Awl, point to chief (Period)

An awl is a tool for piercing small holes in leather or wood, consisting of a sharp needle mounted in a wooden handle.  It’s a period charge, found in the rebus badge of John Alcock, Bishop of Ely (d.1500) [Siddons II.2 331].  The awl’s handle varied in form:  the illustration is taken from the Hausbuch der Mendelschen, c.1531 [Amman xli].

The awl has no Society default orientation, but must be explicitly blazoned:  e.g., “point to chief” as in the illustration.  For related charges, see chisel, graver.

Rudger Nadel bears:  Argent, three awls points to chief sable.

Kendrick MacBain bears:  Per bend sinister Or and vert, a wooden stick shuttle bendwise sinister proper and an awl bendwise sinister point to base argent.

Wystan Haldane bears:  Quarterly Or and azure, an awl, point to base, and a mallet in saltire counterchanged.