Needle Guide

A quick reference for choosing the right Groz-Beckert needle — point styles, the metric/imperial size system, needle anatomy and care. Based on Groz-Beckert technical data.

Anatomy Point Styles Size Chart Thread Match Spec Glossary Premium Lines Troubleshooting Needle Care

Anatomy of a Needle

The shank (butt) seats into the machine; the blade carries the thread down the long groove; the scarf lets the hook catch the loop at the eye; the point determines how the needle penetrates the material.

Point Style Guide

The point is the single most important choice — the wrong point damages the fabric or skips stitches.

Cloth points — woven & knit

Point	Type	Best for
R	Round / set point	Woven fabrics, coated & artificial leather. Standard for straight lockstitch seams.
RS	Round point (anti-stringing)	Very straight seams; reduces stringing in lockstitch on dense wovens.
RG	Light ball / sharp point	Fine knits & interlock, microfibre, multihead embroidery, button sewing.
FFG / SES	Light ball point	Jersey, T-shirts, underwear, fine knitwear and fine wovens prone to damage.
FG / SUK	Medium ball point	Elastic fabrics, rib knits and material with higher elastane content; openwork/tulle.
SKL / SKF	Heavy ball point	Highly elastic warp-knits, corsetry and fabrics with bare elastane yarns.

Cutting points — leather

Point	Type	Seam effect
S	Triangular point	Strong, decorative straight seams in leather.
D / DI	Twist (triangular) point	Slanted, decorative seams; good seam appearance.
LR	Narrow cross point, left-twist	Most common leather point — seam slants to the right.
LL	Narrow cross point	Seam slants to the left; for matched twin-needle seams.
P	Oval / lens point	Clean, fine seam in soft and thin leather.

Needle Size Conversion

Sizes are shown as Nm / No. (e.g. 90/14). Nm (metric) is the blade diameter in hundredths of a millimetre — so Nm 90 = 0.90 mm. No. is the imperial equivalent. Rule of thumb: heavier fabric → larger number.

Nm (metric)	No. (imperial)	Blade Ø	Typical fabric
60	8	0.60 mm	Very fine
65	9	0.65 mm	Very fine
70	10	0.70 mm	Light
75	11	0.75 mm	Light
80	12	0.80 mm	Light–Medium
85	13	0.85 mm	Medium
90	14	0.90 mm	Medium
100	16	1.00 mm	Medium–Heavy
110	18	1.10 mm	Heavy (denim)
120	19	1.20 mm	Heavy
125	20	1.25 mm	Heavy
130	21	1.30 mm	Very heavy
140	22	1.40 mm	Very heavy
160	23	1.60 mm	Upholstery / leather
180	24	1.80 mm	Heavy leather
200	25	2.00 mm	Heavy leather
230	26	2.30 mm	Extra heavy
250	27	2.50 mm	Extra heavy

Thread & Needle Size

The needle makes the hole the thread passes through. Aim for the thread to fill about 40–50% of the eye and run freely — too fine a needle causes friction and thread breaks; too thick leaves big holes and puckering.

Fabric weight	Typical thread	Needle Nm
Very fine — silk, voile, lining	Tkt 120–180 · Tex 18–27	65–80
Light — shirting, blouse	Tkt 100–120 · Tex 27–35	75–90
Medium — dress, light denim	Tkt 80–100 · Tex 35–45	90–100
Heavy — denim, canvas, workwear	Tkt 40–60 · Tex 60–80	100–120
Very heavy — upholstery, bags	Tkt 20–40 · Tex 90–135	130–160
Extra heavy — leather, webbing	Tkt 10–20 · Tex 150–270	160–200

A practical starting guide — Tkt (ticket) and Tex are thread-size systems. When in doubt, test on a scrap.

Specifications Explained

A quick picture and one line for each thing you see on a product page — tap a spec there to jump straight here. (Point style and needle size have their own sections above.)

Stitch type class — the kind of stitch the needle makes

needle (top) thread under (looper) thread

100 · Chainstitch

Bag seams, basting

300 · Lockstitch

Most seams · shirts, trousers

400 · Multi-thread chain

Jeans side seams

500 · Overlock

Edge finishing · knits

600 · Coverstitch

T-shirt & activewear hems

Needle system

The needle's “fit code” for your machine — sets its exact length and thickness.

Like a SIM-card size: only the right one slots in.

Customary designations

The same needle's other names, so you can match what you already use.

DBx1, 1738 and 16x257 are all one needle.

Shank diameter

How thick the top is — the part the machine clamps onto.

Same for every size in a system; it must fit the needle bar.

Lengths

How long the needle is, top to tip — this is what makes it fit one machine.

Measured in mm, set by the system.

Needle description

A plain description of the needle's overall shape.

Butt → shank → blade → eye → point.

Special features (SAN™)

Reinforced needles that bend and break less in tough, thick material.

Like a stronger drill bit for hard jobs.

Sewing application

The exact stitching job the needle is built for.

e.g. lockstitch, overlock, embroidery.

Recommended for

The fabrics and products it suits best — your starting point.

Knits, wovens, denim, leather…

Coating

Gold (GEBEDUR) lasts about 3× longer for heavy or abrasive work; silver (Chromium) is standard.

Gold = a tougher non-stick coating.

Premium Lines — when to pay more

Groz-Beckert's premium needles cost more but earn it on demanding jobs — fewer breakages, less downtime and longer life.

GEBEDUR™Titanium-nitride coating

The gold coating is far harder than steel — it cuts deflection and breakage and lasts up to about 3× longer than chromium. Choose it for heavy, coated or abrasive materials and long production runs.

SAN™Special Application Needles

Reinforced, optimized geometry that reduces needle deflection, needle & thread breakage and material damage — each SAN type is tuned for a job:

SAN® 1	Embroidery & reinforced — single and multi-head embroidery (often with GEBEDUR).
SAN® 5	Round/sharp point — medium-to-heavy woven, upholstery and technical textiles.
SAN® 6	For denim and heavy woven — built to prevent needle and thread breakage.
SAN® 10 / 10 XS	Fine, delicate knits and wovens — extra gentle, reduces material damage.

Troubleshooting — needle problems & fixes

Most stitch problems trace back to the needle. The quick fixes below solve the common ones.

Skipped stitches

Likely cause: Blunt needle, or the wrong point for the fabric.

Fix: Fit a fresh needle. Ball point on knits, round point on woven; make sure the size isn't too fine.

Thread keeps breaking

Likely cause: Needle eye too small for the thread, or a burr/nick on the needle.

Fix: Go up a size so the thread fills about 45% of the eye; replace any nicked needle.

Needle keeps breaking

Likely cause: Needle too thin for the material, a bent needle, or pulling the fabric.

Fix: Use a heavier size or a reinforced SAN needle; let the feed move the fabric — don't tug it.

Puckered seam

Likely cause: Needle too thick for fine fabric (holes too big), or tension too high.

Fix: Use a finer needle and a lighter point; ease the top tension.

Holes / laddering in knit

Likely cause: A sharp or round point cutting the knit loops.

Fix: Switch to a ball point (FFG / SUK), or a SAN 10 for delicate knits.

Staggered or loose stitches

Likely cause: Worn needle, or the needle system doesn't match the machine.

Fix: Replace the needle; confirm the needle system is the one your machine specifies.

Still not right? A fresh needle fixes a surprising number of problems — change needles roughly every 8 hours of sewing.

Needle Care & Best Practice

Change needles regularly

A worn or blunt needle causes skipped stitches, thread breaks and fabric damage. Replace after ~8 hours of sewing or at the first sign of trouble.

Match system to machine

Always use the exact needle system your machine specifies (e.g. DBx1, 134, 135x17). The system controls length and shank — not interchangeable.

Right point for the material

Ball points for knits/elastic, round points for woven, cutting points for leather. The wrong point is the #1 cause of damaged seams.

Insert fully & correctly

Push the needle all the way up into the bar with the long groove/scarf oriented as per the machine; tighten firmly.

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Reference information compiled from Groz-Beckert technical data. Groz-Beckert® is a registered trademark of Groz-Beckert KG.