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For Marking
These are usually called “scratch awls”. They aren’t shoe specific, and come in a variety of lengths and diameters.
Scratch awl blades may be sharpened to fine needle points or intentionally made blunt and rounded.
Examples: C.S. Osborne Nos. 478 (small, round wood haft), 41–44 (plastic box handles, increasing sizes)
For Inseaming
Some sources call these “sewing awls”, as distinct from “stitching awls” for outseaming. Other sources call them “welting awls”, either in general or referring just to specific inseaming awls preferred for inseaming the parts of shoes with welts.
Makes:
- George Barnsley & Sons
- Tom Carbone
- King (defunct)
- Maeder (defunct)
- Rasche (defunct)
- Thornapple River Boots
Awls used for inseaming vary in a number of ways.
Curve Toward Tip
Some awl blades curve more toward the tip than others. Some sources call relatively sharply curved awls “inseaming awls” and relatively flatter curved awls “sewing awls”.
Some makers also distinguish awls curved for welting from even more sharply curved awls designed for plunging in and out insole leather without a carved holdfast, such as for whipstitching the waists of cowboy boots or double-needle stitching the heel seats of horse-riding boots.
Curve Toward Shank
Some awls for inseaming have additional curves toward the shank that goes into the haft, as well as a curve toward the tip. These are sometimes called “gooseneck” or “S-curve” shapes, but not systematically. They are often seen paired with awl hafts with long conical chucks or bolsters.
Point Shape
Some awls for inseaming come to a sharp point, either conical or flat-sided, like the point of a straight diamond-shaped saddler’s awl. Some sources call these “German-style”. This point shape may help to make holes through upper and welt leather as small as possible, aiding strength, water resistance, and the sealing power of rosin wax coatings.
Other inseaming awls come to points in the shape of a sharp convex perpendicular to the long axis of the blade. Some sources call these “English-style” or “duckbill” or “flat-point”. This point shape may be easier to work through substantial thickness of leather, but cut larger slits than sharply pointed awl blades.
Cross Section
Inseaming awls have been made from round or oval stock. Especially near the tips, some are ground somewhat triangular, with three distinct faces meeting at the point, whatever its shape may be.
For Outseaming
Some sources refer to these awls as “stitching awls”, as distinct from “sewing awls” for inseaming.
Some makers and repairers use hooked awls, also called “jerk needles”, to sewn on midsoles and outsoles. These are usually straight-bladed, like the needles for American Straight sewing machine, but can also be curved, like those offered by George Barnsley & Sons. Some of these makers use the same awls for inseaming, especially when rewelting Goodyear welted shoes with gemming that stands up proud of the insoles.
High-end dress shoe and boot makers often use curved awls that come to short, straight blade points in line with the long axis of the awls. These are often called “square awls”. The shape of the blade point allows holes to be made relatively close together.
For Pegging
These are sometimes also called “stabbing awls”.
Pegging awls have been made in several shapes: round, oval, and rectangular or square. When rectangular, they are usually sharpened only at the piercing point, not all the way up the edges.
For Heeling
Heel awls have very shallow curves and sturdy blades for piercing thick stacks of welt, rand or split lift, and midsole or outsole, starting very close to the heel of the upper. A blog post here describes their use, with photos of work in progress. Another blog post here describes two different choices of awl types when building German seats.
As of 2024-09-05T07:00:00Z, George Barnsley & Sons offer heel awls in several sizes.
As of 2024-09-05T07:00:00Z, Hale and Co. list many “heel awls” for sale, from over $50 to over $100 each.
Amgueddfa Cymru, the national museums of Wales, has a “heel awl” in its collection:
A heel awl was used when joining the sole at the back of the shoe to the body of the heel. It had to be pushed through 1/4 inch of leather, which was heavy work. The blade has a shallow curve, tapers to a point, and flat-oval in cross-section. It made an oval hole for the stitching. Used by Thomas James for repairing shoes and general leatherwork.
For Moccasin Stitching
Awls specifically for sewing the plugs and vamps of moccasins often curve very sharply, but much further from the tip than inseaming awls. They are also commonly found with diamond-shaped points, like saddler’s awls.
Shanks
The ends of awl shanks—the parts meant to go into hafts—vary enough that not all blades will fit all hafts, at least without modifications.
Shanks may be left the shape of the blade—round, oval, square—ground to a tapered point, or sometimes hammered flat and then stamped with serrations for grip.
Hafts may simply present blocks of wood, with or without pilot holes, into which to drive the shanks of a blade. Others have hollow chucks, collets, or bolsters threaded for set screws that vary in the minimum or maximum diameters of blades they can fit and hold. If set screws are drilled particularly far back from the front, an awl blade must be long enough to extend out past that front before it bends. Short awls may be uncomfortable to use in long hafts, or pose clearance issues where the front of the haft touches the work.