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I was delighted to receive four collar needles from Andy (BCN) as I'd been looking to add these unusual ones to my collection for some time.

The microscope reveals something interesting about them: three are apparently low quality builds, with off-centre collars and poorly written text, and the fourth is clearly made to a higher standard, with bold text.

For a while I wondered if it was just a matter of poor quality control, but the text is positioned differently on the "good" needle, with the A starting near the collar compared to the A at the end of the other needles.

I wonder if they were made by different companies, or perhaps at different times? They are lovely to see close up anyway. The "good text" one is a composite of 212 focus-stacked images.
Iain

Curious as you say Iain!

I see they look used - sorry! They were from a lot I hadn't checked yet (not that I'd be likely to use them anyway...)

Orchorsol wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2024 6:32 am Curious as you say Iain!

I see they look used - sorry! They were from a lot I hadn't checked yet (not that I'd be likely to use them anyway...)

Oh gosh, please don't apologise! I'm equally delighted whether they are used or not! One is not used actually, so I will try it, though I read somewhere that they are pretty savage beasts
Iain

Im6 finding all this fascinating. I'm also a needle collector, I mean, I use to keep separately those special needles that have found in my collecting story, and I could send to you an example of several branded needles, etc. I keep small bags of used needles of different types, and I use to examine them under a magnifying glass from time to time... and recreate on that enormous variety of the one day populated industry, which has disappeared after the microgroove standardisation.
This comes from the times when I had no fresh needles supply, and I set down my own small repointing industry to recycle used steel needles. I always keep my used needles, and the tools I used for repointing, in case I ever need all this again...

Inigo wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2024 8:16 am Im6 finding all this fascinating. I'm also a needle collector, I mean, I use to keep separately those special needles that have found in my collecting story, and I could send to you an example of several branded needles, etc. I keep small bags of used needles of different types, and I use to examine them under a magnifying glass from time to time... and recreate on that enormous variety of the one day populated industry, which has disappeared after the microgroove standardisation.
This comes from the times when I had no fresh needles supply, and I set down my own small repointing industry to recycle used steel needles. I always keep my used needles, and the tools I used for repointing, in case I ever need all this again...

Well that's fantastic! (Fantastic that there are other needle collectors out there, and also that you might be able to share a couple... . I can send any examples I've shown here to you too if I have more than one. I'll Message you.
Many thanks,
Iain

@IainP1

Thank you so much for this very interesting work, and yes .... I recognize and understand that it is a lot of work. It is much appreciated.

I, too, have a small collection of strange needles, mostly used but not all. The collection's growth rate has stalled as I have run out of room for any new machines, and most of the really curious needles were found down under motor boards. A few have come out of needle cups and tins, which always seem offer a bewildering mixture of new and used needles of various types and tones.

It would be interesting to see some documentation of the particular horrors of poorly made modern plated needles, the ends of which can look like fish hooks and various garden implements even under the limited magnification of a jeweler's loupe. If you love your records, don't buy garbage needles.

Here are 28 more types of needle ! (apart from the 2 missing ones) There must have been many more at the time !

Gramtastic wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2024 10:46 am Here are 28 more types of needle ! (apart from the 2 missing ones) There must have been many more at the time !

I had no idea! And what a superb collection. Colour me jealous...