Understanding needle use- Steel Needles
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the use of needles for vintage gramophones. The common misconception is that 'needles wear records', whereas initially the opposite is actually true. For the most part '78' records are made of ground slate and shellac. As a new steel needle (with the weight of 250 grammes or so of soundbox pushing down on it) runs several hundred feet to the centre of a record it has its sharp point worn off. As a result if used a second time it presents a blunt end to the bottom of the groove and a broader profile to its sides. Repeating the process will result in groove wall damage as the needle increasingly occupies the space in which it once had room to move freely. At this point the needle will begin to damage the record.
In the 'old days' needle manufacturers often printed on their containers that needles should be used once only. This was a little dramatic, but they were trying to sell needles! These days two sides would be deemed acceptable use for all but the most valuable sides.
I sell three grades of needle- Loud, Medium and Soft. Loud Tone needles were only ever made for outdoor or dance hall use and are not good for record care. Soft tone are really for those in flats who fear their neighbours' wrath. As a general rule I would simply recommend Medium Tone.
Packets of 100 quality new British needles; £2.50 plus 50p p+p or £12 for five packs postage included. You may buy packets in any combination of tones.
If you are sending a cheque, the address is below! However, for these small purchases you may find it easier to use PayPal (see the Payment page if you don't know what this is).
The address for PayPal payment is howard@gramophones.uk.com
Packet of 100 Steel needles
A sample of fibre needles
NEEDLE TINS
There is a very big hobby in itself in collecting needle tins alone. The world's finest collections number over ten thousand tins without duplication of graphics.
Tins in the UK fall into two categories. Ones sold by HMV, Columbia and Songster account for well over half of the whole output and generally sell in antiques shops and markets for between £2 and £5 apiece according to condition. Here below is a box of such tins;
I sell tins like these for £4 apiece on a first-come first-served basis.
Anything else will probably command a higher price to a knowledgeable buyer. Condition is very important and age is another factor. Tins made before WW1 and in the early 1920's are generally harder to find and if German in origin may have particularly appealing graphics, as this German Kosmos Extra tin below.
I tend to put my tins on Ebay unless I am contacted by a new collector as most of my existing buyers already own all the commonly found makers' products.