Decent sewing needles and thread
- Thread starter Barn Owl
- Start date
Secret to threading is a very sharp knife or pair of scissors. If it doesn't work first time, cut the end again. Do not wet the end or pull the end. I manage most needles with gutterman heavy duty polyester which is quite thick. Longer needles usually have a bigger eye.
That rather depends on the 'long'. I have a lot of long ones with tiny little egg shaped eyes....long eyed needles are crewel needles, meant for embroidery using either cotton or wool, that's why they have the longer eye.
Not saying they can't be used for normal hand sewing, and many prefer them for it, but the long eye means that there's more chance of the thread end slipping out if it's not 'thick'.
I sew with everything from superfine silk to heavyweight buttonhole twist. I change the needle I use to suit the fabric and thread.
Gutterman's good thread, but the HDPoly is a tad muckle for putting up the hem on a pair of trousers. Good for sewing the button back on though
M
Not saying they can't be used for normal hand sewing, and many prefer them for it, but the long eye means that there's more chance of the thread end slipping out if it's not 'thick'.
I sew with everything from superfine silk to heavyweight buttonhole twist. I change the needle I use to suit the fabric and thread.
Gutterman's good thread, but the HDPoly is a tad muckle for putting up the hem on a pair of trousers. Good for sewing the button back on though
M
Look around car boot sales, bric-a-brac shops, and the like, for sewing boxes.
Very often, these will come up in house clearances, they are usually stuffed full of old bobbins of thread and with old needles.
You'll probably end up with a load of embroidery threads, too, or a handful of crochet hooks, that you might not want, but I'm sure you can find somebody on here who would find a use for them.
Don't be put off by a little bit of surface tarnish on a good needle; you can polish that away and if necessary sharpen the point (get a little grooved stone for sharpening fish hooks).
Very often, these will come up in house clearances, they are usually stuffed full of old bobbins of thread and with old needles.
You'll probably end up with a load of embroidery threads, too, or a handful of crochet hooks, that you might not want, but I'm sure you can find somebody on here who would find a use for them.
Don't be put off by a little bit of surface tarnish on a good needle; you can polish that away and if necessary sharpen the point (get a little grooved stone for sharpening fish hooks).
Another good point; good needles are worth saving. Oxalic acid, wash well, gently buff up back to complete smoothness, and the needle will still be better than the carp stuff in most modern packs.
Be careful around the eye, dental floss with a little very fine stropping compound works well.
If you come across very fine, old, easy threaders in fair condition...the ones with the finest slip through at the side of the eye, not at the end of the eye, I will happily re-imburse or barter
M
Be careful around the eye, dental floss with a little very fine stropping compound works well.
If you come across very fine, old, easy threaders in fair condition...the ones with the finest slip through at the side of the eye, not at the end of the eye, I will happily re-imburse or barter
M
Refreshing an old thread (I can't find the one of my, "I would buy these" )
On eBay just now, if you want Redditch made sailmaker's needles, at a bargain price....
On eBay just now, if you want Redditch made sailmaker's needles, at a bargain price....
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht | eBay
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht.
www.ebay.co.uk
I recently bought a pack of those from that seller... Very good quality and they're BIG. You can make a very nice awl from one of them.Refreshing an old thread (I can't find the one of my, "I would buy these" )
On eBay just now, if you want Redditch made sailmaker's needles, at a bargain price....
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht | eBay
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht.www.ebay.co.uk
Their bluff, forward point and their length would indicate their being "roping" needles, rather than for seaming. Seaming types have a shallower, thus longer, point.
The long use of roping needles is great for bulking up shoulder muscles. So much so, that entry through multiple layers was often preceded by use of the pricker tool.
Multiple threads were used for roping and, once inserted,, each stitch was hove ultra-tight by either a turn of the yarn about the high leather collar of the roping palm, or. with a "T" shaped tool known as a stitch-heaver, that was used like a hand capstan.
Regards All,
Ceeg
The long use of roping needles is great for bulking up shoulder muscles. So much so, that entry through multiple layers was often preceded by use of the pricker tool.
Multiple threads were used for roping and, once inserted,, each stitch was hove ultra-tight by either a turn of the yarn about the high leather collar of the roping palm, or. with a "T" shaped tool known as a stitch-heaver, that was used like a hand capstan.
Regards All,
Ceeg
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So who paid top dollar for these?Refreshing an old thread (I can't find the one of my, "I would buy these" )
On eBay just now, if you want Redditch made sailmaker's needles, at a bargain price....
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht | eBay
Vintage Packet Of 25 Large Sail Needles British Needle Co Ltd Yacht.www.ebay.co.uk
Crikey ! that's some postage fee, isn't it ?
Sound needles though, but that's tripled the price.
M
Sound needles though, but that's tripled the price.
M
Aaaarrrrgh!
Beguiled by the picture of the packet, I was thinking that I had eventually located some more of the old-style canvas sewing needles. Not to be...their eyes are very crudely pressed , just like all the modern sail needles.
Ah well, ...I will do the usual and scour out the eyes with abrasive compound and do the job that modern needle producers seem unable to perform.
Regards All
Ceeg
Beguiled by the picture of the packet, I was thinking that I had eventually located some more of the old-style canvas sewing needles. Not to be...their eyes are very crudely pressed , just like all the modern sail needles.
Ah well, ...I will do the usual and scour out the eyes with abrasive compound and do the job that modern needle producers seem unable to perform.
Regards All
Ceeg
I'm sorry to hear that Seagull, I thought these were decent vintage needles. The ones I have in the same packet certainly are. I'm a fussy besom about the eyes of needles. The modern ones are, as you say, all too often just carp and rough as the backside of the black and white striped beast.
Never mind the steel they are made of, is it just me, or did needles used to be easier to thread in the old days?
Oh definitely
Tell you what helps though, buy a pair of cheap 'reading glasses' and slip them on over your ordinary ones. Specky four-eyes maybe, but you'll be able to see to thread a needle
Tell you what helps though, buy a pair of cheap 'reading glasses' and slip them on over your ordinary ones. Specky four-eyes maybe, but you'll be able to see to thread a needle
I should've mentioned that the ones I went for, were not the roping needles that were being discussed....wouldn't want to put anyone off those vintage ones, they do look pretty good.
Regards
Ceeg
That's somewhat of a relief; I had honestly decided that if I couldn't guarantee the quality of the needles I recommended then I wouldn't post such again.
M
M
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