Sharpening leather hole punches.

[Andy in Germany]

I've recently bought a set of hole punches for model making and other purposes. They're intended for leather and on arrival turned out to be rather blunt.

I'm used to sharpening chisels and similar but does anyone have any suggestions how to sharpen these? I've access to a grinding wheel but I don't tend to use it because it removes so much material: should I make an exception in this case?

Current plan is to take the chisels into work tomorrow, grind them to a better rough edge, then work up through fine sandpaper to leather. Does anyone have another suggestion?

 

[sheddy]

Can we see a photo ?

 

[Andy in Germany]

Here's a selection; 2.5mm, 7mm and 10mm; there's nine in total...

 

[T4tomo]

Can you spin them in a hand drill against a sharpening block?

 

[numbnuts]

View: https://youtu.be/6UecysWInx8

 

[Randomnerd]

Leather workers would make a leather cone, with jewellers rouge inside, each of the correct diameter. Spin the punch in this to hone. Leave plenty of time with a new tool.
spinning at high revs could heat and lose temper.
Be patient with cloth backed wet and dry in a cone. Sharpie on the edge to be honed.
if they’re budget steel, they may be made to be a hard edge and might not take a fine hone initially. Be patient.