The Lowly Awl

[Biru]

Recently I had occasion to place a few small holes in a hanging urn made of light brass or copper. While I could have tried using the knife blade on my Wave, I instead fetched my Bear Jaws from my travel pack. Fortunately, Bear had equipped their tool with a extremely well-performing awl (as a matter of fact, my younger sister was so impressed by the Bear's easy tool access and small size that she has decided she must have one).

This had me wondering, how many of you use an awl and how important do you feel it to be to have a tool equipped with one? From this point on I will only carry a tool so equipped. It bugs me that Leatherman equipped my Wave with ten thousand flat screwdrivers and not one awl! Gerber's Legend doesn't have one either.

Just pondering, Bill.

[Benner]

I try to have an awl on me at all times, but as my SAK's have them, I am not too fussed if my MT has as well.

I agree it is a necessity though. 

[Leatherman123]

Yeah, the awl is a great thing.. A friend on this site made me an awl and chisel for the LM bit driver. They both work really well too.. Bob (J-Sews) did the same thing- http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,1111.0.html

[rp252]

Yeah, the awl is a great thing.. A friend on this site made me an awl and chisel for the LM bit driver. They both work really well too.. Bob (J-Sews) did the same thing- http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,1111.0.html

Thats a great idea.  I can see what I'll be doing next weekend!

I'd say an awl is a very useful tool - lots more uses than just making holes.  The one on the surge makes short work of most things.

When I'm carrying my multis, I always try and have one with an awl, be it on the multi itself or a SAK.

Rich.

[AndyTiedye]

The best awl is the one that comes on the Vic Soldier and their other alox SAKs.
It also serves as a long, skinny blade.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The best awl is the one that comes on the Vic Soldier and their other alox SAKs.
It also serves as a long, skinny blade.

+1 on that score mate

Yep an awl is a must have for me, in fact I won't buy a tool unless it has one

[jock1]

The best awl is the one that comes on the Vic Soldier and their other alox SAKs.
It also serves as a long, skinny blade.

+1 on that score mate

Yep an awl is a must have for me, in fact I won't buy a tool unless it has one

Lack of an awl is deal breaker for me too

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

The only difference is you use it to obtain confessions

[jock1]

The only difference is you use it to obtain confessions

I've never used any SAK of mine to obtain confessions from my customers .The rubber hoses and the car batteries wired to the squishy bits works every time 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I bow to the master

[Neil]

I don't consider the awl to be essential, but it is very useful.  Useful enough that on a SAK without one I'll try and modify a lesser tool for that purpose.

The best awl is the one that comes on the Vic Soldier and their other alox SAKs.
It also serves as a long, skinny blade.

Agreed.  The ones on the back of SAKs are useful but not in the same league.

Neil

[Freudian Frog]

I've only used the awl on a SAK twice. Once was some leatherworking for a temporary sheath for my tomahawk, and the second time I used it to cut myself and nearly stab myself.

Very useful tool.
I'm not being sarcastic.

I try to keep an awl on me at all times, but it's not completely necessary. It's sort of like a combo tool to me.

[Smitty44]

Every multi should have an awl,if I carry one with out it,I'll carry my P-4 as a backup (saves ware and tear on a lot of good knife blade points).

[DaveK]

I'd just like to point out that there hasn't been one poor awl pun yet on this thread and that's awlsome 

I never really have cause to use an awl, but have bodged the odd hole with the mini bit driver on my charge once, through a bit of canvas to thread a line through it.

[AndyTiedye]

An awl with a sharp edge like the Vic Soldier or Swisstool is really good for cutting cable ties without cutting the cable (or whatever else the cable tie was securing).
You can work the point under the cable tie and cut outward

[WhichDawg]

awls are a must for me. I use them all the time, I even would like 2 different ones
on my tools (flat and round). like mentioned, you can grind one from other tools.

[duckman1975]

I use the awl of my SURGE a lot, a one-hand opening awl I think is very useful.

[appletree_man]

I'm already missing the awl. I suppose the smallest flathead might work as an awl in some circumstances.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm already missing the awl. I suppose the smallest flathead might work as an awl in some circumstances.

I think it's one of those things that people really only miss when there gone

[Sea Monster]

I'm already missing the awl. I suppose the smallest flathead might work as an awl in some circumstances.

The Awl & Small flathead are the most (ab)used tools on my PST.

From cleaning toenails to putting a breather hole in the tank of a motorbike, the Awl is a fantastic tool.

I would dump my Waiter in a second for a single layer SAK with Sheepsfoot, Awl & Hook. (Hook just to add some extra function on the backspring)

[BIG-TARGET]

If you're an ouitdoorsey type, and awl is worth its weight in gold

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

If you're an ouitdoorsey type, and awl is worth its weight in gold

Damn right it is mate

[rkptma]

The awl is DEFINITELY missed on my Wave and Kick.

Used to use the small screwdriver on my old wave--not nearly as effective.


The one on my SAK is a godsend.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

I never knew how great an awl really was till I got a Farmer.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I never knew how great an awl really was till I got a Farmer.

Well after the Wenger SI, the one on the Farmer's the best in the business

[appletree_man]

For those of you carrying LMs without the awl, have you considered regrinding the largest flathead into one, would that work ?

Strikes me that (in my world anyway) large flathead screws are increasingly uncommon, so perhaps reshaping it as an awl would be more useful.

Then again I like to use it as a lightwight prybar 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

For those of you carrying LMs without the awl, have you considered regrinding the largest flathead into one, would that work ?

Strikes me that (in my world anyway) large flathead screws are increasingly uncommon, so perhaps reshaping it as an awl would be more useful.

Then again I like to use it as a lightwight prybar 

It would probably make a decent Awl as the rockwell is probably about 54hc on the screwdrivers anyway

[Sea Monster]

You can use an Awl to spear bite sized chunks of sweet and sour pork.