How to Awl an Australian Saddle
- 1). Determine where you want your holes to be. Mark these with your marker or grease pencil. Make sure they are evenly spaced.
- 2). Place the scrap leather on the side where the awl will be punching through, to avoid the sharp edge of the awl damaging the leather underneath.
- 3). Place the sharp tip of the awl against the mark you have made for the hole. With a firm twisting motion, bear down hard. Continue this movement until you push the awl's point through the leather. As soon as you feel the tip of the awl punch through, release the pressure.
- 4). Check the bottom side of the leather and make sure the awl has made a clean punch. If so, push the awl on through to the thickest part of the awl's diameter. This gives you a nice round hole that will be the same size with every punch.
- 5). Pull the awl out, then push it through the hole again to make sure it is smooth. Move onto the next mark you have made on the saddle and repeat the process.
Source...