What do you use your 'awl' for?

I think it depends alot on the design of the awl.
For the pure purpose of punching, I don't see it as a very useful tool.
If one side (edge) is sharpened (as it was on my HJ6), then it's another story, cause it's better than a pen blade (sturdier) for small dirty tasks (for example, cutting into a cardboard box to open it).
I also like the "old timer" aspect, although, I agree with Pinnah; the most useful tool paired to a blade is a pair of scissors.
I say give it a try :)

Fausto
:cool:
 
Last edited:
The world needs more knives like this:

case-knives-penknife-scissors-knife-amber-bone-stainless-blades-ca258-1045-p.jpg
 
There are a few different styles, but any can be used on leather of course. The one on my SAK is a handy tool I do know this. At least one of Charlie's Harness Jacks had this same Awl.

The most recent #15 Diamond Jack that Charlie released had a Punch. His #85 HJ was yet another style of punch. I've never had one like that so cannot comment on it personally.

IMHO the most flexible (in terms of misc uses other than just punching a hole in leather) style is the one on the SAK due to it's shape and design.
 
Last edited:
Awls/punches were used to punch holes in harness out in the field to do quick repairs. All of them work slightly differently.
The best punch for holes is Charlies Real harness jack IMO, it has a very sharp edge and cuts perfect circular holes from under 1/8th dia
to 1/4 in dia by pushing the tip through the leather and rotating the blade. The second best is the 15 HJ using a pretty simple design.
Charlies S&M is quite good for punching small stitching holes for joining a broken harness.
I use it at shows when people ask me to punch another hole in their belts (even if I have a leather punch with me)))
Best regards

Robin
 
I use the one on a mil K-818 to move the ridiculous plastic anti theft tab out of the way in the ignition of my wife's volkswagon Jetta. The keyway gets dirty with crud from the silly reverse cut key which prevents the key from being inserted into the keyway about once a year, randomly, until it is cleaned out. The 818 awl is just the right size and shape to move it out of the way and get it to click in the open position so the key can be inserted. A Milk-818 always rides in her glovebox so she can fix it if need be.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Scribe, scrape, descale, strip wire and make holes... :)
Click to expand...

That just about covers it! :thumbup:




Brisket said:
Louis Braille, inventor of the Braille System lost both of his eyes due to a leather awl accident as a child when trying to get a close look while punching a hole through leather towards him. The awl took out one eye and he lost the other shortly after due to infection that spread. Oddly enough, Braille used an awl to make the raised dots of his Braille System. That concludes my awl trivia of the day.
Click to expand...

That right there is some VERY good awl trivia!:cool:
I did not know any of it.:confused:
I'm thinkin I'll be using it to pick up women! :eek: How could they refuse a guy that has that kind of information? :D


Dave
 
The awl on the victorinox alox is great. I had several things to catch up on around the house and my drill died. It's one of those rechargeable drills and it's several years old and I guess the battery would only recharge so many times. With my awl on my pioneer, I was able to drill holes to hang a mirror and I had to put a new front door knob on (didn't want to leave the house without a locking door to go buy a new drill :) and the holes didn't quite line up and I had to start new screws holes in the metal door and it worked perfect for that too. I just bought a new wild game feeder and when I went to put it together, it required a drill to drill all holes and the awl worked for that too. I actually assembled the whole feeder with the pioneer using the can opener as a Phillips (the head of the can opener fits a lot of Phillips screw heads.) and the awl. I'm not even worried about replacing my drill at this point. I only need a drill for light duty applications and I think the awl on the swiss army alox can do pretty much anything I need in a light duty rechargeable drill.
 
I'm well past the moccasin-craft stage, for which the awl on my Scout knife was indeed useful. But I use mine routinely these days to clean out small holes (or enlarge them) — or as Humppa says, to start a precisely located screw hole or drill hole.

I get the point about scissors (har!), but I have those on my other EDC, a Vic Classic. Luckily, I don't find the Vic scissors undersized or weak for the purposes I use them. So I'm a happy camper with my camper.

And that's awl I have to say.
 
I once used the awl on my Leatherman (along with pretty much every other tool included) to make a jacket out of road kill deer.

Seriously.
 
I don't think the Awl is outdated at all. I mean why would the worlds LARGEST knife maker SAK still put them on many of their knives? A leather punch is a different story, but even the true leather punches are very useful for me---maybe it's just that I'm accustomed to using one on a almost daily basis.

I do handyman/construction work and the Awl/Punch see's many uses as mentioned above:thumbup:
 
james.greff said:
I once used the awl on my Leatherman (along with pretty much every other tool included) to make a jacket out of road kill deer.

Seriously.
Click to expand...
Please tell us you've got pics.

I've used mine for most of the non-leather work mentioned. Recently scraping corroded battery connections on my tractor.
 
Brisket said:
Starting holes
Marking
Scraping
Cleaning out hard to get to spaces
Guiding/Pushing objects through holes or tight spots
Click to expand...

I've used the one on my Pioneer for all of the above and more. Saying that the tool isn't useful because not as many people need it for it's originally intended purpose (making holes in leather) is like saying that a spey blade isn't useful because not many castrate animals any more. :confused: I beg to differ. :)
 
willgoy said:
Getting olives or gherkins out of jars....watch the patina grow.

Lock-pick:D
Click to expand...

Jogged my memory....I used to have a behind the cab toolbox on my truck and the Pioneer's awl worked well on those kind of locks. Opened some stuff for my father-in-law as well but he lost (or had stolen) so many keys to his equipment/buildings that I finally had to buy a dedicated tool.
 
The alox SAK awls drill perfect holes in wood. Have used it to add lanyard holes in opinels and othe wooden handles.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top