Leather Fasteners

This is an introduction to the various leather fasteners available, the applications they are suited for and the tools you will need to set them.

Rivets

Rivets are important hardware for leather craft.  There are several aspects to consider when deciding what rivet to buy.  These include the following:

1. Purpose -  Rivets can be used to rivet two pieces of leather together (strap to a bag, rivets to hold belt buckle etc) or for decorative purposes or for protecting leather surface such as when you ufse for purse bottoms.  If the only purpose is to join two pieces of leather together, then you can choose Rapid Rivets or Double Cap Rivets.  If you are interested in decorating your project,  you can choose among Diamond Rivets, Pyramid Rivets, Domed Rivets, synthetic Stone Rivets or Synthetic Crystal Rivets

• Single Side Finished Look Vs Double side - Rivets can have different looks on the two sides of the project.  If it is not important to have a finished look on side of the project, then you can choose to use rapid rivets.  But if you want a finished look on both sides of the project then choose double cap rivets
• Strength - for light loads, use a steel rivet.  However for heaver loads, you should choose either solid brass or Copper Rivets
• Flexibility - If you do not want to attach two pieces of leather permanently and want to have the flexibility to open and reattach pieces, you can choose any type of screws - Chicago Screws, Domed Screws or decorative screws

The following table summarizes the above (Green = appropriate to use)

	Join two pieces of leather	Finished look on both sides of project	Rustproof	Durability	Flexibility (open and re-attach pieces)	Decorative	Heavy Duty
Rapid Rivets
Double Cap Rivets
Solid Brass Double Cap Rivets
Tubular Rivets
Copper Rivets and Burrs
Chicago Screws
Engraved Domed Screw Posts
Decorative Screw Posts
Domed Rivets
Diamond Rivets
Pyramid Rivets
Synthetic Crystal Rivets
Synthetic Stone Rivets

2. Appearance - Rivets can be of different finishes and can have different designs on the surface.  We carry fasteners of various finishes in our store - Brass, Nickel, Antique Brass, Antique Nickel and Black.  In addition, we have rivets with plain surface (no design on surface), flower and star designs.  In the screw category, we have plain, engraved and decorative screws.  The following table show the different finishes and designs we have for each of the fasteners:

	Nickel plated	Brass Plated	Antique Nickel Plated	Antique Brass Plated	Black
Flower	Double Cap Rivets Engraved Domed Screws Decorative Screw Posts
Star	Double Cap Rivets
Plain	Rapid Rivets Double Cap Rivets Solid Brass Double Cap Rivet Tubular Rivets Chicago Screws Domed Rivets Diamond Rivets Pyramid Rivets	Rapid Rivets Double Cap Rivets Solid Brass Double Cap Rivets Chicago Screws	Rapid Rivets	Rapid Rivets	Double Cap Rivets Chicago Screws

How to choose rivets size for leathercraft

Rapid Rivets work best when the post sticks out of the pieces to be riveted by less than 1/8".  If the post sticks out more than that, then it tends to bend when you set it and will not hold securely.  Always use a piece of steel or thick marble underneath your rivets when setting them.  Wood is soft enough that the back of the rivet will actually indent into it and not set properly.

Small	Medium	Large
Base =1/4" (6.25 mm) Post =1/4" (6.25 mm) Cap =1/4" (6.25 mm)	Base =5/16" (7.8 mm) Post =5/16" (7.8 mm) Cap =5/16" (7.8 mm)	Base =5/16" (7.8 mm) Post =1/2" (12.5 mm) Cap =5/16" (7.8 mm)
Rapid Rivets Double Cap Rivets Star Double Cap Rivets Flower Double Cap Rivets Solid Brass Double Cap Rivets	Rapid Rivets Double Cap Rivets Star Double Cap Rivets Flower Double Cap Rivets Solid Brass Double Cap Rivets	Rapid Rivets Double Cap Rivets Star Double Cap Rivets Flower Double Cap Rivets Solid Brass Double Cap Rivets

Snaps

Snaps provide another way of attaching two pieces of leather.  You can choose between the regular snaps, Jiffy (used in coin purse) or Bar Snaps (used in wallets).  The applications, finishes and surface designs of the snaps in our store are summarized below:

 

	Purpose	Available Finishes	Surface Designs
Line 24 Snaps	8-10 Oz Leather	Brass Nickel Black	Plain Eagle Star
Line 20 Snaps	5-7 Oz Leather	Brass Nickel Black	Plain
Glove Snaps	6-7 Oz Leather or lighter	Nickel Black	Plain
Segma Type Snaps	Lightweight and heavyweight leather	Brass Nickel Black	Plain
Jiffy Snaps	Coin Purse Snap	Brass	Plain
Bar Snaps	Wallet Snap	Brass	Plain

Spots and Spikes

Another way to decorate your project is to use spots and spikes.  If you are interested in decorating your project,  you can choose any one of Dog Collar Spikes, Round Spots, Pyramid Spots, Diamond Spots, Austin Spots

	Available Finishes
Round Spots	Brass Nickel Antique Brass Antique Nickel
Austin Spots	Nickel
Pyramid Spots	Nickel
Diamond Spots	Nickel
Dog Collar Spikes	Nickel

Synthetic Rivets

Synthetic rivets are another way to decorate your project.  Just as spots and Spikes, the synthetic rivets are used only for decorating and not attaching pieces together.

Synthetic Crystal Rivets in our Store Light Pink Light Blue Clear Light Purple Light Green Red Amber Visit my eBay Store:eZyrex Online

Synthetic Stone Rivets in our Store Turquoise Coral Abalone Visit my eBay Store:eZyrex Online

Setting the Fasteners

To set the fasteners, you will first need to punch a hole in the leather.  Then, you will need to set the fastener using the appropriate setters.  We carry two types of setters.  If you are planning to set only a few fasteners, you can buy our cheaper setters.  However, if you plan to set hundreds of fasteners, you may want to consider buying our hand press with the appropriate dies.  Below table shows the recommended accessories you need to use the various fasteners.  The screw fasteners do not need any special setting tool and can be set by regular screw drivers.

 

Fastener	Accessories for Low Volume Uses	Accessories for High Volume Uses
Rapid Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Double Cap Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Tubular Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter (peening tool), mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Copper Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Chicago Screws	Mini Punch Set	Mini Punch Set
Domed Screw Posts	Mini Punch Set	Mini Punch Set
Round Spots	Single Pronged Chisel, Setter, mallet	Single Pronged Chisel, Hand Press, Dies
Austin Spots	Single Pronged Chisel
Pyramid Spots	Single Pronged Chisel
Diamond Spots	Single Pronged Chisel
Domed Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Diamond Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Pyramid Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Dog Collar Spikes	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Synthetic Rivets	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Line 24 Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Line 20 Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Glove Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Segma Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet	Mini Punch Set, Hand Press, Dies
Jiffy Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet
Bar Snaps	Mini Punch Set, Setter, mallet

If you still have questions please contact us by using contact member feature.