Easy-threading Needle – Spiral Eye Needle
Cancel that order for your new prescription glasses! Here’s a needle that you can thread with your eyes closed. Even a mild manifestation of Parkinson’s disease won’t stop you from threading this within seconds – and I’m not kidding. Now you know what to buy for Mother’s Day.
Why It’s Clever
According to Wikipedia, the sewing needle was invented more than 6,000 years ago and was made of bone. Some prehistoric needles have even been found just above an ash layer dated to 40,000 years ago. So WHY has it taken more than 6,000 years for someone to make the first change to the basic design? Apparently, the world had to wait until a certain Pam Turner got old enough to experience needle-threading problems herself and was persistent enough to keep searching until she found a solution.
This Spiral Eye Needle threads from the side. You don’t have to trim the end of the thread and pinch your eyes while trying to insert it into the tiny hole. You can just slide the thread sideways into the opening, and it locks automatically. Simple, isn’t it? If you read the inventor’s website, you’ll understand that the challenge of making this lay more in the manufacturing of precise shapes in a miniature piece of steel than in the concept itself.
These illustrations will help you understand the principle better:
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| Simply drape your thread over the shaft of the needle |
Pinch the thread to form a snug loop around the shaft of the needle. |
Move your fingers holding the thread slowly along the needle toward the end with the eye. |
Stop when you feel the thread "catch" in the slot. |
The inventor, Pam Turner, has already won six innovation awards for her invention, which may have been the motivation behind redesigning the same idea as a surgical needle too.
Summary
- Side-threading needle
- Can be threaded with your eyes closed
- Will be marketed as surgical needle too.
Tips
Maybe I exaggerated a bit in the introduction. There are other easy-threading needles around or in the making; have a look at the following alternatives. But they do seem to be either less easy to use or more expensive to manufacture.
Easy-threading / Calyx eye needle:
The Big Eye easy threading needle (not on the market yet, I believe):
Where to buy
You can buy this easy-threading needle directly from the inventor’s website.
Approx. price: $16 (for a pack of three different sizes; April 2010)
Categories: do-it-yourself,time-saving, simply original
© Copyright Clever & Easy
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|2010-04-23 00:51:31 Clever & EasyAnyhow, as with many products, prices may drop when mass manufacturing catches on and they become available in general stores.
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I am the inventor of the this needle. It is the only needle made in America and it is the only one made out of stainless steel (so it is made without nickel plating.) The cost is because it cannot be made using existing manufacturing processes.
As to availability, Hobby Lobby stores sell them and I just started selling them in small independent sewing shops. Ask the owner of the shop to get them for you.
Or you can get them on line. I also sell them at many state fairs and sewing shows.
Thanks for the notice.
there have been alternatives over the years.
The problem was the size of the Needle or the Back side of the needle.
trying to do Fine work, wasnt easy.
Also another problem was Price and availability.
You couldnt find them, and as a new product they are expensive over a PLAIN needle.
Keep the eye glasses.
These look very nice.
Would probably be great for the Single person, that 1 needle is all they want.