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My most recent (only the second) gramophone purchase was advertised as coming with a tin of needles. It was hard to see the tin in the seller's picture.

I thought, "Cool. A vintage needle tin."

But it turned out to be a vintage laxative tin from Sheffield, Yorkshire. I hope this is not a commentary on the needles within the tin.

There was a mix of quite heavy loud tone needles, fairly standard soft tone needles, and some curious needles with heavy shafts that are reduced to soft or very soft tone size towards the tip. I had never seen this type of needle anywhere before.

In the tin, there was also one machine screw, one wood screw, a lock washer, and a very small ruby rhinestone, which most curiously is magnetic. It is attracted to and attracts ferrous metals. Weird.

Time ago the was s thread about things found in gramophones...
These thick needles with thin points are similar to the Laubscher or Recoton needles. If you google these names you'll find info about them. I believe US Decca also made a similar needle.

Inigo wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:11 pm Time ago the was s thread about things found in gramophones...
These thick needles with thin points are similar to the Laubscher or Recoton needles. If you google these names you'll find info about them. I believe US Decca also made a similar needle.

Thanks, again.

The guy is this video clip swears by these types of needles. He claims that Laubscher was the manufacturer and that Recoton, Decca, and Fidelitone were just repackaging Laubscher product. He say they sound excellent and pickup less surface noise than other needle types.

https://youtu.be/36MDHnrvZ9Q

Here's a couple of odd ones...
They appear to be wrapped with a thin wire. Sorry, no better pic available.

JerryVan wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:39 pm Here's a couple of odd ones...
They appear to be wrapped with a thin wire. Sorry, no better pic available.


Capture.PNG

Interesting, I believe the member, Marco, mentioned these as an aside somewhere way up higher in this thread.

Lah Ca wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:51 pm

JerryVan wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:39 pm Here's a couple of odd ones...
They appear to be wrapped with a thin wire. Sorry, no better pic available.


Capture.PNG

Interesting, I believe the member, Marco, mentioned these as an aside somewhere way up higher in this thread.

It gets continually harder to find "new old things".

JerryVan wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:55 pm

Lah Ca wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:51 pm

JerryVan wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:39 pm Here's a couple of odd ones...
They appear to be wrapped with a thin wire. Sorry, no better pic available.


Capture.PNG

Interesting, I believe the member, Marco, mentioned these as an aside somewhere way up higher in this thread.

It gets continually harder to find "new old things".

Yup.

Marco Gilardetti wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:57 am Time to revive the "super loud needles with added masses" topic, methinks...

As it is well known, the loudest of all needles have added masses, in form of a flat cylinder or a piano wire wounded around the shaft. In both cases, and in the second especially, this seems to elude the logical principle of more mass => less flexibility => more output.

Can someone shed light on why adding mass to the tip can increase the "loudness" of the needle?

Lah Ca wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:35 pm

Inigo wrote: Sun Apr 03, 2022 6:11 pm Time ago the was s thread about things found in gramophones...
These thick needles with thin points are similar to the Laubscher or Recoton needles. If you google these names you'll find info about them. I believe US Decca also made a similar needle.

Thanks, again.

The guy is this video clip swears by these types of needles. He claims that Laubscher was the manufacturer and that Recoton, Decca, and Fidelitone were just repackaging Laubscher product. He say they sound excellent and pickup less surface noise than other needle types.

https://youtu.be/36MDHnrvZ9Q

I just went through the ones I found in the tin and culled out the used ones using my loupe. I was left fifteen or so good ones.

I tried one of the Laubscher-style needles on my A-V machine with a mid-30s dance band record and did an A-B comparison with the modern plated soft tone needles I am using at the moment. As the guy in the video says the Laubscher-style needles have very different tips than most needles, more of an ellipse shape. I didn't notice any reduction in surface noise between the two needle types, but Laubscher-style needle was much louder than the modern soft tone needle, although as the shaft approached the tip they were of similar diameter. Also the Laubscher-style needle gave the record a slightly more "modern" sound, almost an electrical sound, more mid-range and a bit more bass presence, more punch. The soft tone needle made the record sound "old fashioned," as it were played on a gramophone (which it was), if that makes sense.

Every gramophone purchase seems to present an odd collection of needles.

My recently purchased HMV 102c came with some badly worn Laubscher-style needles, some badly worn conventional steel needles, one black-coloured fibre needle which I assume is a thorn needle--it's not bamboo, and a two loud tone needles that show no evidence of wear.

The fibre needle is badly worn but seems to be a full length needle and can be re-sharpened.

The two loud tone needles have a curious paint job along their shafts, a greenish yellow up one side and a vivid red up the other. The colours are almost fluorescent fishing lure colours. I have been using them with the 102c. They are very loud. I am a long way from home, and they are the only needles I have at the moment, apart from the bamboo skewer needles I have been using in desperation. I also found a couple of boxes of 20s and 30s 78s for next to nothing. The temptation to listen to them has proven too great. Even though I know I shouldn't, I am using the fishing lure needles repeatedly, giving them a quarter turn after each play. They still show little or no sign of wear. They still sound great. I am wondering if they are tungsten?

Tungsten is normally used as thin wire and its designed to wear down.
What you have is more likely a needle designed for multiple plays with an electric pickup but they are made from a metal hard enough to withstand the weight of an accoustic soundbox, at least for several plays.
I wouldn't use them on any records you want to keep.