Brass Pipe Rivets

Brass pipe rivets – also commonly called brass hollow rivets – are hollow fasteners made from actual brass tube stock. Same product. Two names. We make the same reliable fastener regardless of what you call it.

Unlike drawn hollow rivets (which start as flat sheet and are formed through progressive drawing), they start as genuine tubing – cut to length with a head formed on one end. This gives them uniform wall thickness and a consistent inside diameter.

Brass Pipe Rivet vs. Semi‑Tubular vs. Solid – Where It Fits

Materials – C2680 Brass

We manufacture brass pipe rivets from C2680 brass:

Available Finishes

One Real Application – Camera Tripod Leg Hinge

A professional camera tripod manufacturer needed a lightweight, clean fastener for the leg hinge mechanism. The leg sections telescope and fold – any protruding fastener would scrape against the inner leg tube during extension and retraction. The previous solid rivets provided strength but added unnecessary weight and required high setting force that occasionally damaged the thin aluminum tubing. Drawn hollow rivets were too light and did not provide the substantial feel the customer wanted for a premium product.

We supplied brass pipe rivets – 4.0mm shank, 7.5mm round head, 8.0mm barrel length, plain finish. The tube stock construction provided uniform wall thickness and a clean, consistent inside diameter. The hollow design reduced overall hinge weight by 15%. The round head sat cleanly on the hinge surface without scraping the inner leg tube. The brass added a warm, premium accent that matched the tripod's aesthetic. The customer tested 500 rivets across 250 tripods. After 10,000 extension‑retraction cycles, zero loosening, zero scrapes, zero failures. They now order our pipe rivets in batches of 200,000 pieces annually.

How We Manufacture Them– Tube Cutting + Heading

Brass pipe rivets start as brass tube stock – not wire, not sheet.

1. Tube Stock Procurement – Certified C2680 brass tube from approved mills. Each batch comes with a mill test certificate and heat number.

2. Incoming Material Inspection – Tube stock checked for outside diameter (±0.02mm), wall thickness, and material composition. Tubes outside specification are rejected.

3. Tube Cutting – The tube is cut to precise blank length. Each blank becomes one rivet.

4. Heading – The cut tube blank is placed into a heading press. A carbide die forms the head (round, flat, or countersunk) on one end.

5. Trimming – Flash around the head edge is removed.

6. Tumbling – Micro‑burrs are eliminated.

7. Plating or Coating – Applied as specified.

8. Final Inspection – 100% optical sorting. AQL sample manually verified.

Sample lead time: 5–7 days standard; custom tooling: 15–20 days.

How We Make Sure Every Brass Pipe Rivet Works in Your Assembly

Before any batch of brass pipe rivets leaves our factory, we verify it on your material.

Step 1 – Material verification – Incoming tube stock is checked for outside diameter, wall thickness, and composition. Spectrometer confirms C2680 brass grade. Out‑of‑spec material does not enter production.

Step 2 – Dimensional check – The first 10 rivets from each tooling setup are measured on an optical comparator. Inner diameter, outer flange, barrel length, and wall thickness must match your drawing.

Step 3 – Setting test on your material – Every 2,000 pieces, we set 3 rivets into a sample of your actual material. We check:

• The clinch is tight and symmetrical
• The bore remains open and unobstructed
• No cracks or distortion

Step 4 – Final sorting – Every rivet passes through an optical sorting machine. Rejects are automatically ejected. A random AQL sample is manually verified.

We keep inspection records for five years. If a field issue ever occurs, we can trace the batch and pull the full file.

What Our Customers Say – Real Feedback

We let our customers speak for us. The images above show real feedback from manufacturers who have used our pipe rivets in their production lines – from tripod makers to leather goods manufacturers to electrical equipment builders.

They come back to us for the same reasons:

Uniform quality – Consistent wall thickness and inside diameter, batch after batch

Substantial feel – More heft than drawn hollow rivets, without the weight of solid rivets

Reliable delivery – Samples ship in 5–7 days, production on schedule

Three Questions We Answer Often

Q: "Are brass pipe rivets and brass hollow rivets the same thing?"

A: Yes – they are the same product. Some customers call them brass pipe rivets, others call them brass hollow rivets. Different names, same reliable fastener. We manufacture the same product under both names so you can find us regardless of which term you use. Both refer to a hollow fastener made from genuine brass tube stock, cut to length with a head formed on one end.

Q: "Can I get samples before ordering production quantities?"

A: Yes – we offer samples for all our products. For standard existing specifications, samples are provided free of charge – you only pay the shipping cost. For custom sizes or custom tooling, sample availability and lead time depend on the specific requirements. Please contact our sales team with your drawing or specification, and they will advise on sample cost and delivery timeline.

Q: "Do I need special setting tools for brass pipe rivets?"

A: They can be set with standard hollow rivet tooling in most cases. The key requirement is that the setting punch should push the barrel outward evenly – a concave anvil is recommended to support the head and prevent distortion. We can supply matched setting tools for our brass pipe rivets – punches and anvils designed specifically for your rivet dimensions. Tooling lead time is typically 5–7 days, and we can include it with your sample order so you can test the fit before production.