How To : Sharpening Needles

How To : Sharpening Needles

This will work for all kinds of needles: sewing machine, hand needles, fish hooks, etc.

I already have a video out on how to sharpen blades of all sorts - use the data there to help you if you are completely new to sharpening.

Basically, if you maintain a consistent angle and remove burrs, then you will have an edge. The finer and smoother that edge is, the sharper it is. It’s the same for blades or needles. The difference is, a blade has 2 sides. A needle is 360 degrees.

So, all you are going to do, is find your angle - then spin. The more consistent and even you are with your spin, the better. Which is why a device would be helpful...but not necessary. Typically when a sewing needle is dull, it’s simply because it got a burr in it. Remove that burr and hone the edges a tad and it’s sharp again.

No one will argue that a sharp needle will give you the best results. They only argue that it’s not worth sharpening. I disagree. It’s so easy to do and it will give you a ton more use out of each needle. Plus...if you ever sew with an actually sharp needle, you won’t go back. If you want to purchase sharp needles (Microtex), they are double the cost of regular needles. Regular needles actually aren’t sharp. By sharpening your own needles, you can get better performance and longer life out of them.

Each needle has a limited life out of it, because limited metal there. Honing should be more about smoothing out the edge again, rather than removing the metal to create a whole new edge. If the needle itself is bent - toss it. That is not worth trying to bend back.

Also, get a quality brand needle like Schmetz. No name needles can be very lacking in quality and are just not worth it. Know where you can save and where it’s better to spend the money.