needle size ?

[hickok55]

this might be a stupid question but what size thread do i use for john james needles Size 17 (2/0).

[MtlBiker]

3 minutes ago, hickok55 said:

this might be a stupid question but what size thread do i use for john james needles Size 17 (2/0).

I think you'd use .8 thread.  I'm taking that from Rocky Mountain Leather.

I just got my 1/0 John James needles today, which are supposed to be the correct size for Ritza Tiger 1.0 thread.  The eye looks awfully small though and I'll have to see if I can thread it when I get home tonight.

 

[Tugadude]

5 minutes ago, hickok55 said:

this might be a stupid question but what size thread do i use for john james needles Size 17 (2/0).

Not a stupid question, but that's a pretty big needle.  What are you stitching?  I'd say the thread would need to be a minimum of 1.0mm and it could go much higher.

 

1.42mm is the listed diameter of the needle from the John James website.

 

https://www.jjneedles.com/images/downloads/JJ-Needles-Types-and-Sizes-Guide.pdf

[hickok55]

1 minute ago, MtlBiker said:

I think you'd use .8 thread.  I'm taking that from Rocky Mountain Leather.

I just got my 1/0 John James needles today, which are supposed to be the correct size for Ritza Tiger 1.0 thread.  The eye looks awfully small though and I'll have to see if I can thread it when I get home tonight.

 

that's what i thought

Just now, Tugadude said:

Not a stupid question, but that's a pretty big needle.  What are you stitching?  I'd say the thread would need to be a minimum of 1.0mm and it could go much higher.

 

1.42mm is the listed diameter of the needle from the John James website.

 

https://www.jjneedles.com/images/downloads/JJ-Needles-Types-and-Sizes-Guide.pdf

i'm stitching chaps

[MtlBiker]

4 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Not a stupid question, but that's a pretty big needle.  What are you stitching?  I'd say the thread would need to be a minimum of 1.0mm and it could go much higher.

 

1.42mm is the listed diameter of the needle from the John James website.

 

https://www.jjneedles.com/images/downloads/JJ-Needles-Types-and-Sizes-Guide.pdf

Gosh this needle size thing is confusing!  It seems that size 2 is not the same as 2/0.  (And 1/0 is not the same as 1.)  Why the heck do they make it so hard to figure out?

Can you (or anyone here) tell me which JJ harness needle to use for Ritza Tiger 25 1.0 thread?  Is it #1 or #1/0?

And how does #000 harness needle (from Tandy) fit into the sizing scale?  Those were the only ones they had in stock when I ordered and they're much larger than the 1/0 I just received today.

 

[Tugadude]

36 minutes ago, MtlBiker said:

Gosh this needle size thing is confusing!  It seems that size 2 is not the same as 2/0.  (And 1/0 is not the same as 1.)  Why the heck do they make it so hard to figure out?

Can you (or anyone here) tell me which JJ harness needle to use for Ritza Tiger 25 1.0 thread?  Is it #1 or #1/0?

And how does #000 harness needle (from Tandy) fit into the sizing scale?  Those were the only ones they had in stock when I ordered and they're much larger than the 1/0 I just received today.

 

It is my understanding that John James needles are sometimes packaged differently, whether it is because of the country they are sold in or what, I'm not sure.  Best bet is to contact your supplier.  If you go to the link you can see how the listed needles compare size-wise.  When it comes to saddle stitching you don't want too large of needle because they can get hung up and require pliers to pull them through.  Once I figured out what's what I haven't had to do that gain.  I remember one member stating that they have to do it with each and every stitch.  If that's the case, something's wrong.

[Tugadude]

1 hour ago, hickok55 said:

that's what i thought

i'm stitching chaps

Check out this video from Weaver.  Looks to me like they recommend 1.0mm thread with the #17 needle.  What I figured.

 

[MtlBiker]

28 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

It is my understanding that John James needles are sometimes packaged differently, whether it is because of the country they are sold in or what, I'm not sure.  Best bet is to contact your supplier.  If you go to the link you can see how the listed needles compare size-wise.  When it comes to saddle stitching you don't want too large of needle because they can get hung up and require pliers to pull them through.  Once I figured out what's what I haven't had to do that gain.  I remember one member stating that they have to do it with each and every stitch.  If that's the case, something's wrong.

It looks like you're correct (that the same needles are called different sizes depending on the market) but that sure makes it difficult for us newbies.  The John James proper website offers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 16 (3/0, 17 (2/0) and 18 (1/0) sizes.  Rocky Mountain says to use a "0 (1/0)" needle for Ritza 1.0 thread.  So I guess that means the size 18.  I did receive a package of JJ needles today from a Canadian source which are marked "1/0" and they look awfully small and I'd be surprised if I could thread the Ritza 1.0 in them.  My thread is at home and I'll try it tonight.

My order directly from John James in the UK will hopefully arrive tomorrow, and I've ordered a package of each of the 7 sizes they offer.  I guess the idea is to use the smallest needle that you can thread with any given thread... is that right?  And I know you're supposed to flatten the end of the thread to make it easier to thread the needle.

And then you get into Osborne harness needles, which seem to have size specified in a completely different way.  SIGH

And the only needle I've been able to try until now was a "000" (Large) size of unknown brand which was the only size in stock at Tandy when I ordered.  It's way larger than the 1/0 needles I got today.  No idea what thread that's designed for.

Thank you for your help and your patience with us newbies.

 

[Resurgam3191]

Cut the end of 1mm thread to a tapered point. Then it will thread easier through the 1/0 needle. My favorite combo for most holsters sheaths  and even wallets when I make them

[zuludog]

I, too, find the sizing system for needles is confusing, be they John James or any other make, but I have settled on  a few that cover the work I do -

For thin leather like wallets I use 0,35 to 0,45mm thread and John James Saddlers Harness needles item code L3912 size 004

For medium leather like pouches and small to medium knife sheaths I use 0,6mm thread and JJ L3912 needles size 002

For heavier leather like large knife sheaths and axe covers I use 0, 8 to 1,0mm thread and Tandy Stitching Needles item code 1195, sometimes called 'Tandy Big Eye Needles'.

These choices are not fixed, I can have a bit of variation. For example belts can be treated as medium or thick leather depending on the exact thickness of the leather and what I feel like at the time

I also reckon that there is a bit of variation between threads of different manufacturers even though they may be listed as the same - or to put it another way, I'm sure some 0,6mm thread is thicker than others......