Hand Sewing Needle #17 by Osborne have triangular points and long eyes for easy threading. Canvas workers and sailmakers prefer to use a triangular shank needle to open a rather large hole in the fabric. That cuts down on chafe problems when pulling a long length of twine through the sail again and again.
Needle size increases as the number decreases. The #16 needle is good for most work, but you will want to use larger needles for sewing through many layers of fabric and smaller needles for seam work. There are no hard and fast rules. And a good deal depends upon the ply of the twine in question. Simply use the needle that yields the smallest hole without undue trouble.
Needle length: 2-1/4 inches
