Vintage Details: The Rivet

Over a century ago, jeans were strictly workwear—built for labor, not leisure. To meet heavy work demands, rivets were introduced to reinforce stress points, especially along the pockets, where tearing was most common. Early jeans featured "punched" rivets—iron fasteners driven from the inside out, anchoring the pocket seams.

These rivets were widely used until the 1960s, when modern jeans began to feature more polished versions.

Kato remains committed to this workwear heritage. Inspired by rugged denim from the 1940s, we faithfully recreate “punched” rivets made from acid-treated copper that capture the look of natural aging. When punched through the jeans, the tack of the rivet pushes through a bit of denim fabric to the surface of the rivet—subtle, imperfect, and beautifully authentic. It’s a nod to history, preserved with precision.