Bent awl

[ThundahBeagle]

A short time ago, I was boring a starter hole in the wall in order to hang a new wood panel with hooks for the Beagle's collars, leashes and horse blanket.

Although I had a toolbox and tool bag inside, a lot of my tools are in my truck, so I resorted to the wonderful and capable awl on my Pioneer.

Woops.

All I was boring through was plaster and slatwood, and the tip of the awl was bent by that process. I have to think it struck a tack nail or something? Needless to say I am very disappointed.  I only just received this Pioneer in February.

[ThundahBeagle]

This is a close up of the awl/ reamer seen from above the spine.

[Fuzzbucket]

Wow... that's alarming! 

[ThundahBeagle]

I was certainly able to finish the job (seen here) but am very much disappointed. Alarming, Fuzz? Yes, I suppose. I mean, all I did after that was take a dedicated screw driver and drive the screw into the wall. It did not appear to be shanked by anything on the way in, so I'm not able to tell if there is a nail there unless I pull all the plaster off the wall, which I don't want to do.

[ThundahBeagle]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

[smiller43147]

The metal does feather out quite a bit at the tip, but you almost had to have hit a nail to do that.
Can you bend it back or reprofile the tip?

[Fuzzbucket]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

It's alright, they're still doing the speeches.

[Don Pablo]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

It's alright, they're still doing the speeches.

Hear ye hear ye! On this stupendous interesting cool marvellous great day, the etc etc etc etc etc.
Is that how the speeches go?

[Ron Who]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

It's alright, they're still doing the speeches.

Hear ye hear ye! On this stupendous interesting cool marvellous great day, the etc etc etc etc etc.
Is that how the speeches go?

I thought you were going to lecture us about bending / Pabloing awls. 

[Fuzzbucket]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

It's alright, they're still doing the speeches.

Hear ye hear ye! On this stupendous interesting cool marvellous great day, the etc etc etc etc etc.
Is that how the speeches go?

I thought you were going to lecture us about bending / Pabloing awls. 

Err... yes Pabs...that's the sentiment - you've captured it beautifully! 

[dks]

benders....

[ThundahBeagle]

The metal does feather out quite a bit at the tip, but you almost had to have hit a nail to do that.
Can you bend it back or reprofile the tip?

I would suppose I had hit a nail, but the screw went in just fine. Maybe I pushed it out of the way with the awl.

This is a practically brand new tool. I don't want it to be pyed for the next 30 years, somehow warped and metal fatigued due to my unskilled attempt to right it. I'd rather have Victorinox fix it right, if they will.

[Don Pablo]

Wait, what?

Fuzz! Are you returned from the Royal Nuptials already, or are you *gasp!* monitoring MTO and posting from the reception?

It's alright, they're still doing the speeches.

Hear ye hear ye! On this stupendous interesting cool marvellous great day, the etc etc etc etc etc.
Is that how the speeches go?

I thought you were going to lecture us about bending / Pabloing awls. 

THIS IS A PABLOING SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

It has come to my attention that some people are attempting to pablo up Awls.

YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!

The proper method of Pabloing an awl is to use it to bore a hole in SANDSTONE!
Not just any sandstone, mature sandstone that has been left in rusty water for 42 night. Afterwards you take a warm blowtorch to the awl.

A more celebrated, though harder method, is to bore multiple holes in lignite coal, place in a cool fire, then throwing the awl in molten gold.

If you do it right, you will have an awl to admire afterwards.

[ThundahBeagle]

So...mine's not an awl to admire? OK. Maybe I'll try it again

[Don Pablo]

So...mine's not an awl to admire? OK. Maybe I'll try it again

It takes practice. 

[SteveC]

Is it just the very tip that got bent ?  It doesn't look bent too me from your pic   

[ThundahBeagle]

Is it just the very tip that got bent ?  It doesn't look bent too me from your pic   

This is difficult to say, as I'm no longer a 16 year old, but yes, just the tip. 1 or 2 mm worth in this case.

[ThundahBeagle]

In a little test I conducted some months ago, this awl was the best compared to Vic backspring and Leatherman.

Now this one in particular is f'd. I'm sure Vic will repair it. Just curious to see if it is going to be warranty or some cost.

[cody6268]

That's a Vic for you. Stuff like that happens, but at least it won't explode.

I was messing with an Antonini Cable utility type knife that used "bird's eye" rivet construction, which is a hollow brass piece over the pin.  While boring a hole in wood with its (quarter round) awl, I managed to pop the brass piece off and push the liner off.

Vic steel isn't really that hard, so you shouldn't have that much trouble tapping it back with a hammer and small anvil--I've had to do that with two rather old SAKs I got for cheap.  The only knife I had trouble straightening was a Browning Tracker small lockback (which wasn't some pile of garbage with the Browning name on it, it was done in the '70s to compete with Buck), and it snapped very easily--it must have been tempered extremely hard.

[Barry Rowland]

 

So...mine's not an awl to admire? OK. Maybe I'll try it again

It takes practice. 

[Don Pablo]

So...mine's not an awl to admire? OK. Maybe I'll try it again

It takes practice. 

You have a new avatar pic!

[EMZ]

Many walls in my house are made of plaster. If I need a hole in it, I use a electrical hand drill. Although plaster is very soft, it is also very resilient. When you apply pressure on it, it is very tough, robust.
Most houses in Afghanistan are made of mud, with walls over a meter thick. You can scratch the walls with your knife and the mud will come off. However, if you shoot it with 25 mm HE or APDS cannon rounds, they will only penetrate a few inches.
So, even if the plaster is soft, you still did apply too much force on the awl.
BTW: I think the Pioneer's awl is more of a reamer, because of the sharp edge it has. The 'awling' should be done on leather, cloth or wood at max.

[Don Pablo]

Reamer might be a more correct name....
But there aren't as many opportunities to use ”reamer” in puns, compared to ”awl”...

It would be awlful. 

[Fuzzbucket]

Reamer might be a more correct name....
But there aren't as many opportunities to use ”reamer” in puns, compared to ”awl”...

It would be awlful. 

Well... I would say it depended on how often one did a bit of reaming...

[Greg Jones]

I understand the disappointment Thundah, but to me if the knife's a user, I would continue to use it as is and that tip will will wear down on it's own, probably to a point that's stronger