Notes on Needles

There are four basic types of needles – sharps, ball points, wedge points, and metallic. Each of these needles come in various sizes. The lower the number, the smaller the needle. Here’s some tips to help you to know which needle to use.

Sharps – Yes, they are sharp needles, with a very sharp point that will penetrate threads. For very fine fabrics such as bridal satin, satin, silk, linen or similar fabrics, you will want to use the smallest needle you have; a #60/8 sharp or a #70/10 sharp would be appropriate sizes for this type of application. For denim and heavy woven fabrics, you will want to use a #75/11 sharp, a #80/12 sharp or a #90/14 sharp. Obviously these are ranges for fabrics and you will need to make the decision which needle is best for your particular application.

Ball Points – They are a bit different than the sharps in that they have a pounded point. These will not penetrate threads as easily and will more than likely go between the threads instead of penetrating them. For knits and loosely woven fabrics you will want to use a ball point needle. The same size constraints will apply to these fabrics as well. The finer the fabric, such as jersey knits and pique knits, the smaller the needle. If you are sewing on a loosely woven fabric such as tapestry you may also want to use a ball point needle.

Wedge Points – These have a sword-like point. They are very sharp but instead of making a round hole penetrations they will make more of a slit or a small slice. Wedge point needles are used for vinyl and leather. In embroidery the stitches and needle penetrations are so close together that if a large hole were made in these types of fabrics, the design might be "cut" out.

Metallic – These needles are made especially for metallic threads. The eye of the needle is shaped a little differently thereby allowing the metallic thread to flow smoothly through the needle. Metallic needles are sharp needles and make a hole that is almost rectangular. This allows for the stiffness of the metallic thread to flow through the needle very easily thereby
creating less friction and less thread breaks. Sizes for the metallic needles apply here as mentioned in the above paragraphs.