Any idea on what these are for?

[Rorschach]

Bought these at the car boot. Seller wasn't sure what they are and neither am I now. At first I thought they were doming punches but on closer inspection they are not polished or hardened. There is a wide range of sizes but they also come with a hollow mating part which has quite a sharp edge but rather roughly formed inside and again not hardened.

I think they will still work as doming punches after I clean them up (they are covered in a horrible oil that I think is organic based as it smells completely rancid and disgusting, still it seems to have kept the rust off)

 

[screwpainting]

For fixing brass eyelets in fabric perhaps?

 

[Rorschach]

For fixing brass eyelets in fabric perhaps?

I don't think they would work for that, the edges are too sharp on the hollow part. Also there is a huge range of sizes (the pic is just an example. Biggest is probably 12mm or more, smallest maybe only 2mm.

 

[woodbrains]

Hello

Jewellery makers dies.

Mike.

 

[Rorschach]

Hello

Jewellery makers dies.

Mike.

If you are referring to dapping punches then these are not for that.

 

[AndyT]

I have never used doming punches so I don't know whether they are always hardened, but I found these pictures in a 1932 catalogue of engineering supplies, from E Gray & Son Ltd, Clerkenwell Rd, London. It says that doming punches were also available in boxwood - which maybe suggests that hardness was not always essential?

It shows "cutting punches" alongside doming punches, which look pretty similar to the things you have. Presumably a disc of soft metal could have been cut with one of these, then shaped with a doming punch. So they would maybe be used alongside the doming punches, but in a separate step.

 

[Rorschach]

Ahh now that illustration looks right!

I still think they are poorly designed since I am sure the metal would get jammed in there but that does seem to be the right item. Thanks for your help!

 

[screwpainting]

You got off lightly there, it should have taken weeks to identify such a weird tool.

I think there could be a TV program in this lark...

Spot and identify the tool...

Oh, hang on...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjdoVtL248M