The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Just curious about needles. I’ve just been sharpening but more so taking the rust off old needles . I was wondering can one use small nails for needles or are needles made from a special metal …and also I have a HMV 102 phonograph can I use soft and loud needles on shellac records

New needles are available quite cheaply. Throw the old ones out, and don't even bother with nails.

- Bill

Lucius1958 wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:47 pm New needles are available quite cheaply. Throw the old ones out, and don't even bother with nails.

- Bill

Agreed! There's no need to reinvent the wheel.

Don’t think nails are a good idea!

With a HMV 102 you can use what you like, but the thicker (louder the tone) the more damage to the records.

I have several 102s and always use extra soft or soft tone needles for earlier records that are quieter.

leels1 wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 6:05 am Don’t think nails are a good idea!

With a HMV 102 you can use what you like, but the thicker (louder the tone) the more damage to the records.

I have several 102s and always use extra soft or soft tone needles for earlier records that are quieter.

Thanks I’ll sure take that advice seriously

Please, use only new needles. Use the needle for only one play, then throw it away.

(Nails are for pounding into wood. They will destroy records.)

JerryVan wrote: Sat Jan 15, 2022 3:47 pm Please, use only new needles. Use the needle for only one play, then throw it away.

(Nails are for pounding into wood. They will destroy records.)

Yes I have been thanks for your input but I was thinking about very fine tacks anyway I will try to find some new ones somewhere while trying to get some jazz records I mean i only have a couple atm and in the land down under it’s hard to find things.

As I understand it, gramophone needles were (and still are) cut, profiled (shaped), hardened, then tumble-polished. I think it would be extremely difficult to replicate the latter three processes on a D-I-Y basis...

In Australia and NZ there are strong gramophone fans groups, you should be able to locate a needle supplier near you...

There is one kind of nail which probably will not damage the record, and that is the one which grows on the tips of your fingers. The writer Patrick O'Brian, best known for his 'Aubrey-Maturin' series set in the British Navy during the Napoleonic wars, makes a character in his 1952 novel Three Bear Witness describe playing a record by holding a fingernail against the surface. I suspect that O'Brian had actually done this, since the book
draws heavily on his real-life experience living in a remote cottage in the Welsh mountains. I have not tried it myself (my nails are never long enough), but I fear its only advantage would be that the result would be too faint to present any risk of disturbing anyone else in the house – which is the reason why the man in the novel does it.

Oliver Mundy.