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Good Morning to all, Does anyone have a Decca cactus needle sharpener they could live without? I know there not widely used in the east, but here in Tucson cactus is everywhere. I guess it doesn't have to be a Decca, but a good one. And I've never had one, so I'm not sure what a good one is. You can send pics & price to Mike at [email protected] I can pay you with paypal. Thanks, Mike

artglass86 wrote:Good Morning to all, Does anyone have a Decca cactus needle sharpener they could live without? I know there not widely used in the east, but here in Tucson cactus is everywhere. I guess it doesn't have to be a Decca, but a good one. And I've never had one, so I'm not sure what a good one is. You can send pics & price to Mike at [email protected] I can pay you with paypal. Thanks, Mike

You might consider putting in a saved search on Ebay for this item... they do pop up there from time to time. (I wouldn't personally hold out a lot of hope of finding here as they are the type of item collectors usually purchase to add to their collections, and they aren't prevalent enough that one typically has several on hand... at least that they will admit to, anyway! )

Either way, I wish you luck with your search. You might want to post in Yankee Trader, as well.

Tinkerbell wrote: You might consider putting in a saved search on Ebay for this item... they do pop up there from time to time. (I wouldn't personally hold out a lot of hope of finding here as they are the type of item collectors usually purchase to add to their collections, and they aren't prevalent enough that one typically has several on hand... at least that they will admit to, anyway! )

Either way, I wish you luck with your search. You might want to post in Yankee Trader, as well.

I have to admit, I do have a couple of them, but not that I'm willing to part with. The Decca sharpener is particularly nice, as it has a record duster in the bottom. They do pop up occasionally on eBay, but expect to pay around $50 or more. If you've ever hand sharpened cactus needles, you know that it's well worth the investment.

From what I've seen most companies in the US used the same sharpener with slightly different packaging. The Kacti, Red Top, and Decca sharpeners I've seen are identical in construction.It's a good sharpener, if a little fussy to adjust.

The best sharpeners IMHO were made in the UK where cactus thorn needles were more popular- a few are always on Ebay for around $35.

The Duotone sharpener is quite different- you put an abrasive disc on the turntable and fit the needle into a little catalin plastic device which rotates when you hold it against the moving turntable.

Hello Tinkerbell, Is they're a classified section here?? Kinda neet to see a lady collector! You are a collector, right? Thanks for the input, Mike

estott wrote:The Duotone sharpener is quite different- you put an abrasive disc on the turntable and fit the needle into a little catalin plastic device which rotates when you hold it against the moving turntable.

This is a must if you have Duotone needles. They are much narrower than Decca or Kacti needles and the chuck won't tighten enough to hold them in while sharpening.

Brandon wrote:

estott wrote:The Duotone sharpener is quite different- you put an abrasive disc on the turntable and fit the needle into a little catalin plastic device which rotates when you hold it against the moving turntable.

This is a must if you have Duotone needles. They are much narrower than Decca or Kacti needles and the chuck won't tighten enough to hold them in while sharpening.

I disagree- the Duotone needles I have (dyed a bright green) are the same size as Kacti needles and fit the other sharpeners just fine. The only particularly thin needles I've seen are the "Greythorne" needles which do need a special chuck. It is possible that you do have a different sort of Duotone needle than I have. (In my opinion it isn't a very good sharpener)

With a little practice you can sharpen cactus thorn needles with an emery board- Peter Grey Kacti needles always included a small board in each needle packet.

artglass86 wrote:Hello Tinkerbell, Is they're a classified section here?? Kinda neet to see a lady collector! You are a collector, right? Thanks for the input, Mike

Ask, and ye shall receive:

http://forum.talkingmachine.info/viewforum.php?f=9

And, yes, I am a fellow collector. There are a few of us testosterone-challenged collectors around here...

Does anybody sell good cactus needles these days?

Clay

estott wrote:
I disagree- the Duotone needles I have (dyed a bright green) are the same size as Kacti needles and fit the other sharpeners just fine.

I have a whole case of them (bright green as well), and of the 4 packs I've opened so far, all of the needles have been too skinny to fit in both my red top and Decca sharpeners. Maybe they used a different source for my batch, I couldn't tell you.