Keeping needles straight

[Green Gal]

I just found out through another thread that I am not the only person to bend her tatting needles while pulling them through. :biggrin: This lead me to wonder if there is a way to straighten the needles properly. Ive tried to straighten them but this leads to a serpentine look and its quite difficult to tat along a curved needle. Any ideas anyone?

[BlueDode]

Green Gal:

Bent tatting needles? The ones I have (probably made in USA) don't bend on me...I've worried about them snapping/breaking, though.

Think I found the thread you mentioned. Do you use your tatting needles to hide ends, too? Try using tapestry needles to hide ends, and save your tatting needles for tatting (I know, this won't help the bent ones). I also know some tatting books instruct readers to hide ends with tatting needles but I don't recommend it.

I've recommended my needle tatting students purchase inexpensive tapestry needles for hiding ends: they are shorter and more amenable to a thimble: that said, I've broken some of those (the nickel plated ones are more durable than others, but some people have nickel allergies so probably can't use those). Tapestry needles are much less expensive than tatting needles, at least here in the US.

Some metals have "memory" and some don't: stainless steel does NOT have memory (neither does aluminum). Not sure how to determine the metallurgy of the tatting needles (any scientific tatters out there?). However, no memory, no "springing back". Maybe tatting needles in AUS are different than tatting needles in the US: any thoughts out there on this one?

I don't know what to do about the bent needles: I never considered that: I thought they would break first...live and learn....

[TotusMel]

Ha, I bend mine too. I just try to bend them back the other way to varying degrees of success. They've never bent enough to affect my tatting though.

[Kersti]

I've noticed that my finer needles are getting a distinct bow in them as well.

A search online found the following tip - may or may not help, I haven't tried yet. Worth a try if the needle bend is enough to annoy you.

Put the needle between the grooves of a pair of pliers, close the pliers and slowly pull the needle through while turning it. Idea is to pinch the needle tightly while twisting and pulling to force it through a straight stretch of metal.

[carolivy]

I hold my needle tight while I am tatting. That is why mine are bending. I'm not worried about the bend. I don't think they will break as I've been using the same needles now for over 10 years. My knitting needles are all bent too. It is just something to do with the way I hold them and the tension I use. :blush::biggrin:

[Tammy]

For me I think it is more heat related then pulling hard through a ring. When I needle tat I have my thumb on the one side of the needle and the four fingers to the other side so that the heat from those fingers and I'm sure the pressure I'm using while holding the needle allow it to curve right around my thumb.

I think I would be afraid to try the pliar method to straighten my needles as I'm afraid I would scratch up the needles surface making it difficult for the threads to slide nice. I know how I am. :w00t:

[Beelizabeth]

I've noticed that my finer needles are getting a distinct bow in them as well.

A search online found the following tip - may or may not help, I haven't tried yet. Worth a try if the needle bend is enough to annoy you.

Put the needle between the grooves of a pair of pliers, close the pliers and slowly pull the needle through while turning it. Idea is to pinch the needle tightly while twisting and pulling to force it through a straight stretch of metal.
Dont use regular pliers. you can get pliers that have nylon or plastic covered jaws that work really well for straightening wire (I do a lot of French beaded flowers) and they may work on your needles. I haven't bent my needles so I haven't tried straightening them this way. You can find the pliers in bead and wire sections of craft stores.

[ldr103]

My thinner needles have gotten bent, but not enough to bother me. When/if the reach tat point, I plan on heating them and seeing if it'll make it easier to get back into shape annealed. I figure I can sand/buff off any fire scale that gets built up. I've found nylon jaw pliers to be generally useless, and well, I have a torch and a metals background.

[Green Gal]

I think I may invest in some usa needles and see if they are any different
and then I can try some serious straightening with the others

[sackerland]

Thanks for all the great tips! My fine needles are so bent that I was considering throwing them away!

[Judy]

Whoa,
I was at a quilt show and there was a package marked "Tatting Needles" at a very good price. Naturally I snapped them up. At home I found they were re-packaged "surgical needles" with a very distinct curve to them... they're also a sort of odd size.. not quite 5 or 7. They've worked well. I think I'm straightening them!. The funniest thing is I keep wondering why a surgeon would want a blunt needle. Huh?

[sonsery]

How do you tell where the needles are made? I bend mine too. I got mine here in the USA from some two different stores. I noticed that one of my size 5 needles seems a wee bit larger than the other. I am wondering if this is because they are made by different companies or? Does anyone know.

Barb

[Judith Connors]

if you are making small rings, etc, with fine thread, have you ever tried chenille embroidery needles? They have even shanks which will pass through the double stitches/knots easily.
Judith.

[sonsery]

Totus Mel I love your tatting! I found it by accident through google. Your work is out of this world. I love how you have taken an old technique and applied it to contemporary fashion. WTG !

Barb (fairly new to this forum)

[TotusMel]

Totus Mel I love your tatting! I found it by accident through google. Your work is out of this world. I love how you have taken an old technique and applied it to contemporary fashion. WTG !

Barb (fairly new to this forum)

Aw, thanks so much!

[rain]

LOL its good to know Im not the only one with a bunch of bent needles! I like to work with a size 7 needle and somehow it gets sooo bent up, I went and bought a new one and instead of it bending it broke!! So I still use the bent one lol I did just buy a whole new set just to have 2 of them all. I tried to un-bend them but that doesnt seem to make it any better. I have tried using tapestry needles for hiding the ends (I also cross stitch so have plenty of those laying around) but they get stuck and I end up breaking them. But I will try again and see if I can get that to work so I wont bend up my new needles. ( And the one that broke, broke when I was hiding the ends on a project)

[carolivy]

I used to do a LOT of Cross Stitch (back before my eyes stated getting bad :mad:) and every single Cross Stitch needle I own is even bent! :ohmy: :biggrin:

[FireRose]

I use to bend my needles too, but since I started using a crochet hook to pull the thread through on joins, the bending has reduced alot. I didn't realize how much force was putting on the needle in this action. The reason for the switched to a crochet hook was I was having difficulty with the thread running away, especially on very small picots. I've never had a needle break though, and the bends don't seem to effect the end result.

[patrice]

I have found that I bend my finer needles-but they are my favorite needles.I have some that do not bend as easily-but they do not tat as easily either.The reason they are my favorites is-they make smaller DS's and they hide the threads better(because they are thinner-I can get them back through the rings to hide stitches.)If they get too bent-I warm them in my hand-rub back and forth-then gently try to straighten them against something hard-like my counter top.I have had some of my favorite needles for more than fifteen years...I have a bigger problem with the finer needles being sharper than the fatter ones.When I am working on a large project-like I am now-I always have buffs on my left forefinger-from the sharp needle.Thank goodness I have devised a way to tat-that keeps the needle away from my tender left forefinger.Good luck with the needles-don't throw them away-please.