“Butterfly” winders

[Frank S]

Looking at the pics I'm unable to figure out what the pointy tools in the pictures are all about. I know I'm missing some dark secret here. Like what makes the "butterfly" part of this? EdW

I would suspect the awls could have a myriad of uses with the butterfly. 1 can be used as the axle while the other the crank to wind up the line with the plumb bob. both could be used as an axle to pay out the line You could stab 1 into a mortar joint or a rafter to hook the line over and the other as a scribe or if a line level is also incorporated stab both of them some distance apart horizontally then use the plumb bob for making a perpendicular line to the horizontal. With a 3rd awl the line plumbbob and a framing square complex geometrical shape can be laid out