If you could only have one leathercraft tool, it would probably be an awl. Not a knife. Not a punch. A standard simple awl — that deceptively simple pointed stick that's been a leatherworker's best friend for centuries. It doesn’t cost a lot, fits in your pocket (well with a cork on the end!), and you'll reach for it on virtually every single project you make. Here's why we think it earns its place at the top of any leatherworker's kit list.

What Is an Awl, Exactly?

At its most basic, an awl is a pointed metal spike set into a handle. Our Standard Hand Awl has a comfortable wooden handle and a tapered steel point — and it's precisely that tapered point that makes it so versatile. Unlike a punch, which removes a plug of leather to make a hole, the awl's point pushes the fibres aside. That means a cleaner finish, an adjustable hole size, and a tool that works beautifully across a huge range of tasks.

Five Things Your Standard Awl Does For You

•        Marking up your leather. Before you cut, punch, or stitch, you need to mark out your work. A light scratch with the awl tip gives you a crisp, precise line — far better than a pencil that smudges or a pen that bleeds into the grain. It's the leatherworker's equivalent of a carpenter's marking knife, and once you start working this way, you won't go back. It will give you a centre mark for your holes, and if used well with practice it gives you the start of a light channel for cutting.

•        Scoring and creasing. Running the awl along a ruler gives you a scored line for folding. On veg-tan especially, a scored fold line results in a beautifully crisp, professional crease. You can also use it alongside a wing divider to score a stitch line — a quick pass with the awl tip lightly grooves the surface to guide your stitching wheel or pricking iron perfectly, very useful for finer leathers where a groover would be too deep.

•        Cross-hatching for gluing. When you're bonding two pieces of leather together, you'll get a much stronger join if the gluing surfaces are roughed up first. Use the awl in a crosshatch pattern — light diagonal scratches across the flesh side — to give your adhesive something to bite into. It takes seconds and makes a genuine difference to bond strength, especially on thicker leather.

•        Piercing stitch holes. For lighter leathers (up to around 2.5mm), the awl will punch clean stitch holes in one go. Just press through with a steady hand — the tapered point parts the fibres rather than tearing them, which keeps the leather looking neat on both sides. It's ideal for softer leathers where a using a heavy punch can stretch soft leathers.

•        Opening up and adjusting holes. Already got a hole but it's slightly too small for your stitch? Leather is made of a complex web of fibres and sometimes stitch holes from pricking irons/chisels close up or have not completely gone through. The tapered awl is perfect for gently widening it without compromising the leather around the edge. Wiggle it in gradually and the fibres stretch rather than tear — much more controlled than forcing your needle and thread through an undersized hole.

Bonus Extra - Lifting the end of your tape. Lastly this tool is a quick and easy way to lift up the end of the double sided tape, used for holding your wallets and card case leather projects in place prior to sewing.

A Word on Technique

For marking and scoring, keep your pressure consistent and let the tip do the work — you want a groove, not a gouge. For piercing holes, work on a firm surface (a cutting mat, or leather pad is ideal) and push steadily rather than jabbing. Rotating the awl slightly as you pull it out keeps the hole clean and round. And if your awl tip ever starts to drag or tear rather than pierce cleanly, a few strokes on a leather strop will bring it back to sharp in moments.

Use a cork as a stopper to protect the tip when in stored. Sanding a little area of the rounded handle can also prevent it from rolling off your work bench!

Who Needs One?

Honestly? Everyone. Whether you're making your first woggle at a Scout session, crafting a falconry glove, building a cosplay costume, or running a leather goods business producing belts day in, day out — the awl is there at every step. It's one of the first tools we'd recommend to an absolute beginner, and it's one that experienced makers will still reach for on every single project.

The Bottom Line

At £4.50, our Standard Hand Awl is probably the best value tool in leathercraft, It may not have fancy settings or interchangeable bits. It's just a really well-made pointed stick with a comfortable handle that will serve you faithfully for years. If you haven't got one, get one. If you've got one and you've only been using it for piercing holes, now you know what else it can do.

Pick up the Standard Hand Awl (Bradawl) at identityleathercraft.com — just £4.50.