What is this needle?

[Tengu]

That is a satsuma, not an orange...

I think its sailmakers needle, its got a diamond shaped point, slightly flattened towards the tip.

(but sailmakers needles are triangular, arent they?)

anyone any idea?

 

[Adze]

We found one of those recently... best guess is a butcher's needle.

 

[maddave]

Or it may be a sailmakers needle...

 

[Toddy]

It's a packing needle.

Basically it's used to sew through any kind of canvas or hessian. It can also be used for seagrass because it's not triangular shaped so it won't cut the grass if it's pulled through previous windings.

Sailmakers needles are triangular but the edges aren't sharp.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Toddy]

Have a look here

http://www.entaco.com/johnjames/tools.php


cheers,
M

 

[Bravo4]

Sailmakers needles are usually triangular in cross section. My guess is some type of upholstery needle. I have a similar needle called a "tufting" needle.

 

[Bravo4]

I type slow.

 

[Adze]

After a bit more googling... this is almost exactly what we've got:

 

[Tengu]

yes, thats it.

I have another in my workbox.

Any idea for an alternative use for it? Im not going to be sewing sacks much.

 

[Adze]

This is what we're going to use ours for (after it's had a good boil and a rub down with some meths on some wet and dry - the needle not the bird)

http://bootsintheoven.typepad.com/boots_in_the_oven/2007/11/turducken-trick.html

 

[Toddy]

They're quite good for lacing things like corsets
They're also good for threading elastic or ribbon through narrow channels.
Not intended for rolling beef joints but they work quite well.
Good for weaving string for giant dreamcatchers too.

Generally they aren't that sharp, you might need to attend to that before you use it to stitch up a bird.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Tengu]

Um, I dont have a corset.

 

[scottforsythe1]

Sailmakers needles okenest:

 

[Tengu]

Its always interesting the things you turn up in boxes at car boots.

I had my eye on a nice painted silk scarf, which was £1, but I also was allowed those two razors, that bit of lambskin, the needle, a snippet of copper sheet and an awl.

 

[tombear]

Somewhere I've got something similar that was used for sewing horse collars, or so I was told, not quite the same and huge! They have the makers name stamped on them. On the same stall I got a couple of old brass bull rings, the hinged sort.

ATB

Tom

 

[Mesquite]

I've got several of those style needles.... some curved, some straight and up to a foot long that belonged to my grandmother. She used them when she was doing the buttons when she did uphostelry.

Alternative uses.... well I guess they could be forged into awls.

 

[Toddy]

You can still buy the long ones, they're called mattress needles and they're meant for just what your grandmother used them

cheers,
Toddy

 

[MartiniDave]

I've got a couple of very similar needles that belonged to my Dad, he always called them sack needles, and used them to repair hessian potato sacks, usually with sisal bailer string.

Now, where did I put them?

Dave

 

[Toddy]

Sounds like them
They got used for the original hessian wraps that bound bundles together for shipping.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[demographic]

It's a packing needle.

Basically it's used to sew through any kind of canvas or hessian. It can also be used for seagrass because it's not triangular shaped so it won't cut the grass if it's pulled through previous windings.

Sailmakers needles are triangular but the edges aren't sharp.

cheers,
Toddy

We had a few needles like that on the farm for sewing up the huge wool bags that contained the wool we sheared off the sheep.