Are they all pretty much the same? What I'm using now seem to dull pretty quickly, especially in heavier going.
Are there premium needles, or a brand that stands above the rest?
Are they all pretty much the same? What I'm using now seem to dull pretty quickly, especially in heavier going.
Are there premium needles, or a brand that stands above the rest?
Dave
"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton
I can get a good week or two out of a needle. Some are better than others. But I get mine from Wally's. I have good luck with the "Jeans" style.
Another thing to check for is that the timing is not off. If the needle is skimming the bobbin shuttle, it will dull fast.
Pulling on the fabric can also torque the needle into the bobbin shuttle ever so slightly causing it to dull.
And the always important "is the needle installed correctly" or "bent"...
Ambulo tua ambulo.
I used some cheapo needles and had all kinds of tangle issues. I switched to Singer needles in my cheapo Brother machine... They're cheap, and I've been tossing them after 2 projects or so...
"Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda
My wonderful wife tells me to switch needles after every project. I listen.
“Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
My (and my wife's) personal choice is Schmetz. They are an excellent quality and readily available.
Things to note....
"Ball Point" needles come dull from the factory. They are supposed to be that way. Ball point needles are intended for knits and high stretch fabrics (lycra etc.) If you use them on nylon you will dull them even farther in no time flat. (For you carpenters out there... ball point needles work on the same principle that blunting a nail will help reduce splitting wood. Totally counter intuitive.. but useful.)
"Universal point" is a hybrid of ball point and "sharp". It is intended to do everything and just like every other multi-purpose solution they often do everything ok and do nothing really well. But they are easy to find and the most popular type of needle available.
"Sharps" are exactly that. And they are wicked sharp. "Jeans" needle referred to above is a very heavy duty sharp needle. Their points are easily damaged by contact with the machine parts. However, used properly they are the best needle IMO for nylon and other synthetic fabrics. The size of the needle is particularly important when using sharps. Too small a needle for the density and thickness of the fabric will lead to dulling the point very quickly.
Under no circumstances use a "Leather" needle except for leather and other thick, heavy, or sticky _non-woven_ fabrics. They have cutting edges that run along the needle itself and they will cut the weave or knits of the fabric. You can't beat them for their intended purpose. But they will trash your project if used incorrectly.
There is a crash course in needles. At this point in time, brand is probably of less importance than matching the right style needle to the project.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
I'm having success with the Shmetz Microtex needles, they are designed to sew ripstop and coated fabrics.
I've got some strange needles too that you should not use with ripstop nylon. They're called a "wing" needle. They have sides on the needle (think of something that looks like a cobra snake head). They're great for making a bigger hole in the fabric though.
I use schmetz needles for all my "hammock/outdoor gear" sewing, usually around a size 10 or 12 sharp.
TinaLouise
What I've found with "brand" needles is they are consistent in size and quality.
I use Schmetz and Organ brands primarily.
"Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda
I agree with Rev the Schmetz's needle are great.
When I bought my thread injector the nice lady at the store pointed me to the Schmetz MicroTex needles and I have found them to be great to work with.
http://www.schmetzneedles.com/sharp.htm
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