Originally Posted by J Miller

Candace,

I found the needle I have that's marked 1/2. It's in a Susan Bates needle tube for 40-60 thread.
I compared it to a new Schmetz Universal size 14 and the comparison is exactly like your pics.

1/2 has a grove on the rounded side of the shank all the way up to the round part.
Schmetz grove stops at the beginning of the taper.

1/2 has a grove on the scarf side
Schmetz has a scarf on that side

Overall length is the same

The eye on the 1/2 needle is a bit lower ( closer to the point ) than the Schmetz.

For my machines, not enough difference to cause a problem. But could the tapered top of the Schmetz allow it to seat deeper into the needle bar? If so that could exacerbate the difference in the eye location and that could cause a skipped stitch.

Joe