Why no awl on leatherman charge?

R

RBowler

Joined
Mar 30, 2010
Messages
7
This drives me absolutely crazy. There is no leatherman tool that has an awl on it except super large and heavy models (Surge & Core) or the tiny ones (Juice). Does leatherman not understand the value of an awl in woodcraft? Im a survival specialist and spend a lot of time in the woods and find the charge to be the best all around option. I have Surge & Core, but they never get used because of their unmanageable size.
I have tried the mods that you can find all over the net (apparently there are others frustrated like me). They don't work.
I put the awl from the surge on the charge it doesn't fit.
Does anyone know how to contact leatherman and ask them to build a useful woodcraft tool?
Does anyone know if a small machine shop is capable of making an awl that I could put in place of the worthless serrated blade or the eyeglass driver?
 
From my experience, I would recommend buying or making an awl for the Charge. Not ideal, but workable.

The only space available for an awl would have been where the small bit holder resides. While I would have vastly preferred an awl instead of that stupid and useless itty bitty driver, probably other users would have felt the opposite. Based on research (probably asked Bernie, over in in Accounts, who wears glasses and has no idea of what is an awl, what he would prefer :rolleyes: ) Leatherman made the choice, so be it.

Sure, sux that Leatherman omitted the awl. Lack of one was almost a deal breaker for me when considering a Charge, but then I found a pretty good mod on the web. It was a well made implement that fit in the pocket clip slot and using a Surge plastic saw/file slip, easy to carry in the sheath rear pocket. Although I would have preferred a integral awl, the lash-up has worked well enough.
 
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In 2012, sometime in March Ive heard, leatherman is coming out with the Rebar, which is a smaller size Supertool 300 that will have the awl and about all the other tools of the charge minus the bit drivers. It will have all the tools on the inside of the handle which maybe more inconvenient than the charge but it will be smaller and have an awl.
 
Agreed. The awl is just too important a tool so I ground the large, flat non-removable driver of my Charge into an awl.
Now I carry a Juice though, and the awl sucks. It is dull and rounded. 10 minutes with a diamond file fixed that though! What is it with Leatherman and their awls? No awls on the wave/charge series, and the Juice awls are so dull that they are useless unless modded....
 
Sounds like you have tried this, but here it is anyway.

[youtube]WBv8_8EHZUU[/youtube]
 
As much as i love my surge and supertool 300, i actually vastly prefer my swisstool for woods use. It rarely rusts, has an awl, the saw is 10x better than leatherman saws, the sheath is more compact and i prefer the can opener. The surge has its place also as well as the supertool 300, i just feel they aren't outdoors worthy when in the woods. I'll even carry my vic camper over my leatherman.
 
I'm also a big leatherman fan and have 3 but ever since getting the vic. Spirit X they haven't really seen any use. Like SuzukiGS750EZ said, they don't rust, saw is better and the awl is great. It also has a nice little hook at the base of it.
 
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