How to flatten jean rivets?

[blownauratone]

I've got a couple of pairs of Gilded Age jeans that I love, but they have giant crazy exposed rivets- serious spires of homicidal copper that stick out a good 3-4mm+. They catch my hands as they go in the pockets, and threaten to scratch all hard surfaces they touch. Not a big deal, but for whatever reason, it irks me.

Now, I'd imagine I can just use something solid as an anvil (to rest the rivet's back on) and give a good whack with a hammer to flatten, but I'm not aware of the way these sorts of rivets are constructed. If the center spike is made of solid metal, it may just mushroom nicely- if it's hollow, it'll probably split and get even sharper. Either way, I risk cracking the surrounding piece, and then it's all for naught.

Has anyone done this? How'd it turn out?

 

[Nouveau Pauvre]

Just use a metal file?

 

[mikecch]

I routinely hammer in the rivets on my jeans, you just need a suitable surface and a slightly smaller hammer.

See here for the results on my gen. 1 Roy's:
http://indigoshrimp.wordpress.com/20...ing-of-rivets/

 

[zissou]

ball peen hammer Start by tapping gently, and you can angle it to get a bit of a mushroom. Or, you can get a rivet setter, which has a slightly convex end.

 

[blownauratone]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Simontuntelder]

A rivet setter won't do you much good.

You need a steady/hard surface and a hammer.

 

[Ludeykrus]

Naw, that just won't do...

 

[cb_32]

make sure when youre hammering them down you don't have the rivets making any contact with the denim otherwise you will get some holes.

use a piece of wood on the other side.

 

[Suicmez]

Buy KMWs...they hammer them for you

 

[blklblk]

Originally Posted by Suicmez

Buy KMWs...they hammer them for you

There are some Edwins like that as well..

 

[cb_32]

Originally Posted by Suicmez

Buy KMWs...they hammer them for you

DIY is cooler