How to Fix a Blunt Needle: 4 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow (2024)

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   Obtain an emery board.^[1] Most of us have one of these sitting about in the bathroom cabinet. A finer-grit one is much better than a coarser-grit one for this purpose, since it will leave a smoother sharpened metal surface at the point of the needle, which is highly desirable. A very-fine-grit-diamond or very-fine-grit-stone tool/knife sharpener or scrap of very-fine-grit emery paper may have a finer grit than a fingernail emery board, and may leave a smoother point on the needle after grinding, which is highly desirable for this first step in repairing any kind of blunt needle. It is highly-desirable to create an extremely-smooth final metal surface everywhere on the needle.

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   Test the sharpness of the needle's point against your skin. If the point is still as sharp as it can be, then the needle may only need to be polished to improve its performance. The needle's surface might be microscopically or visibly rough because of old scratches or corrosion, making the point falsely appear to be blunt. If the point is actually blunt, then rub the emery board around only the point area of the needle --- or pull the tip of the needle backward with some downward force (while turning the needle in your fingers) on the flat very-fine-grit sharpening surface at a shallow angle, as when sharpening a knife on a flat stone. This should sharpen the needle point. Be careful to grind only the area at the point. Be careful to not scratch the manufacturer's mirror-smooth finish anywhere else on the needle. Any scratches on the needle will need to be removed later by polishing, so don't add unnecessary scratches by grinding.^[2]

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   Polish the metal to make it as mirror-smooth as possible after grinding. Put a dab of toothpaste (that contains polishing grit) or automobile-paint-polishing paste or metal-polishing paste on a scrap of cloth lying on top of a rubber glove (as an impermeable pad) at the extreme edge of a kitchen or bathroom countertop. Pull the needle backward on the cloth repeatedly a large number of times, with some downward force, while turning it in your fingers to polish all sides of the needle. The gritty toothpaste or other gritty polishing paste on the cloth will become increasingly blackened, indicating that the metal is being microscopically polished. Eventually, the metal will become mirror-smooth. This is a long-proven, successful final procedure that is well-worth the effort. You can also polish the entire needle in this way, which is well-worth the effort. A sewing-machine needle, for example, absolutely must have a manufacturer's mirror finish if it is to work well in the machine. Clean the polishing paste off the polished needle and off your fingers using detergent or soap, and water.

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   Use soap. If you are still experiencing difficulties in pushing through the needle after using the emery board (only if necessary) --- or other very-fine-grit grinding surface (only if necessary) --- followed by the important final polishing-paste procedure to achieve a manufacturer's mirror-like surface, then you can rub the needle (entire length) across a bar of dry soap.^[3] As you continue to work with your fabric, stick the needle point into the bar of soap occasionally to continue giving it a smooth surface. The soap does not damage the fabric.

   See Also

   Embroidery Machine Needles 101How to Choose the Right Needle for Your Hand Embroidery Project — Beth Colletti Art & DesignEmbroidery Needles Made Easy | Your Complete 101 GuideWhat's the Difference Between Hand and Machine Embroidery?

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• The entire needle should be polished using gritty polishing paste to obtain a mirror-like manufacturer's finish on the sharpened point and everywhere else. Any microscopic roughness from sharpening and any corrosion and any rust on the needle will be removed by the polishing paste. A point that has been sharpened using abrasive stone remains microscopically extremely rough until it has been polished to a manufacturer's mirror-like finish using polishing paste.

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• Keep an emery board in the sewing basket for quick sharpening access, but only if absolutely necessary though, since the needle's true problem is more likely a microscopically-rough surface that deceivingly masquerades as a blunt point. Test the point against your skin before sharpening it. Any microscopic or visible scratches that are added by necessary or unnecessary grinding will later need to be removed by polishing. Final polishing using polishing paste should be done on a tabletop or countertop.

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• It's helpful to sharpen (only if absolutely necessary) and then polish needles to achieve a manufacturer's mirror-like finish everywhere before putting them back so that they are ready for the next time that you need them.

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• Always take care to keep needles out of the reach of children and pets.

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• Needle to be sharpened and then polished to a smooth, mirror finish
• Emery board for fingernails, or very-fine-grit emery paper, or very-fine-grit diamond tool-sharpener
• Toothpaste containing fine polishing grit, or automobile-paint-polishing paste, or metal-polishing paste for polishing/smoothing the sharpened needle
• Scrap of cloth, and a rubber glove underneath the cloth to provide an impermeable pad on a countertop for polishing the sharpened needle
• Soap

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Co-authors: 6

Updated: September 15, 2021

Views:118,794

Categories: Sewing Tools and Supplies