surfaces 29a and 30a are inclined in a rearwardly receding manner the embossing forces have components that are oriented toward each other and are inclined toward the window opening 6 such component forces tend to push the plastically deformed material toward the window opening whereby an enlargement of the window opening 6 and an inherent irregular deformation of webs 9 10 are avoided such a material displacement into the window opening in the direction of the window opening 6 is visible in fig5 as a pinch formation in the front face 33 which is composed of two partial surfaces convexly curved from the edge inwardly and meeting approximately in the longitudinal symmetry plane for shank 1 upon completion of the embossing operation the latch needle blank is stamped from the strip steel and is advanced for further processing during the course of which the plastic filler material 8 is inserted into the window openings 6 since the regions 20 of reduced wall thickness do not extend past the elliptical arcs 28 at the ends of the window openings 6 the plastic material is not connected in a form locking manner with the shank 1 on at such locations such an arrangement has proven to be useful particularly for ends of the window opening oriented toward a butt 2 the width of one of the regions 20 of reduced shank thickness.