Isn't it amazing how much we know when we all pitch in an opinion? My son worked for a furniture maker who used extremely long and also curved needles.
A friend's husband is a vet. When he did a c section on one of our mama cows, he used a thick, short needle on the inside of her and a large curved needle on the her hide.
I've also seen packets of large, long, curved, etc. needles at places like Hancocks. They are in the doll-making, upholstery, and crewel sections. And yes, I agree, they are scary looking.