18 Types of Awls and Their Uses: A Complete Guide (2025)

I stood at the Santa Fe Artisan Market with five awls in my hands, palms sweaty, wondering which one was the right one. If you’re asking, What are the 18 Types of Awls and Their Uses?

An awl is a small, sharp tool that makes holes or marks in wood, leather, cloth, and more. In this 2025 guide, you’ll meet 18 different Types of Awls and Their Uses, scratch, brad, stitching, diamond, and others, so you can pick the perfect tool for your next project without any guesswork.

Here is a quick summary table of the 18 different types of awls and their uses:

Type	Primary Use
Scratch Awl	Used for marking lines and measurements, piercing holes in wood, plastic, leather, and light gauge metal.
Stitching Awl	Used for sewing and creating stitch holes.
Collar Awl	Specifically used by saddle makers for piercing and lacing leather.
Lacing/Stitching Fid	Used to assist with lacing projects, widening holes for stitching, or pulling lace through.
Diamond-Shaped Awl	Used for creating precise, flat stitching holes.
Blunt Awl	Used for creasing or embossing without puncturing.
Leather Awl	A general term for awls used on leather, including specific types like stitching and collar awls.
Wood Awl	Used for making holes in wood.
Bone Awl	Historically used for making holes in leather and basketry.
Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl	A specific type of stitching awl known for its ease of use, with a built-in bobbin loaded with waxed thread.
Clover Straight Tailor’s Awl	A type of awl commonly used by tailors.
Awl Haft	A handle for interchangeable awl needles.
Awl Needles	Interchangeable blades for awl hafts, available in various shapes and sizes.
Curved Awl	Used for joining pieces together over a rounded surface, creating natural flow for leather goods.
Tapered Awl	Used for various materials like paper, fabric, fleece, vinyl, plastic, and leather.
Round Blade Awl	Awls with a round blade.
Square Awl	Awls with a square blade.
Bookbinding Awl	General term for awls used in bookbinding, can be heavy-duty for piercing cloth, leather, or thick paper.
Brad Awl	Wood pilot holes, screw starters

Easy Guide to Awl Parts and How They Work

Before learning about different awls, it’s important to know the basic parts and how awls work. Most awls share common features and simple ways to use them.

What Are the Main Parts of an Awl?

An awl has two key parts: the handle and the blade (or shaft).

• Handle: This is the part you hold. It’s made for comfort and control. Handles can be wood, plastic, or metal. Good handles reduce hand fatigue and give a secure grip.
• Blade: The sharp part that pierces or marks materials. Blades are usually made of hardened steel. The shape and sharpness of the blade decide what the awl can do, like making fine holes or strong piercings.

What’s the Difference Between Fixed Blade and Interchangeable Blades?

• Fixed-Blade Awls: The blade is permanently attached to the handle. These are strong and stable, great for heavy use. But each blade shape needs its own awl.
• Awl Haft (Interchangeable Blades): A handle designed to hold different blades you can swap out. This saves money and space. You can use one haft for many tasks by changing blades. Just make sure the chuck or collar holds the blade firmly.

What Materials Are Awls Made From?

• Handles:
  • Wood: Comfortable, warm, and classic. Hardwoods like oak or maple last long.
  • Plastic: Lightweight, durable, and moisture-resistant.
  • Metal: Strong and solid but can feel cold or heavy. Used for tough jobs.
• Blades:
  • Steel: Most common. Sharp, tough, and holds an edge well.
  • Bone: Used historically for piercing hides and fibers. Now mainly for traditional crafts.
  • Stone: Early humans used sharpened stones as awls.

How Do You Use an Awl? Basic Techniques

• Piercing: Push and twist the blade to make holes for stitching or fasteners. The hole shape matches the blade shape.
• Marking: Use the awl to make fine, accurate marks instead of pencil lines. Perfect for wood and leather.
• Scoring: Make shallow grooves to help folding or cutting, often done with blunt awls.
• Widening Holes: Some awls or fids enlarge holes for thicker threads or laces.

Knowing these basic parts and uses will help you understand the special features of the 18 Different types of awls. Choosing the right awl means better results in your leatherworking, woodworking, bookbinding, and other crafts.

18 Different Types of Awls and Their Uses

In this guide, we explore 18 different types of awls and their practical uses, helping beginners and professionals choose the right tool. For more on where to buy quality awls, see our Best Awl Tool In 2025.

1. Scratch Awl

A scratch awl is a sharp, pointed tool commonly used for marking precise lines on wood, metal, leather, or plastic. It helps create accurate guidelines for cutting, drilling, or joining without damaging the material.

Woodworkers often use scratch awls to mark screw or nail positions, preventing wood splitting. This versatile awl tool also pierces pilot holes. Learn how scratch awls compare to center punches in our article What Kind of Tools Are Center Punch and Scratch Awl? 2025.

Uses: Marking lines, creating pilot holes, scribing joinery, piercing thin materials.

2. Stitching Awl

The stitching awl is essential in leatherworking and bookbinding. It features a slender, sharp blade that pierces evenly spaced holes in leather or paper signatures for hand stitching.

This tool ensures clean holes for durable seams and neat stitches. Stitching awls often pair with stitching clamps for precision. Discover detailed stitching awl uses in What Is the Job of the Worker Who Uses a Tool Called an Awl? (2025).

Uses: Piercing holes for hand stitching leather, bookbinding, and canvas repair.

3. Collar Awl

Designed for heavy-duty leatherwork, the collar awl is specialized for making strong, clean holes in thick materials like horse collars and harnesses. Its robust blade and curved shape help it navigate thick leather and create holes that can withstand tension.

This tool is vital for saddle makers and harness repair specialists. Find top-quality leatherworking awls in What Are Some Popular Awl Brands? In The USA (2025).

Uses: Piercing heavy leather for saddles, collars, harnesses, and lacing.

4. Lacing/Stitching Fid

Unlike piercing awls, a lacing or stitching fid has a blunt, tapered tip used to widen existing holes and pull lace or thread through tight spots. It’s perfect for leather lacing projects and braiding, making the threading process smoother without damaging materials.

Uses: Enlarging holes, pulling laces, manipulating knots in leatherwork and crafting.

5. Diamond-Shaped Awl

This awl features a diamond-shaped blade ideal for leatherworkers aiming for professional-quality stitching. It creates flat, diamond-shaped holes that allow thread to sit neatly, improving seam strength and appearance. Often used with pricking irons, it’s a must-have for traditional saddle stitching.

Uses: Making diamond-shaped holes for neat, strong leather stitches.

6. Blunt Awl

A blunt awl has a rounded tip used to score, crease, or emboss without piercing. Leather crafters use it for decorative creases or marking fold lines, while bookbinders score paper to create clean folds or emboss patterns. It manipulates materials without making holes.

Uses: Creasing leather, scoring paper, embossing designs, marking fold lines.

7. Leather Awl (General Category)

Leather awls refer broadly to any awl used in leathercraft, including stitching awls, diamond awls, collar awls, and sometimes scratch awls. These tools help pierce holes, mark cut lines, or prepare leather for stitching and lacing. The right leather awl depends on the project’s material thickness and stitching style.

Uses: Piercing, marking, and preparing leather for stitching and hardware.

8. Wood Awl

Specifically designed for woodworking, the wood awl features a sturdy pointed blade and ergonomic handle. It creates pilot holes for screws or nails, reducing wood splitting, and marks precise cut or joinery lines. Its durable tip handles hardwoods and delicate edges alike.

Uses: Making pilot holes, marking joinery lines, starting drill holes in wood.

9. Bone Awl

Historically made from bone or antler, bone awls were essential in early human toolkits for piercing hides and weaving fibers. Today, they are prized by artisans practicing traditional crafts or reenactments. Their smooth, durable tips allow controlled piercing in natural materials.

Uses: Piercing animal hides, basket weaving, traditional crafting.

10. Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl (Lockstitch Awl)

The Speedy Stitcher is a mechanical sewing awl with a built-in bobbin and needle, ideal for heavy materials like canvas, leather, and denim. It produces strong lockstitches that won’t unravel, perfect for repairing tents, shoes, or upholstery quickly and securely.

Uses: Heavy-duty sewing, repairs on leather, canvas, denim, and upholstery.

11. Clover Straight Tailor’s Awl

This tailor’s awl is thin and sharp, designed for fabric work like marking precise spots, piercing small holes for buttons or eyelets, and guiding fabric under sewing machines. Its fine point protects delicate materials while allowing accurate work in tailoring and garment making.

Uses: Marking and piercing fabric, creating buttonholes, guiding sewing.

12. Awl Haft (Handle)

An awl haft is the ergonomic handle that holds interchangeable awl needles or blades. It allows users to swap out different tips for varied piercing or marking tasks, offering versatility and cost efficiency. Haft designs often prevent rolling off work surfaces.

Uses: Holding interchangeable awl blades for diverse piercing and marking jobs.

13. Awl Needles (Interchangeable Blades)

Awl needles are the replaceable pointed tips inserted into an awl haft. Available in diamond, round, curved, and other shapes, they suit different materials and hole shapes. Replacing dull or bent needles extends tool life and adapts the awl for specific tasks.

Uses: Piercing specific hole shapes in leather, fabric, or wood with custom blades.

14. Curved Awl

The curved awl has a bent blade, perfect for stitching curved seams on shoes, bags, or upholstery. Its shape lets crafters reach tight spaces and follow material contours for consistent stitching in challenging spots.

Uses: Piercing and stitching curved seams in leather, upholstery, and shoes.

15. Tapered Awl

Tapered awls gradually narrow to a fine point and can create holes of varying sizes by adjusting depth. This versatility suits different materials like paper, fabric, or thin leather, especially when exact hole size isn’t critical.

Uses: Creating adjustable holes in fabric, paper, vinyl, or light leather.

16. Round Blade Awl

With a circular cross-section, round blade awls produce clean round holes essential for inserting rivets, eyelets, or decorative stitching. Their smooth holes contrast with the slit-like holes of diamond awls, offering an alternative for specific designs.

Uses: Making round holes for rivets, eyelets, and circular perforations.

17. Square Awl

The square awl creates square or rectangular holes, useful in specialized joinery or decorative crafts. While niche, it allows unique hole shapes needed in mini woodworking or specific leather projects.

Uses: Piercing square holes for specialized joinery or decorative leatherwork.

18. Bookbinding Awl

Bookbinding awls feature fine, sharp points for piercing signatures (folded paper groups) and covers without tearing. They enable precise hole placement for sewing book pages together and attaching covers or decorative elements.

Uses: Piercing paper and covers for sewing books and decorative binding.

Choosing the Right Awl in 2025

Choosing the right awl depends on your material, task, hole shape, comfort, and tool quality. The right tool makes your work easier and more professional.

What Material Are You Working On?

• Leather: Use diamond-shaped or stitching awls for stitching holes. Scratch awls work well for marking.
• Wood: Wood awls and scratch awls make pilot holes and mark lines without splitting wood.
• Fabric: Tailor’s awls for delicate fabric; Speedy Stitcher or heavy stitching awls for canvas and denim.
• Paper/Cardstock: Bookbinding and tapered awls pierce clean holes; blunt awls score folds.
• Plastic/Light Metal: Sharp scratch awls can pierce small holes.

What Task Do You Need to Do?

• Piercing holes: Stitching awls, diamond-shaped awls, or Speedy Stitcher are best.
• Marking lines or points: Use scratch awls.
• Scoring or creasing: Choose blunt awls.
• Widening holes or pulling laces: Use lacing/stitching fids.
• Working in tight or curved spaces: A curved awl is ideal.

What Hole Shape and Size Do You Need?

• Diamond holes: Use diamond-shaped awls for leather stitching.
• Round holes: Round blade awls make perfect circles for rivets or eyelets.
• Square holes: Square awls are for special joinery or designs.
• Small pilot holes: Scratch and wood awls work well.
• Variable hole sizes: Tapered awls let you adjust hole size by depth.

How Important Is Handle Comfort?

If you use an awl a lot, choose one with a comfortable, secure handle. Wood handles feel warm, plastic can be ergonomic. Decide if you want fixed blades or interchangeable ones with a haft.

Why Choose Quality and Durability?

Buy awls with hardened steel blades that stay sharp and strong. A solid handle attached firmly to the blade lasts longer. A good-quality awl delivers precise results and won’t fail on your project.

Maintenance and Care of Awls

Taking care of your awls keeps them sharp, safe, and effective.

How Do You Sharpen Awls?

• Use a fine sharpening stone or ceramic rod.
• For round or tapered awls, keep the tip’s shape while sharpening.
• For diamond-shaped awls, sharpen each flat side evenly with a diamond file.
• Sharpen often to avoid dullness and unsafe slips.

How Should You Clean and Store Awls?

• Wipe awls clean after each use. Use a damp cloth if needed, then dry well.
• Apply light oil to steel blades to stop rust. Avoid touching blades with bare hands after oiling.
• Store awls in a dry place, in tool rolls or holders that protect the tip. Keep them separate to avoid damage.

What Safety Tips Should You Follow?

• Always work away from your body to avoid injury.
• Use a stable surface and a cutting mat or scrap board.
• Hold the awl firmly to prevent slips.
• Cover sharp tips when not in use.
• Never use dull awls, they increase injury risk.
• Keep awls away from children and pets.

Following these simple tips will help you choose, use, and maintain your awl tools safely and effectively. For more awl tool guides and buying tips, visit awltool.com.

What Is an Awl Tool and How Does It Work?

An awl is a sharp, pointed hand tool used to punch holes or mark materials like leather, wood, and fabric. It works by pushing or twisting the blade to create holes or guide stitching. Awls help craftsmen get precise holes without damaging the material.

Awl Safety Tips for Beginners

Always work away from your body to avoid injury. Use a stable surface and hold the awl firmly. Cover sharp tips when not in use. Avoid dull blades—they can slip. Keep awls out of reach of children. Safety ensures better, worry-free crafting.

Awl Tool vs. Similar Tools

Awl vs. Center Punch – Key Differences

An awl pierces and marks soft materials like leather and wood. A center punch is for harder materials like metal and creates dents to guide drill bits. Choose awls for crafting, center punches for metalwork.

Awl vs. Bradawl – When to Use Each Tool

Use a bradawl to start screw or nail holes in wood without splitting. Use an awl to mark lines or punch holes in softer materials like leather or fabric. Both tools help woodworking but serve different purposes.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using an Awl

Don’t force the awl; let it do the work. Avoid using dull blades to prevent slips. Always use the right awl type for your material. Skip cutting motions that can damage the awl. Proper technique leads to safer, cleaner results.

Awl Tool Buying Guide – USA (2025)

Buy awls made with hardened steel blades for durability. Look for handles made from hardwood or ergonomic plastic for comfort. Trusted USA brands include C.S. Osborne, WUTA, and Clover.

Check local stores or online shops like awltool.com for the best 2025 picks.

Can you explain the purpose of a Brad Awl in woodworking?

In woodworking, a brad awl is your go-to tool for starting clean, accurate screw or nail holes without splitting the wood.

Here’s exactly how it works:

1. Create a starter hole: The brad awl has a chisel-shaped tip (like a tiny flat-head screwdriver). You press the tip across the wood grain and give it a slight twist; this slices and pushes the wood fibers aside, forming a small pilot hole .
2. Prevent splitting: Because the fibers are cut instead of torn, hardwoods and softwoods alike are far less likely to split when you drive in a screw or nail .
3. Improve accuracy: The tiny indentation keeps drill bits or screws from walking, giving you pin-point placement for hinges, brackets, or hardware .

Quick tip from my Albuquerque shop: “One firm push and a quarter-turn with a brad awl, and my brass screws bite straight into mesquite every time—no wandering, no cracks, just the warm smell of sawdust.”

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Conclusion: Types of Awls and Their Uses

Choosing the right awl tool type is vital for quality craftsmanship in leatherworking, woodworking, bookbinding, and other trades. Whether you need the sharp precision of a stitching awl, the versatility of a tapered awl, or the specialized design of a collar awl, understanding each type’s uses ensures better results.

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