Setting the Awl

I set the folded end of the braided strap over a flat offcut of scrap pine on the hearthstones. To secure the brass buckle permanently, the leather needed a clean hole for the swivel prong. I took an old steel tack with a flat head from the kindling box and positioned its sharp tip precisely over the crease. Using the flat, weighty side of an iron fire iron collar, I gave the tack one deliberate, controlled tap. The steel point pierced the tough grain with a crisp pop, leaving an exact opening without tearing the braided edges.