The Most Useless Tool On Your Knife? // The Truth 'Big Awl' Doesn't Want You To Know.

Hello Zac. Thank you so much for mention me in this very interesting video! This was the best video about awl's i ever saw! Greetings from Switzerland Felix

I think a fundamental point being missed here is that a pocket knife is rarely the best tool for anything. It's the tool you have when you're away from your other tools. And in that world, a steel "pointed stick" gets lots of use.

My computer engineering friends say "if a function exists, someone is using it" and software devs actually have to be careful even debugging their systems, because odds are there are some users who've actually developed their whole work flows to depend on the particularities of a bug. So there's a strong argument in design for not getting rid of old features, even if you as the designer don't see a use for them; because many people may have found uses for them by now that they wouldn't want to lose

Fun fact: When I was in the military in Switzerland, everyone left the service knive pristine and had a second one for everyday use (I had a red Victorinox Spartan, no possibility to mix them up). If you had to show your knive during an inspecion, you could always present a perfectly clean knive. I started using the service knive only after I was discharged.

I'm a big fan of the Awl. I've repaired belts and sandals, drilled holes in drywall, scraped sticky stuff and leftover gasket off of things, opened up rubber hoses to fit larger fittings than they were meant for, and untied knots with the awl on various multitools I have used. I also use it as a package opener so I don't get tape residue all over my main blade or blunten it by going through tons of cardboard. I also made a penny stove out of a coke can, a coin, and some cotton balls to entertain my young cousins at a family gathering a few years ago, using the awl to drill the jets and the filler hole. I tried unsuccessfully and somewhat explosively to build a valveless pulse jet in a jam jar using an awl to drill the exhaust hole. It's one of my favourite tools on a multitool and I'm far more likely to carry a tool that has one than a tool that doesn't.

My také on the awl is: what would you do, if you needed to make a hole in anything and you didn't have the awl on you? The knife blade is too wide and it would make a slit, not a hole. You could also unnecessarily damage the blade. For how little space it takes up on the knife, I think it's useful enough.

I would rather have an awl/reamer than 17 different flat heads. The ability to relatively easily poke holes into things and to scrape is useful, imo the question is what is the smallest multitool where an awl still makes sense. Most plier-based multitools have enough space that you might just as well have an awl on them. For most three layer SAKs the awl is also the best use of that back tool slot. Where the utility of the awl gets properly put to the test is the Compact. Would I rather have an awl there instead of the parcel hook? Ideally I'd have the combo screwdriver tool from smaller SAKs over either option, but ignoring that, I suspect most people would have easier time finding a use for an awl than a parcel hook.

The Awl is honestly my most used tool on my Victorinox. As a pen maker, I use the reamer blade to remove CA glue from the insides of the pen tubes after gluing up my blanks. For me, it has been the only tool that can effectively accomplish this task and has proved to be an invaluable asset to my craft. Great video, and I really loved the presentation, but please don't replace the Awl. I don't know what I would ever do without it.

For back-country skiing, it's a pretty essential emergency tool. A catastrophic boot or binding failure can be ameliorated with a ski strap, zip ties, wire, and screws with an awl, screw driver, and pliers w/ wire cutter. I've added anti balling plates to the front of skins, pried bits of binding apart, and zip tied ski boots back together with an awl.

The awl is still VERY useful for the purposes of working on firearms in the field. It's a fantastic carbon scraper, great for pushing stubborn pins, and knocking down burrs on roughed up parts (M1/M14 opp rods come to mind). Generally anything that needs scraping that would easily dull your knife blade. I'm guessing the people saying the awl is useless have never really had to rely on their knife often.

FYI, the Marlin spike on a sailor's knife (I have one) may have been used for untieing knots, but its primary purpose was to separate plies of rope to more easily allow splicing like back-splices or eye-splicing or even linear splices to join two ropes together much like a fid. They can also be used with wire rope as well. As far as the reamer goes, my dad and uncle used the reamer to clean the bowl of their pipe before refillig. Cheers.

I think that although the awl's original uses aren't really practical in todays time, it's a welcomed tool on any multi tool because unlike a knife that cuts or a screwdriver that drives screws, since the awl doesn't have a singular purpose anymore, it is one of the most versatile tools on any multi tool

I think rather than stitching it's main purpose is just to have a sharp point. Like I personally use mine to dig out splinters or clean underneath my fingernails. It also works well for puncturing slightly tougher materials if you have to. One comment said if a function exists, someone is using it. I think this very well applies, especially when it's non-intrusive on most tools.

When my boys were younger, I gave them pocket knife lessons(always a good time). I used a basic SAK and went through all the tools. We even opened a can of chili with the can opener. When it came to the awl I showed them how to use it to start a hole so you could drive a screw easier. I also emphasize the fact that the tip of the awl was much stronger than the blade tip and started calling it the “tip saver”. Missed out on the sewing though.

This is actually one of the most used tools on my swiss knife. Being a "drill" wich is setup in a second it usually my top choice when making crude holes in soft plastic, wood and similar. In the field I would also use the saw a lot. The blades less, because they are generally too small.

Keep the discussion alive on the awl 👍🏾 Sometimes in life we make a tool that transcends the progression of technology and the awl is one I would bet comes back around throughout our unwritten history 💯

I use the awl a lot, whether for cleaning my nails, scraping something or using it to drill holes in wood to pilot a screw. The thing you should be wondering about is the can opener.

I have worked is commercial kitchens for basically most of my life. The exquisite single edge grind on my Victorinox pioneer awl has proved invaluable for removing packing straps from boxes and cartons during the always hectic delivery times, allowing my knife blade to remain sharp for finer tasks. Love it!

The awl/reamer is a "must have" IMO. Too many times I've needed to make a hole in some wood, or thread some 550 cord into canvas for a repair, and didn't want to risk damage to my knife blade (or risk slicing way too big of a hole with said knife) and the awl was the perfect tool for the job. It's also great at scraping where you don't want to dull your knife. I've used it as an impromptu pry bar (you guessed it...didn't want to break the knife blade). I work with a lot of heavy canvas items in the field and often have to make do with what's at hand without the option to go back or let it wait until the "proper" repair can be made.

I don’t use the awl much now - but I used it a lot in the past for trimming my ingrown toe nail. Never have found another tool better suited for this task. Great video.