I think you are fortunate to have your grandmother and mother's needles. I think you will find they are sturdier than those manufactured today. I like Richard Hemmings needles also and I have hand-quilted several large quilts.

When I was a new quilter, I used size 9 betweens by Richard Hemmings. As I became more experienced I went to size 11 between. I like the Richard Hemmings needles because the eye is larger and easier to thread. Alas hand quilting and any other hand stitching isn't possible for me any more.
Sharon in Texas

I think of the different sizes and styles of needles like I think of the different styles and sizes of my kitchen knives.

Some are better suited for some tasks than others.

Thank you for this. I learned about the needle name "between" before I learned about quilting and it literally made no sense to me then. Between what, I thought. :o

So right. My kitchen knives choice are meat clever, slim bladed veggie knife, veggie peeler. Rarely the butcher knife.

I use the longest skinniest needle I can find and thread. The chunky betweens don't feel right. I do bend a lot of needles.

Mostly for garment sewing like slipstitching.

I'm of the notion that these days you don't have to hand quilt anymore! I know the ones who learned to hand quilt might not agree with me, but machine quilting has come a long way in my opinion! It's faster and more durable in my opinion.

"Have to" has nothing to do with it. You don't have to paint, or sing, or dance. Hand quilting is an art form. Speed and durability, while practical, are beside the point when it comes to art. But out of curiosity, is hand quilting, when properly done, really less durable?

I don't believe that hand quilting (which I do) is any less durable than machine quilting. As Manalto says, it's not something the 'has' to be done. I don't necessarily consider my hand quilting an 'art form' although I have been complemented many times on my abilities. I hand quilt because I like to do hand work. It's one of the reasons I started quilting. I like machine sewing as well so machine piecing and then hand quilting satisfy many crafty situations for me.

Whether you call it an art or a craft, hand (or machine) quilting requires skill and an aesthetic sense to be successful. My point was that it's much more than a necessity. Compared to a lot of what I've seen that passes for art in today's world, many of the quilts posted on this site are of a much higher standard artistically - they combine technique, a sense of form, color and texture, they evoke a mood. Just look at the "Ugly Quilts" thread and try to argue with me! ;)