I don’t know about you, but I’ve carried Swiss Army knives around for decades, and always vaguely wondered if the awl was good for anything more than punching a hole through the occasional stout object. Turns out, it definitely is.

With a little practice and some stout thread (or even dental floss) you can turn your Swiss Army knife and a miniature sewing machine for backcountry repairs. Awls have been used for thousands of years to sew. You may find, as I did, that learning how to do it is surprisingly rewarding, and may leave you astonished once again at the cleverness of human beings. 

As with many hands on skills, it’s a much better show than a tell. 

Here’s a nice YouTube video that shows you how to do it.