Leather workers especially are familiar with awls as they are generally used instead of a needle and thread.
This gives you a useful hole you can now stitch, grommet, or use to hang an object from. The purpose of an awl is to puncture a material in a way that doesn’t create a cut line. They’ve been around since ancient times and often come with a small thread hole built right in. Awls are tools that are used to punch holes in leather, wood, and other materials.
