How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

[Hank Trent]

The title says it all: in the period, if someone wrote that needles were the same size as "ordinary darning needles," how big might that typically be in length and diameter?

In case you're interested in the context, here, bottom of page.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[VMurphy]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

Wow...Hank, very good question. We know as a rule that darning needles are larger in size than a needle used for fine sewing...but relating it to sizes of needles today ... who knows... I'd guess that perhaps Virginia Mescher has some info on this :)
The project is making lace of some sort? Correct? So it reads as though he's simply saying that that particular project didn't require a very fine needle so they were able to make something the approx. size of "darning needles" to work with...?? A darning needle today is perhaps a size 4 or 6??? While the size I like to use for hand sewing is a 12.
Can we assume that the size ratio then would have been about the same?? Have you see any photos of period sewing needles? I have a tin box of sewing needles that dates to the turn of the century and they seem to be relative in size as today.

Perhaps someone will post some documentation on period needle sizes
Regards
Vivian Murphy

[Hank Trent]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

The project is making lace of some sort?

Actually, the project is trying to make clothes in Andersonville prison with homemade needles. The author describes how they made needles from bone, which obviously wouldn't be as fine as regular sewing needles, but I'm trying to figure out how fine they were. It's not a hypothetical question. :) I want to see if I can make one and sew a shirt with it next month, but would like to know what size I'm shooting for. No point in failing in my sewing because I'm trying with a needle that's way too big, or, on the other hand, needlessly attempting to make a needle far smaller than they could manage.

Have you see any photos of period sewing needles? I have a tin box of sewing needles that dates to the turn of the century and they seem to be relative in size as today.

Off the top of my head, I believe I've seen that sewing needles came in a variety of sizes just like today, from tiny ones for fine sewing to heavy ones for canvas and leather, and I suspect there may have been a range in darning needles as well, which is why I'm curious what the most common size of a darning needle would be.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[VMurphy]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

You are an ambitious sort, aren't you :) just teasing! It would be a great project! You know, sometimes I think we outsmart ourselves sometimes..and try too often to "reinvent the wheel"...Needles may have been manufactured differently, packaged, differently and/or sold differently. But a needle is a needle. And darning, is darning.. You've sewn enough to know that within a certain spectrum of sizes available, the sewer chose the needle he preferred to work with. Ask yourself, what size needle to I use today to darn with? Depends on the thread you are using and what you are darning.....wool socks will take a different size than darning a glove???
Just some thoughts on the subject...
Good luck on your project :)

Vivian Murphy'

[MrsArmstrong]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

Here is an illustration, the only reference to sizes I've seen is "small and large":tounge_sm.

Dublin quarterly journal of medical science 1858

http://books.google.com/books?id=iwIHAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA33&dq=%22common+darning+needle%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1865&num=100&as_brr=1#PPA34,M1

Susan Armstrong

[Hank Trent]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

Ask yourself, what size needle to I use today to darn with? Depends on the thread you are using and what you are darning.....wool socks will take a different size than darning a glove???

Well, I'm figuring that the most common darning in the period would be socks, since they're the knitted items that wear out the most, but the problem is, I darn socks so infrequently that I don't have a special needle for it, just grab a blunt needle left over in the pincushion that belonged to my mother (who didn't darn socks either) and do my best. But whether it's the best needle for the task, or even a darning needle at all, I have no idea.

So, like you say, I was hoping that maybe someone who darns period socks a lot could comment on what size needle is typically used, even if there's no direct evidence how big needles were in the period. Like Susan Armstrong, all I've been finding in the period is vague mentions, nothing specific.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[JohnTaylorCW]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

Hi Hank,

This doesn't answer the size question, but is an interesting little "how to" article. From a Viking Living History group's website:

http://www.frojel.com/Documents/Document15.html

[Hank Trent]

Re: How big was an "ordinary darning needle"?

http://www.frojel.com/Documents/Document15.html

Very cool information! Thank you.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net