That $12 awl from the hardware store is now my favorite tool

I used to think you needed a fancy bookbinding awl, spent $40 on one and it kept slipping. Last month I grabbed a cheap awl from the hardware aisle in Seattle for $12 just as a backup. The handle is actually grippier and the point is way sharper, my holes are cleaner now. Anyone else found a random tool that beats the specialty stuff they bought first?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_green1320d ago

And that's the thing, the specialty stuff often has a narrow design that only works one way. The cheap one is usually more forgiving, better balance or whatever. I had a similar thing with a small metal ruler. Paid like $3 for it at a thrift store, use it way more than my $30 one from the craft store. The cheap one has a clearer edge, doesn't slide around as much when I mark stuff.

tara_stone4219d ago

Ngl, isn’t it weird how the stuff we grab without thinking ends up being the one we actually rely on? Like, the cheap plastic spatula from the dollar store beats the fancy wooden one every time, just because it’s bendy enough to scrape the pan right. Honestly, I think our brains just like tools that don’t feel precious, so we actually use them without worry.