Kemper Lace Tool for Quilling

"BING!"

That was the sound of my quilling tool snapping off completely. It was also the sound of my heart breaking after 20 years of great use. Was it some kind of Freudian slip that I blogged about this tool recently and had a reader, mariannetolosa, who mentioned she uses it for clay? My sanity was saved knowing I could find it somewhere out there in a craft store near me (Vancouver, BC).

DeSerres sold two bookbinding awls but the Lineco Light Duty Awl didn't taper smoothly or come to as fine a point (imagine sharpening a pencil with an x-acto knife). The Heavy Duty Awl was too large a circumference. Their clay section offered an awl but was part of a larger tool package. I finally found the $4 Kemper Lace Tool at Opus on Granville Island and did a silent scream/dance of joy in the aisles.

Thank you mariannetolosa - you saved my sanity!