Anvil for Staking and Riveting Rectangle with 36 Holes

I am not sure if this tool came to me used or if it is new, but it had many scratches and a couple of nicks that left sharp edges. I had to sand and polish it before using it.That being said, it is solid and convenient for creating rivets or headpins. However, there are no labels on the holes to indicate what size wire fits them and many of the holes are the same size. However, this is a less expensive tool that has snug holes for the sizes of wire I use most often. The smallest hole accommodates 26 gauge snuggly...the largest hole is well above 12 gauge. Probably a good idea to mark the holes to be used regularly.I would recommend this tool with those caveats.

I really like it. And the material is really good!

I have used it on more than one occasion with splendid results.

I've some bit of riveting, always "freehand," various techniques: balling the ends of the wire, widening the top of the hole so I could make flush rivets, a few other things. But, I always want to step my game up. So, I ordered this and  another  just to see how they work.(Yeah, I'm largely self-taught. That means my instructor was incompetent.)I'm glad I did - they're different tools This one has three dozen holes, up to about 2.5-3.2mm on one side, small-3mm on the other. ('Small' means below what my tools can meansure.) Yes, the entry and exit sides are different, at the smaller gauges. That doesn't translate directly into AWG, but I can just barely get a 34AWG wire into the smallest hole.I've tried this just a bit, can't claim any real competence, but it's fun. With just a little effort (and annealed wire), I can get a fairish mushroom-head in the 18ga to 14ga range - I haven't tried anything outside that range yet, and have trouble imagining how I'd use a 34ga rivet in decorative metal.The smaller diameters have wider openings on one side than the other. I had hoped that mean I could make rivets with heads that tapered toward the shank - like you'd need for flush rivets. No such luck. I can't see the inside profile, but I suspect it's a gradual taper, allowing easy entry on one side and close fit on the other. I can work with that. And I can get another (it didn't cost that much), and grind it out to the shape I want.So, I'm happy. It gives me plenty to try and plenty to learn, and an opportunity for tool-making (or at least tool-tweaking). The  other  complements this, and I review that separately.-- wiredweird-- wiredweird