Bamboo needles

[Watanabehi]

Hi Y‘all.
Just putting this out, I recently got a HMV soundbox with a triangular needle apature, Seeing that I have had an interest in bamboo needles and knowing that there is a contemporary needle cutter I was wondering if anybody had such a cutter for sale?

I recommend a Davey EMG cutter. If it has a good blade, I should say it is the best cutter I have ever had. It is available on ebay.

[slammer]

You don’t really need a cutter, just a sheet of sandpaper and a flat surface. It is all I ever use and it works fine. Plus, it removes less material with each sharpening than does a cutter.
See Alex Kirtley’s how to video.

https://youtu.be/EiuypyjHX8Y

I saw that video when I was doing the research, of course it is a way to do it. Being the cheapskate I am coughing up 80 to 100 Euros for a cutter will leave me shell shocked. At the moment I am getting a good run for my money with sloe thorn needles, but I would love to try bamboo.

[Watanabehi]

You don’t really need a cutter, just a sheet of sandpaper and a flat surface. It is all I ever use and it works fine. Plus, it removes less material with each sharpening than does a cutter.
See Alex Kirtley’s how to video.

https://youtu.be/EiuypyjHX8Y

I saw that video when I was doing the research, of course it is a way to do it. Being the cheapskate I am coughing up 80 to 100 Euros for a cutter will leave me shell shocked. At the moment I am getting a good run for my money with sloe thorn needles, but I would love to try bamboo.

When you use a sandpaper to sharpen the tip of the bamboo needle, flakes from the sand might get into the tip of the bamboo needle, due to it is made of fiber. Even it is a very small amount of sand, it might sand the groove of records.

[Inigo]

Sometimes I've done this with a lady's nail grinder. There are ones that have 4 degrees of grinding in the same stick, one at each half side, and grade 1 seems a gross wood grinder sandpaper, grade 2 is finer, still grinder, but grades 3 and 4 are true soft polishers. I use the four sides in order, and after the polishing you're left with a very hard, soft and polished bamboo point. If you're careful, you can polish out and remove the barbs left by grade 1, etc. The difficulty I find is that these nail polishers are bonded to a kind of hard foam stick, somewhat elastic, so it's a bit tricky to grind the bamboo to a flat cut; this doesn't really mind if you are careful with the real point. besides grinding out the triangle at the end of the bamboo, you can also turn the point and polish it's sides, so you really achieve a sharp hard polished needle point. These cost a mere 2 or 3 euros in any store... si you could try it if you are curious...

images.jpeg (5.41 KiB) Viewed 457 times

This is a block, there are smaller pads, and I have one that is a thin stick...

[slammer]

Sometimes I've done this with a lady's nail grinder. There are ones that have 4 degrees of grinding in the same stick, one at each half side, and grade 1 seems a gross wood grinder sandpaper, grade 2 is finer, still grinder, but grades 3 and 4 are true soft polishers. I use the four sides in order, and after the polishing you're left with a very hard, soft and polished bamboo point. If you're careful, you can polish out and remove the barbs left by grade 1, etc. The difficulty I find is that these nail polishers are bonded to a kind of hard foam stick, somewhat elastic, so it's a bit tricky to grind the bamboo to a flat cut; this doesn't really mind if you are careful with the real point. besides grinding out the triangle at the end of the bamboo, you can also turn the point and polish it's sides, so you really achieve a sharp hard polished needle point. These cost a mere 2 or 3 euros in any store... si you could try it if you are curious... images.jpeg
This is a block, there are smaller pads, and I have one that is a thin stick...

I had thought about that but as one poster has already mentioned I fear that you would get carborundum flakes adhering on the tip. I have however a Belgian Stone, somewhere, so I may try that.

[Oedipus]

There was a version of the 'Universal' thorn sharpener in the 1930s that could also sharpen bamboo needles on abrasive, but I'm with those who wouldn't dream of sharpening a bamboo needle with any kind of abrasive -- unless I wanted to sandpaper my records!

No question, though, that the Davey is he best of all fibre cutters.

[Steve]

There was a version of the 'Universal' thorn sharpener in the 1930s that could also sharpen bamboo needles on abrasive, but I'm with those who wouldn't dream of sharpening a bamboo needle with any kind of abrasive -- unless I wanted to sandpaper my records!

No question, though, that the Davey is he best of all fibre cutters.

Agreed. I have over 30 different cutters in my collection and although I haven't tried every one, the Davey is definitely the best of those I have!

[Hoodoo]

I think some of you are overworried regarding sandpaper or emery board: any grit embedded in the bamboo would be on the flat section that does not contact the record; what is in the groove is just the back side/rind. Any grit that is on that flat section can’t be rubbed into the groove, as that section does not touch the record.
Do some thorn sharpeners not use a replaceable gritted paper?

[Steve]

I think some of you are overworried regarding sandpaper or emery board: any grit embedded in the bamboo would be on the flat section that does not contact the record; what is in the groove is just the back side/rind. Any grit that is on that flat section can’t be rubbed into the groove, as that section does not touch the record.
Do some thorn sharpeners not use a replaceable gritted paper?

I'm inclined to agree but in any case, surely rubbing a finger or thumb over the sharpened point would remove any debris left anyway? If I use a thorn sharpener I always turn the sharpened needle around between thumb and forefinger to clean off any dust before using it.

[Inigo]

Of course!