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I blew $85 on a Japanese screw punch and my $12 awl from a hardware store in Toledo does the same job
Bought the screw punch after seeing it praised in three separate binding videos, thinking it would finally make clean holes through signatures without tearing. It dulled after maybe 60 sheets of 80lb text paper and a replacement tip runs $22. My cheap scratch awl from a Toledo hardware store still punches through six sheets at a time with no issues, and I just sharpen it on a whetstone. Anyone got a punch that actually holds an edge past one book, or should I stop looking?
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jordang3216d ago
The screw punch is made to cut through leather and card stock, not paper. Paper fibers are abrasive and they eat a soft steel edge fast, which is why yours died at 60 sheets. An awl works better here because you are pushing fibers apart instead of slicing them, so edge wear is way slower. If you want a punch that lasts on paper you need something like a hollow steel punch or a drill bit style tool, not the screw type.
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