The first sewing needle is believed to have originally been fashioned from bone and the oldest one discovered, in what is now France, has been estimated to be 25,000 years old.
The oldest metal sewing needle was made of iron and discovered in what is now Germany, it is said to date from the 3rd century BC. It was the Moors, invaders of Spain, who perfected the art of metal needle making during the 11th century.http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Hand-Sewing-Needle---History-and-Facts&id=1009010
During the 19th century England became the center of needle manufacture and by 1866, 100 million needles per year were being made, by machine, in England. The heart of the needle industry was located around Redditch in Central England at that time. So skilled were the Redditch manufacturers at this time, that when a foreign company sent a needle with the claim it was finer (thinner) than any needle made by an Englsih manufacturer, the Redditch company returned the needle with one of their own inside it.http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Hand-Sewing-Needle---History-and-Facts&id=1009010
Background
A sewing needle has an "eye" (hole) at the non-pointed end to carry thread or yarn through fabric after the pointed end has pierced it. There over a dozen "types" of hand sewing needle and they are named depending on what they are used for.
Sewing needles appear to have been in use for over 25,000 years and are primarily employed for pulling thread through material to join two pieces of fabric together, creating decoration on fabrics or pulling thread through beads or other ornamental items, with the object of stringing them together.
Today of course we have the sewing machine needle. Sewing machines are designed to speed up and simplify the process of sewing, including garment making, embroidery and tapestry. However, as sophisticated as the machine may be, it cannot replicate many of the stitches achieved by using the basic hand sewing needle with simple thread.
Uses
Spiral Eye Sewing Needle
This very short video shows one of many aspiring inovations of needles, this one being the spiral eye needle. The inventor demonstrates just how easy it is to thread this needle, with a simple twist of the yarn over the eye, and a quick snap, the needle is threaded.
References
Fast Facts
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Maker
There are currently 3,000,000 registered importers/exporters of needles, primarily in China and Taiwan.
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Debut
In its current format (steel) 11th century
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Origin
Pre-historic man
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Number sold/in use
Unknown - probably billions
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Interesting alternatives
Native Americans fashioned porcupine quills and the pointed end of agave leaves into sewing needles
