Have you ever wondered what all the markings are on your Schmetz Needles? Lets dive in and take a look!
The top part of a sewing machine needle is called the shank, and most domestic sewing machine needles have a flat shank, while industrial and some older domestic machines have a round shank. Having a flat shank means your needle will always be in the right position and won’t go in the wrong way. Plus, the beveled butt of the needle makes it super easy to insert into the needle bar.
Now let’s take a look at those Schmetz specific colour markings. They’re like little helpers that let you know the needle type and size with just a quick glance. No more confusion or wasting time searching for the right needle.
The long groove on the front of the needle is there to protect your thread as it travels through the fabric. It helps to minimise any damage as it goes up and down.
The scarf on the back of the needle is like a space creator for the hook. It makes it easier for the loop to catch and form a perfect stitch.
The eye of the needle is where your top thread is inserted. The size of the eye depends on the size of the needle.
The shape of the needle point and tip varies depending on the type of needle you’re using. Schmetz has a huge range of types of needles including Universal, Jersey, Stretch, Jeans and Microtex just to name a few.
Now, let’s dive into some needle numbers. The NM number is calculated by multiplying the diameter of the needle blade by 100. For example, a needle with a blade diameter of 0.75 mm corresponds to NM 75.
When you look at a needle and it says its a 90/14, those 2 numbers actually indicate the same thing, just different numbering systems.
The European metric sizing system for sewing machine needles is numbered from 60 to 110 and was developed by Singer. The American sizing system is numbered from 8 to 18. For both sizing systems, the lower the number the finer the needle and the higher the number the larger the needle.
Most needle companies show both sizes on the package.
I hope you learnt a little more about Needles to help you when you use them next!
