Thatching Awl

The end of a turtle flipper bone is used as an awl (fig. 25, d) for splitting the fala pandanus leaves of roof sheets before inserting the coconut midrib pins (pl. 4, B). With the concave side up, it is pushed through the folded leaf of the sheet from the upper surface and again through the leaf from the under surface in making a stitch for the pin. The curve and raised point of the awl facilitate making the second splitting of the stitch from the under side.