Victorinox Vintage Tapered Awl (pre-1961)

Prior to 1961, Victorinox Swiss Army knives had a larger awl with no sharp edges. It was originally designed for cleaning the end of a rifle, and had no drilling capacity like the modern Victorinox awl. This tool is sometimes called a reamer.

In 1961, Victorinox replaced the vintage awl with two different tools-- a small awl on the red-handled officer models, and a reamer on the new aluminum alox Soldier model.

Vintage Swiss Army Knife Awl

Uses: The original tapered awl was designed mainly to clean out the barrel of a rifle. You can also use it to enlarge holes, or to punch holes through soft materials.

Found On:
  • Vintage Victorinox Swiss Army knives from 1961 and earlier.
Similar Tools:
  • A few Victorinox Swiss Army knives include a reamer that has similar functions, but a slightly different shape.
  • There is also a plain awl on the SwissTool, with a more abrupt taper and a sharper edge.
  • The Wenger awl/reamer is a similar tool that does not have the groove and sharp edge. It's a gentler tool that you can use to push a hole into soft materials, or to remove burrs from a drilled hole in metal or wood.
  • The Leatherman awl/reamer has a similar groove, with a more abrupt taper.