Hand Sewing Needle #18 by Osborne. These Sailmaker's Needles are forged in England by the Wm and Smith Co. They are cast steel with reduced edges, triangular points and long eyes for easy threading. Sailmakers 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: 2-7/16 inches
