How to fix this awl?

[BunglerDownUnder]

Hi all, I’ve got this awl (pun stubbornly intended). Picked up fairly cheap from something between a junk and antiques shop. I ground and polished the tarnish  away on my sharpening stone if you’re wondering why it looks a bit strange. 
 

As you can see from the photos about 1/4 of the wood intended to hold the shaft (right term?) is gone. So the obvious question I have is what is the best way that doesn’t involve replacing the whole handle to secure the shaft and collar?

Related to that, what’s with the angle of the shaft? I’ve tried it all four ways, and obviously due to the diamond shape it only fits in two, but it’s never centred. I don’t think this has to do with the bit that’s broken off, because to be centred there would have to be less material on the side that’s still there. In fact that’s probably why there’s that bit missing, because it would have been a fairly thin wedge. Is there some reason this awl is asymmetrically angled? And if so, which way is it meant to be held?

I’ve got no idea what’s stamped on the shaft, it’s very worn. I’d be interested if anyone recognises it. 

[chuck123wapati]

 

1. you can fill it with epoxy.

2. you can cut off the tapered part drill it out a bit, be very careful of splitting the handle, and glue in a new piece of hardwood dowel then re-drill and taper it to fit the ferule and awl blade.

 

[BunglerDownUnder]

Thanks Chuck, I suspected epoxy would be the go-to. I’m not a woodworker so probably shouldn’t attempt the other method. Still would like to know more about why the shaft is at that angle 

[doubleh]

Seeing the broken out piece of wood I would suspect  the previous owner bent it causing the angle  and the break. Just a guess though. 

Edited to add: After thinking about it and being stubborn about fixing broken things ( another hobby of mine) I would straighten the blade, then clean up the pocket in the handle so epoxy could get a good grip and put it back together. After it cured I would polish up the blade and use the old thing. Another good but abused tool saved.

Edited November 6, 2022 by doubleh

[fredk]

That looks like a home-made awl ground down from some other larger tool. And it looks like the maker cut and gouged out the haft to take that big lump

I would gouge out that hole a bit more to make the awl blade end fit better, then use an epoxy glue to hold it in place. Then when that is set, use more epoxy smothered over the wood and push the ferrule on

[BunglerDownUnder]

35 minutes ago, doubleh said:

I would straighten the blade, then clean up the pocket in the handle so epoxy could get a good grip and put it back together. After it cured I would polish up the blade and use the old thing. Another good but abused tool saved.

The blade, if that’s what the pointy metal diamond part of the awl is called, seems pretty straight to me. I.e the tip lines up with the middle of the bottom. There may be some slight asymmetry in the curves but I don’t think it’s enough to make a difference during use. 
 

33 minutes ago, fredk said:

That looks like a home-made awl ground down from some other larger tool. And it looks like the maker cut and gouged out the haft to take that big lump

This would explain a lot, actually. The top of the handle has a bit of a recess at the centre and a small hole about 5mm deep and I just couldn’t understand the point of it on an awl. Could have been a sort of logo pin fake tang originally, perhaps? Attached a photo, bit dodgy looking because I decided to sand it back a bit. Normally I like patina but there was an almost hard line of grime around the “waist” or whatever you call it. Couldn’t get it out without going in hard so now I’m forced to do the whole thing 

45 minutes ago, fredk said:

I would gouge out that hole a bit more to make the awl blade end fit better, then use an epoxy glue to hold it in place. Then when that is set, use more epoxy smothered over the wood and push the ferrule on

This is the advice I was looking for, I wasn’t sure if it being off centre served some sort of purpose I couldn’t fathom. Any tips on what to use to gouge it out? I don’t have any chisels. Do have a wide assortment of craft blades and a Dremel. 

[Gezzer]

Like everyone else epoxy is the fix .   In the third pic , is that not a makers mark on the flat of the blade ? If it is I guess you have already done a internet search , might yield some info might not .

Top is normal for most lathe turned items , whether home made or factory . Some tool makers will sand it off and some won't .

Edited November 6, 2022 by Gezzer

[fredk]

50 minutes ago, BunglerDownUnder said:

This is the advice I was looking for, I wasn’t sure if it being off centre served some sort of purpose I couldn’t fathom. Any tips on what to use to gouge it out? I don’t have any chisels. Do have a wide assortment of craft blades and a Dremel. 

Just use a craft knife to carefully remove the wood in that slot. Go little by little, test fitting until you get a neat fit. Do not use the Dremel, it will easily take out too much too quickly

 

50 minutes ago, BunglerDownUnder said:

That is just the normal result of the handle being turned on a lathe. That is where one of the chucks held the piece of wood

Edited November 6, 2022 by fredk

[tsunkasapa]

49 minutes ago, Gezzer said:

Top is normal for most lathe turned items , whether home made or factory . Some tool makers will sand it off and some won't .

That was my first take, from a lathe.

[doubleh]

Since I can only see in it a picture and not in real life there seems to a curve in picture #4, hence the advise to straighten it. Personally I wouldn't want a curved awl blade. I have enough trouble keeping a straight stitch line on the back with a straight awl to want to deal with a curved one.

[BunglerDownUnder]

15 hours ago, doubleh said:

Since I can only see in it a picture and not in real life there seems to a curve in picture #4, hence the advise to straighten it. Personally I wouldn't want a curved awl blade. I have enough trouble keeping a straight stitch line on the back with a straight awl to want to deal with a curved one.

Ahh, that’s a bit of an optical illusion from my dodgy polishing. I was grinding the faces on my diamond stone and sort of gave up before they were all perfectly flat. There’s a veeeery shallow mitre from the perfectly flat middle to the side edge. I’m going to have another go at it before epoxy glueing, it’s just a very fiddly piece. 
 

Re the end being from a lathe, seems obvious in retrospect. I’m just used to handles where it’s been smoothed off. Interestingly though, the handle is definitely not perfectly circular. Don’t know if the subtle oval-ness is wear, deliberate shaping, or mysterious wood morphing over time. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by BunglerDownUnder

[BunglerDownUnder]

Here is the repaired awl! It may not be 100% perfect but it’s far better than it was. I ground the blade on my diamond stone to get all the faces perfectly flat and hopefully even. It’s certainly very sharp. 
 

Relating to that, should it be? I saw another thread about diamond awls that said only the French kind were sharp. I also noticed that many other awls were only diamond-shaped near the point, then become much more rounded. At the moment I would only be using this awl to make holes in relatively thin chrome tan leather. Dunno the ounce definition but most I’d say is between garment and upholstery thickness. 

[TomE]

Great job of repairing the awl.  I typically sharpen the point of the awl and only strop the remainder.  I think the idea is to pierce the leather with the cutting edges then stretch the hole a bit as the awl is advanced.  The hole then relaxes around the thread to make a tidy looking stitch.  I like the gradual taper you put on the point.  Osborne awl blades have a stubby point that I modify.

[chuck123wapati]

looks brand new. and agree with with TomE on sharpness.

[Gezzer]

Looks like a keeper 

[doubleh]

That is a great repair. Looks almost new.

[BunglerDownUnder]

Thanks everyone!

On 11/13/2022 at 10:55 PM, chuck123wapati said:

looks brand new. and agree with with TomE on sharpness.

It is almost scarily pointy—if I ever drop it I hope my foot isn't in the way, because if it's blade down I'll be a shish-kabob.

On 11/13/2022 at 10:26 PM, TomE said:

I think the idea is to pierce the leather with the cutting edges then stretch the hole a bit as the awl is advanced.  The hole then relaxes around the thread to make a tidy looking stitch.

The side edges are sharp enough they might cut into rather than stretch the leather, which is why I asked about rounding. Still haven't used it yet though, and it probably won't make much of a difference on the thinner stuff I'm using at the moment anyway. Pretty sure it's chrome tan, and the rebound on any piercing that's not enormous is very high.