Originally Posted by
coopah
Thanks. I was about to buy walnut shells and hadn't thought about the allegy issue. I need to stuff 16 pincushions before December. I have one stuffed with plastic pellets, but it won't keep needles sharp. So if my choice is emery sand, steel wool, or BBs, which would keep needles/pins sharpest? Anyone tried them all?
Emery sand would keep them sharper than the other two options you named, or most anything else for that matter. Because it's finer and mineral based, it surrounds the pin and removes all the burrs from all the sides.
Think like a carpenter. How do they sharpen their tools...with wood or with stone/metal? It's wood that dulls saws, chisels and other metal tools, so why wouldn't wood (sawdust, nut shells, etc) also dull pins and needles? Something to consider anyway.