What Is an Awl Used For? 8 Woodshop Jobs and Which Awl Fits

An awl is a pointed hand tool that pricks a precise dimple or shallow line into wood, leather, or paper so a drill bit, screw, or needle starts exactly where you want it. It marks and starts holes; it does not replace a drilled pilot hole in hardwood. This guide covers eight real shop jobs, a step-by-step starting technique, which awl fits which job, and safe handling.

What Is an Awl Used For?

An awl is used to make a small, exact starting point: a pricked dimple for a drill bit or screw, a scribed line along the grain, or a stitching hole in leather. The point pushes and parts the fibers instead of cutting a clean hole, which is why an awl marks and starts work but rarely finishes it. In a woodshop that makes it a layout tool first and a hole tool second.

That one distinction clears up most awl confusion online. If you want the full breakdown of scratch, birdcage, stitching, and diamond awls, see our guide to the awl tool and its five types; this page stays on the jobs an awl actually does.

8 Jobs an Awl Does Around the Shop

These are the uses worth knowing, from the ones woodworkers reach for daily to two crafts where the awl is the main event. The table gives the short version, and the sections below add the technique that makes each one work.

Job	What you do	Best awl type
Scribe a layout line	Drag the point along a straightedge to cut a shallow groove	Scratch awl
Center a drill bit	Prick a dimple at the marked center before drilling	Scratch awl
Start a small screw	Press and twist a start hole in softwood	Bradawl
Transfer hardware holes	Prick through the screw holes of a hinge or pull	Scratch awl
Probe for rot	Push the point into suspect wood and feel the resistance	Scratch awl
Align and clean	Line up parts through holes, pick glue from corners	Scratch awl
Punch stitching holes	Make slits in leather before the needle	Stitching or diamond awl
Pierce paper for binding	Poke sewing holes along folded pages	Scratch awl

1. Scribing a Layout Line Along the Grain

Run the point along a steel rule and it leaves a shallow groove. A pencil line has width and can smear; a scribed line is a physical edge that a chisel or saw tooth can register against, which is why joinery layout often uses a knife or an awl instead of a pencil. Keep the pressure light across the grain, because a deep scratch tears fibers and will show under a clear finish. If the line sits inside a joint or on the waste side, the scratch never shows. For curved layout lines, a coping saw follows the scribe where a straight blade cannot; see what a coping saw is used for.

2. Centering a Drill Bit

A twist bit’s tip can skate sideways before it bites, especially on dense or slick surfaces and on veneered plywood where a wandering hole ruins the face. Prick the exact crossing of two layout lines, set the bit tip in the dimple, and the bit starts on target. It takes two seconds and costs nothing in material. For more ways to start holes without power, our guide to making a hole in wood without a drill compares the options.

3. Starting Small Screws (and Where It Stops Working)

Pressing and twisting an awl into softwood gives a small screw or brad a starting seat so it does not wander. The common mistake is treating that dimple as a pilot hole. A pricked hole is only as deep as the point and about as wide as the point’s base, so it guides the screw without relieving the wedge pressure that splits boards. Near an end or edge, or in any hardwood, drill a real pilot hole instead; our how to drill properly guide covers sizing.

4. Transferring Hardware Positions

Hold the hinge leaf, drawer-pull bracket, or paper template in position and prick through each screw hole. Every start mark lands where the hardware expects it, which beats measuring and marking each hole separately. Use a sharp scratch awl and light pressure so the dimples stay small enough to be covered by the screw head.

5. Probing Wood for Rot

This is the use most awl articles skip. Push the point into suspect wood with moderate pressure at several spots. Sound wood resists and the point barely enters; decayed wood lets the point sink in easily and lifts out soft, stringy fibers. Probe past the paint, because a good surface can hide a soft core. It is an inspection aid, not a structural verdict: for deck joists, sill plates, or anything load-bearing, have a qualified person assess it. If you find soft spots on trim or a window frame, our guide on repairing rotted wood without replacing it is the next step.

6. Aligning Parts and Cleaning Out Glue

Slide the point through the aligned holes of two parts to line them up while you start the first screw. The same point picks hardened squeeze-out from inside corners and tight grooves after the glue has set. Work gently; an awl will gouge a soft surface if you lean on it.

7. Punching Stitching Holes in Leather

Leatherwork is where awls get their reputation. A stitching or diamond awl opens a slit before the needle, so thick thread passes without tearing the leather, and a scratch awl marks the stitch line first. Pricking holes at an even spacing along a marked line is what makes hand stitching look straight.

8. Piercing Paper for Bookbinding

Bookbinders pierce the folds of each signature with an awl so the needle follows evenly spaced holes. Put a scrap of cardboard or a cutting mat underneath so the point does not mark your bench, and mark the hole positions on a paper template first so every signature matches.

How to Use an Awl to Start a Hole in Wood

1. Mark the center: draw a pencil cross, or cut two light knife lines, where the hole belongs.
2. Set the point: place the tip in the crossing and hold the awl square to the face of the board.
3. Press and twist: turn the handle a quarter to half turn back and forth while pressing steadily; do not hammer.
4. Mind the grain: with a bradawl, line up the chisel edge across the grain so it severs fibers instead of wedging between them.
5. Check the seat: stop when the dimple is deep enough to hold the screw tip or drill-bit tip upright.
6. Finish the hole: drive a small screw in softwood, or drill the pilot hole in hardwood and near edges.

Support thin stock on a flat bench or a scrap board so the point cannot slip through and into your other hand or the benchtop.

Which Awl Fits Which Job

Awl type	Tip	Best use	Limit
Scratch awl	Round, tapered point	Scribing, centering, hardware marking	Marks and starts only
Bradawl	Flat, chisel-style tip	Starting screw holes in wood	Not for fine scribing
Birdcage awl	Square tapered blade	Woodworking layout and starting holes	Larger dimple than a scratch awl
Stitching or diamond awl	Diamond-section blade	Leather stitching slits	Poor for wood layout

Price is not the deciding factor. On the day this page was updated, plain scratch awls on Amazon ran from about $5 for a 6 inch Century Drill and Tool model to about $16 for the Narex square-blade birdcage awl. For general shop use, start with one scratch awl; add a bradawl only if you drive many small screws by hand. For a head-to-head against a center punch and other pointed tools, see our guide to the difference between an awl, bradawl, and center punch. Our shorter explainer on what an awl does is a good quick refresher.

Awl Safety and Care

• Cap the point or push it into a cork when it is not in use, so it cannot stab a hand reaching into an apron pocket or tool drawer.
• Keep your free hand out of the line the point would travel if it slipped, and hold the work down instead of holding it in your palm.
• Do not use an awl as a pry bar or screwdriver; the thin shank can bend or snap.
• Do not strike a wooden-handled awl with a hammer unless the maker built it for striking.
• A dull point skids instead of biting. Touch it up on a fine stone and wipe it with a light oil to prevent rust.

Frequently Asked Questions About Awls

What is an awl used for in woodworking?

In woodworking an awl is used to scribe layout lines, prick the center for a drill bit, start small screws and brads in softwood, and transfer hardware hole positions. It marks and starts; it does not replace a drilled pilot hole in hardwood or near the end of a board.

Can you use an awl instead of a drill?

Only for small screws or brads in softwood, away from edges and board ends. An awl pushes fibers apart rather than removing them, so it can split hardwood and cannot make a clearance hole. When a fastener must pull two parts together cleanly, drill a pilot hole.

Is a bradawl the same as an awl?

A bradawl is a type of awl. It has a flat, chisel-style tip made for starting holes in wood, while a scratch awl has a round tapered point made for scribing and pricking. Both are commonly sold under the general name awl.

Can you hit an awl with a hammer?

Not unless the maker designed it for striking. Most wooden-handled awls are pressed and twisted by hand, and tapping them can loosen the tang or split the handle. Awls sold as hammer-strike models have a full-length tang and a striking cap built for that job.

Is an awl worth buying?

Yes, if you do any hand layout or hardware installation. Plain scratch awls listed on Amazon on the day this page was updated ran from about $5 to about $16, and one awl handles scribing, centering, and hardware marking that a pencil does less precisely.

Conclusion

An awl earns its place by doing small things precisely: a scribed line, a centered drill bit, a hardware hole transferred without measuring, even a quick probe for rot. Treat it as a marking and starting tool, pair it with a drilled pilot hole where the wood demands one, and a single inexpensive awl will pay for itself on the first project.