Another question ... needles this time

Sunny 18 years ago

Ok, another delve into the community knowledge bank:

I just pried open a case that has been sealed since I brought it home from Janae's house. It's filled with needles -- hundreds and maybe thousands of SM needles. In particular there are blue containers with Schmetz needles, probably 100 or 200 to a little case. They say Canu:

14:25 and Nm: 90/14. Another one says Canu 14:25, Nm: 100/16. Yet another just says "Nu 90". I r ecognize the sharps and ballpoint and stretch needles. But what about the triple needle that says "Schmetz Drilling"? And what are "Eggeyed Harness Needles"" (these I think are hand needles, but I don't want to open the package -- I think it's really, really old)?

I can't believe the mix of stuff ranging from brand new specialty threads for knitting to obviously antique needle packages.

Any help you can give working out the above will be appreciated. If these are all "good" needles that I can use, I may never have to buy another needle. That's no exaggeration. I think there may be thousands of needles in this case. Never saw so many in my life.

Sunny

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Pati C. 18 years ago

Triple needles are fun for decorative work. Much like a twin needle but with 3 instead of 3. Not positive about the "drilling" label, but I think it has to do with one of the old original uses for them. The harness needles are probably hand sewing needles, the "egg eyed" I would assume to be an oval rather than small round eye. Check the length of the needles against a known one. If the length is the same, and they look the same you should be able to use them in your machine. If not, check one of the needle sites for explanations. Sounds like lots of fun.

Pati, > Ok, another delve into the community knowledge bank:

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Sally Swindells 18 years ago

Schmetz needles have a website where they say they will identify their needles (in Sewing Technique Questionnaire)

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Its probably a different sort of question to the usual ones - one someone would enjoy answering. I would ask them.

On their product line chart (all numbers) the word canu is used, but don't know what it means.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~ (uk)

Sunny wrote:

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Maria O 18 years ago

The "canu 14:25" is Schmetz' designation for the needle system, in this case a 16X231, 1738 (A), 287 WH, or DBX1 needle. I think these are industrial types. The common flat-shank needle system used by virtually all domestic sewing machines is variously known as 15X1, HAx1, 705H, 130R and so on. Don't know what the canu is for them. I find Schmetz' site to be opaque and unhelpful, since I don't sew on industrials.

Maria in frigid NE PA

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