Candace,
Good pictures. The shank length will not make any difference in sewing. Different brands have differences in the shank length. I agree that it does look like it can make a difference in fitting the spring on the needle.
Cathy
Originally Posted by
Candace
The difference in the 206 x 13's size 12 and size 14 needles (and what was a bit tricky) is that the shank of the size 14 is a bit longer than the 12 and the needle length below the eye is also a smidge longer. Both of the above are 206 x 13's. The left is the 14, the right is the size 12. I was showing this to let you all see how the spring will fit a bit differently around the 14 needle.