Beading Needles

[ugidali]

What's the best brand of beading needles? Mine break so fast and easy. The stiff ones are never sharp enough. I get sizes 11, 12, and 13.
But they have always been sooooo weak. Does anyone know of any that are not easily broken?

Tee he heee.

[Asmajol]

Im really hard on needles also. Using the same sizes as you.
They get bent, or i am stringing thru beads too many times and the needles just cant hang.

Im trying to be easier on my needles, but i go thru them like hotcakes, especially if its a necklace.

[Czechy]

I try to use the sharps (short) needles whenever I can since I break those less often. I also use regular ol' quilting betweens in a pinch. I lucked out this spring when I got practically a lifetime supply of beading needles from a craft store that went out of business. I've heard that the English needles are among the best but that might be old information by now.

[between2worlds]

I use the short sharps from a company based in England (have to look in the craft cabinent and find the wrapper the last batch came in). They're the only needles I've found that I don't break before they get dull.

When needles do get dull, I use a piece of emory paper to "refresh" the sharpness. You can find the paper at any hardware store. Just hold the needle at an angle and rub against the paper, rotating the needle slowly until it's sharp again. (The only analogy I can think of to this is: imagine using a rough surface -like sandpaper- to rub a pencil lead against to make the lead a pointy shape).

But eventually all my needles break (either in two or else the eye breaks).

[OLChemist]

John James are pretty good. Although every so often you'll get a batch of the ultrafine ones 15 or 16 that have broken eyes. I think they get mangled by bad shipping and storage at the vendor's.

Recently, I got some really cheap Chinese needles -- Pony brand. They were tough. But the eyes were really rough; real thread shredders. I looked at one under the microscope in the lab, and it looks like they're laser cutting the holes, which explains the rough. The up side is the hole is somewhat bigger and they work well for a friend who can't find the hole in a needle to save her life.

Some hides are hell on needles. Some tanning processes leave lots of microscopic crystals of minerals behind in the collagen fibers. These can dull your needle really fast.

I buy 100 - 250 needles at a time. In my opinion the artist's time and fingers are worth more than a worn, bent or mangled needle. I throw them away once they get so dull that the eye is going into my finger more easily than the tip is going into the hide. I usually manage to break the needle when trying to sharpen it. (Plus, I always have spare needles when folks come to my house and forget their spare needles.)

Just a tip, if you have cats or small kids, tape the worn or broken needles to some junk mail before disposal. Keeps them out of little paws or feet.

[legalstraight]

I have some sharps form some company in eastern europe (they were a gift from someone who didn't like the sharps) that apparently was state run prior to the collapse of communism, since no one else has ever heard of them, and I can't read the name (some of the letters are backwards and weirdly shaped) anyways they are the best sharps I have found, although I am having to store them with desicant now since I am starting to see rust on some of them.

For regular needles (which I prefer) I use John James' 12's and 13's (or 15's for fine work) I use 'em fresh out of the package for loom work, and once they bend a little i sit them aside for peyote stitch and applique.

[SuzzeQ4]

I like the french twists for loom or peyote stitch. I use the 13's and 14's alot too. There is this really long (3 inch) needle I like, can't remember what it's called, going to have to ask the lady that ran our bead store (which just closed) but it didn't break easy, I used them for everything when ever I had one. Once someone gave me a gold needle. I loved, was so careful, it lasted about a year. I cried when it broke cause gold is the only metal I am not allergic to so I have terrible caluses where I hold my needles because of hives. Which makes me reluctant to tey new needles cause if the length is different and it touches off my calluses then I get hives until it's real rough and callused too....now all you beaders tryin to imagine being allergic to your needles, think about other metal items for everyday. All my utensils have plastic handles so thats good, but money gives my hands hives too and up here our 1's and 2's are coins.

[ugidali]

Cool

I use the england brand to but they break soo easily!
They are sharp enough. WIsh I could fine some that didnt break for I finish a whole project!

[Eagle Plumes]

Not sure where these are made but I use and love Pony beading needles, it has a pic of a pony on it, I used one for a lil over a yr before It finally snappd. I beaded several projects one was a crown. I would recomend them to everyone!

[Singing Otter]

I've used the John James beading needles and a plain old pack of sharps (they were labeled fine quilting needles) bought out of the Dollar Tree. Those puppies last forever.

[ugidali]

Beading Needles Keep Breaking

I've used the John James beading needles and a plain old pack of sharps (they were labeled fine quilting needles) bought out of the Dollar Tree. Those puppies last forever.

John James huh?
Mmm. I'll try those. Are they in Hobby Lobby or Michaels?

[Eagle Plumes]

Those are good and also I use Pony ,sharps. I may have said that already lol not sure to lazy to read back that far...

[ugidali]

Has anyone used a thread called Wildfire

___________

[ugidali]

I found some needles on sale at Hobby Lobby.
Got the last one they had. Maybe they more in stock now.
I'll check.

[NorthofAda]

I got some pretty good sharps needles from NocBay trading company and I think I've only broken one so far. They seem to work just fine for both buckskin and fabrics I've beaded onto.