setting rivets by hand, the base matters as much as the blow itself. Choose the base to suit the type of rivet you are setting:

How to set double cap rivets

Here, an anvil with a concave recess is essential. If you laid the domed cap on a flat board, the blow would flatten it and spoil its look. The recess in the anvil keeps the rivet rounded on both sides.

Your rivet setter and anvil work as a pair, and their recesses must match the diameter of the rivet cap exactly. If the recess is larger than the rivet cap, the rivet won’t sit firmly in it. It will shift in the recess when you strike it, lose its alignment, and the whole joint will end up off-center. If the tool is too small, on the other hand, the edges of the recess bite into the cap and leave ugly dents around it.

How to set single cap rivets

With single cap rivets, you can do without a recess. Since the underside of the rivet is flat, it needs no special seat, and any solid, hard surface will do, such as a steel plate, granite or marble.

If you have our anvil, you can use it for both types of rivets. You set double cap rivets in the recess, and when you need to set a single cap rivet, simply turn the anvil recess-side down. That gives you a flat, hard steel surface.

Rivet size

The right size is the basis of a strong joint. When choosing a rivet, you need to know the total thickness of the materials you are joining and add the length of post needed for setting:

• For thinner materials: the post should be 2 mm longer than the total thickness of the layers you are joining.
• For thicker materials: the post should be 3 mm longer than the total thickness of the layers you are joining.

You will find a detailed overview of all rivet types, materials and sizes in our separate article:

How to choose the right hole diameter

For the rivet to do its job, the hole has to match the thickness of its post. A hole that is too large can make the joint lose its stability, while a hole that is too small puts needless strain on the material when you push the post through. When choosing a punch, keep in mind the properties of the material you are working with:

• Leather: we recommend a punch slightly smaller than the diameter of the rivet post. Leather is supple and its natural elasticity lets it adapt to the post. The rivet then sits firmly in the hole and the material wraps tightly around it.

• Waterproof webbing: here, choose a punch that matches the diameter of the post exactly. Waterproof webbing is extremely strong and, unlike leather, has no stretch at all. The rivet post has to pass through the hole freely, without you having to force it.

Rivet code	Punch for leather	Punch for waterproof webbing
20 Z	2.5 mm	3 mm
66 Z	2.5 mm	3 mm
63 Z	2.5 mm	3 mm
70 Z 8mm	2.5 mm	3 mm
79 Z	3.5 mm	4 mm
70 Z	2.5 mm	3 mm
72 Z	3.5 mm	4 mm
70 Z 13mm	2.5 mm	3 mm
75 Z	3.5 mm	4 mm
79 Z 15mm	3.5 mm	4 mm
70 Z 11mm	3.5 mm	4 mm

The table applies to steel and brass rivets. Stainless steel rivets 72 Z – SS and 75 Z – SS have a 3 mm post, so use the same punches as for 70 Z (2.5 mm for leather, 3 mm for webbing).

Different types of leather and webbing can behave differently, so we recommend that you always test the hole size on a scrap of the material first.

How to set rivets by hand (step by step)

Once your holes are ready, all that is left is to seat the rivets correctly and set them. Follow a few basic steps and the result will look great.

1. Assembling the rivet

Push the rivet post through the hole from the flesh side.

Fit the cap on from the grain side. You should hear a light click. Thanks to the snug fit, the cap stays on the post and the rivet won’t fall apart while you handle it.

2. Preparing the base

Just watch which type of rivet you are holding:

• Double cap rivet: seat the bottom cap of the rivet in the recess of the anvil so that it stays nicely round.

• Single cap rivet: place the rivet with its flat side down on any flat steel surface (or on the anvil turned upside down).

3. Positioning the rivet setter

Place the recess of the rivet setter on the top domed cap of the rivet. Above all, make sure the setter is completely perpendicular to the base. If you held it at an angle, the rivet post could bend to the side or shift off its axis, and the whole cap would sit crooked on the material.

4. Striking with the mallet

Hold the rivet setter firmly and set the rivet with a medium-strength, straight blow of the mallet. The rivet post must spread evenly inside the cap and grip both layers of material tightly.

5. Checking the result

Before you put the piece aside, check the result from the side. Both rivet caps must be on the same axis (directly opposite each other). If the rivet is deformed, or the caps are shifted or crooked, the post was probably too long, or the rivet setter was not perpendicular to the base when you struck it.

When to swap the mallet for a rivet press

Setting rivets by hand is a great way to get started in the craft, or to rivet in places that are hard to reach. It has a charm of its own. But if you find yourself riveting hundreds of pieces a week and your hand is starting to protest, it may be time to look at a rivet press.

A press costs a bit more, but in return every rivet comes out clean and identical to the last one, without much effort.

Want to know how working with a press differs and what it gives you? Read our next article:

Whether you keep setting rivets by hand or move to a press, what matters most is enjoying the craft. The main thing is that the caps sit straight and the joint holds.