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[1926CredenzaOwner]

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[richardh]

I have some of these tungstone paper packets and always wondered if they were give aways or sample packets. Mine came as a nice surprise bonus in a victor cardboard needle holding box. I bid on the box and when it arrived there were a pile of steel needles as well as two packets of this type of tungstone needles (8 unused needles)inside it. As I only paid a few $ I felt I did quite well.

RJ

[1926CredenzaOwner]

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[richardh]

way to go!!...64 tungstones will keep your credenza playing for a very, very long time! Just wish some of the ones I bought had been as cheap as that! However alothough tungstone is convenient...I do prefer cactus....a much softer sound and kinder on the records too.

RJ

[1926CredenzaOwner]

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[OrthoSean]

Hey Eric,

Nice score! I got two entire cases of tungstones (all soft) like that a few years ago from an ebay seller who didn't want to bother with somebody getting upset over a little surface rust. 0000 steel wool will remove the rust instantly. Never tried CLR, I wonder if that might react with the tungsten point...anyone know?

Anyway, the life of a tungstone seems to greatly depend on what you're playing. I've gotten 100 plays from one using clean discs. The more worn the records you're playing are, the faster the point wears down. 50 plays is realistic for average condition (V+-ish) discs. Better stuff and quiter records (like classical stuff) seem to wear the point more slowly. I use them until the sound becomes fuzzy, it doesn't seem to harm the disc if you play them down to nothing in my experience.

Hope this helps!

Sean

[gramophoneshane]

Holy cow!
I just had to pay $77 for an unopened tin of HMV Tungstyles.
Nice score indeed.

[richardh]

I would agree with Sean on the amount of wear you are realistically going to get from a tungstone...it really does vary with what you are playing and the condition of the record. I would add that I have found tungstones to be a little fragile so as I am sure you are aware you need to place it on the record carefully or you could bend the wire (although I did this but just bent it back again and it was fine! ). I also sheared the tip off one two by playing a disk with a nasty needle dig..but then I thin that was my fault

NEVER turn a tungstone to get more wear or take it out of the soundbox and reinsert it UNLESS you use a crappy old record to reshape the tungstone wire from chisel to rounded point. If you play a crappy record through you can then play your good ones after that and it will be fine.

Richard, Where are you getting cactus needles? I'd like to try some.

I have bought some off ebay, but also off other collectors. You do need to have a special tool to sharpen then with and they can also be a bit fiddly until you get used to using them. You cant play worn disks with them..although I do find cactus more forgiving than fibre on that score...but you can play and play and play your disks and no apparent wear results! **A MIRACLE **

You might be able to shapen them using very fine grade snadpaper but I have never tried that. If your serious about cactus then you would need to invest in a sharpener. IM ones turn up on ebay quite frequently. Thats what I have and it works fine. If you want to try a cactus PM me and I can send you a few to try..but the key to success is the sharpening of them.

They also give a much smoother sound as well IMHO


RJ

[OrthoSean]

I've just started using cactus needles recently after "finding" a nice supply on ebay with a really low "Buy It Now", I already had a Red Top sharpener and a few needles but I wasn't that impressed, that is, until I actually learned how to use the sharpener properly! As Richard says, they take a little getting used to, but they are very pleasant sounding. I've been using them quite a lot more now than ever, especially to play really clean discs I probably wouldn't want to play with steel needles.

Anyway, cactus needles are nice...I'm glad I gave them another chance.

Sean

[JohnM]

Why, in this modern age, doesn't someone just make some needles out of nylon or some kind of re-sharpenable plastic? Problem solved!

John M