A method of making battery plates for lead-acid batteries includes providing a strip of material comprising lead; and punching material out of the strip to form a grid comprising wires having a non-rectangular cross-sectional shape by utilizing a die set comprising a plurality of male die components and female die components, wherein each of the male die components comprises a first portion having a first cross-sectional shape and a second portion having a second-cross sectional shape. A single punch of the material creates a hole in the material and also forms the periphery of the hole.