

Pick the gauge that will meet your likely project needs.

Different spike end sizes can meet hole size needs easily, and belt and shoelace holes benefit from the accuracy an awl can provide. Leatherworkers and shoemakers, however, do consider them as necessary in their workshops, and for good reason.

Unfortunately, they are not always viewed as important to have handy. While an awl is not an essential tool in your woodworking shop, it certainly is a useful one to have handy. The spike end of the awl can make that line both with and against the grain. A straightedge and a scratch awl can make that line, and a steady hand with a saw or chisel can make an educated and accurate cut.

Carpenters will use this scratch awl results to create lines that guide a hand saw or a chisel. Awls serve this purpose well.Ī scratch awl is used to create a woodworking layout or make points along a line on wood. Punching holes in the binding material for the threads that will do the binding work is an essential part of the process. It’s the holiday season as this piece is being written, and if you are considering a present for a leatherworker (belts, aprons, and such) or a shoemaker, an awl would make a great gift.īookbinders even regularly use an awl for their work. Leatherworkers and shoemakers use them all the time to punch holes and make marks where stitches will go during assembly. The steel spike end of the awl can make that line both with and against the grain. The surface of the wood can be protected from a wandering drill bit that could leave a scar. If your hand is not steady with a drill, or if you simply wish to be accurate in your drilling, this little starter hole will take the tip of your drill bit in the place you carefully measured. It can help make an exact drill hole at the exact measured spot on the wood. Why would we need a hole punched into a piece of wood, you might ask? Good question.Ī small hole punched into the wood you are working with at the point you have measured for drilling a hole will act as a guide for the drill bit. What Can You Use If You Don’t Have An Awl?.
