The aim of the research in the paper was to determine the influence of the shape of the working part of the punch on the character of changes in the cutting force and their maximum values. Different shapes of punches were used: flat, concave, flat-concave and spherical. For the flat punch, additional investigations were performed with different clearance values. The tests were carried out for sheets of different materials (aluminium, copper, brass and five types of low-carbon and alloy steel) for which the properties were determined in a static tensile test. The research used an industrial blanking tool with the possibility of replacing punches mounted on a hydraulic press with a maximum load of 1MN equipped with sensors for measuring forces and displacements (first metrological class of measurement). The results were recorded using specialist Test&Motion software from Labortech company. The relative thickness of the obtained blanks was the same and amounted to g0/D x100=2.5 (where D is the diameter of the blank and g0 its thickness). Based on the obtained results, it was shown that the shape of the working part of the punch affects not only the value of the maximum cutting force, but also the character of their changes as a function of displacement. The analysis of the results presented in the paper may be helpful in developing technological processes of deep drawing or flanging in production conditions at the stage of preparing the starting material.