Starrett 18-Piece Punch Set Review (2026): The Punch Set

Why you should trust this review

I have drilled a lot of holes in metal, and almost every one that went wrong started with a poor or missing punch mark. Starrett is a name machinists have trusted for over a century for measuring and marking tools, so I bought this set at retail to see whether the reputation holds at the hand-tool level. It does. Starrett did not provide it; the notes below come from real layout and drilling work.

How we evaluated

I judged the set on the things that matter for accurate metalwork: how sharp and precisely ground the points are, how cleanly they mark without skating, how well they hold their point after repeated strikes on steel, and how comfortable and controllable they are in the hand. I used them to lay out hole patterns on mild steel and stainless and then drilled to see how well the bit started.

Marking accuracy

This is where good punches earn their place. The points are ground to a consistent, sharp angle, so a single tap leaves a clean conical divot exactly where you placed the tip rather than a smeared or doubled mark. That precise divot is what locates the drill bit and stops it wandering across the surface, which is the difference between a hole on your line and a hole 2mm off ruining the part. On a marked centre the bit started dead true every time.

Hardness and durability

Cheap punches go dull or mushroom at the struck end after a little use, and a dull punch skates instead of biting. These are properly hardened: the points kept their edge after repeated strikes on steel, and the striking ends showed no significant mushrooming. A set like this should last years of regular use, which is exactly what you want from a layout tool you rely on for accuracy.

Feel, control and the set

The punches are knurled for grip and sized so you can hold them steady and square while you strike, which matters more than people expect; a punch held at an angle makes an off-centre mark. Having a range of sizes in the set means you can choose a fine point for delicate layout or a heavier punch for a deeper start on thick stock. The honest limitation is simply that these are manual punches: for high-volume repetitive marking an automatic spring punch is faster, though it trades away some of the placement precision these give you.

Who should buy the Starrett punch set?

Buy it if you drill or lay out metal with any regularity and you care about holes ending up where you intended, whether you are a machinist, fabricator, gunsmith or serious home metalworker. The accuracy and durability are worth the premium over bargain punches. Skip it only if your marking is occasional and rough, where a cheaper punch will do, or if you need automatic one-handed punching for production speed.

The verdict

Starrett’s center punch set does one job and does it to a standard you can rely on: accurate, repeatable marks that keep your drill bits on line. Well-ground, properly hardened and comfortable to use, it is the kind of quiet quality tool that prevents mistakes for years. For anyone who values precision in metalwork, it is an easy recommendation.