As far as how many times to insert the pins, I was told, many years ago, to do it 3 times in and out. It works for me.

I use the strawberry to mainly clean the needle as with multiple handling it gets "dirty"(maybe skin oil?), like a film on it, and harder to use. I do feel that it sharpens as the needle glides much better after but whether that is from sharpening or "cleaning" I don't know. My strawberry is full of sand as far as I know but it could be emery grit. I just poke into the strawberry 4-6 strokes.

SO that is who Kola the cat learned that from! I had to give her one for herself.........lol and buy me a new one.

I use a pad of plain steel wool (snagged it out of my husbands paint cabinet), wrapped it in a piece of fabric hand sewed it shut. Then when my needles need a quick sharpening or clean up I jab it a few times. As for my sewing machine needles I un-thread the needle and place the pad under the foot and run in back and forth a couple of times.

You can use emery grit to sharpen your needles or you can use raw wool which has been cleaned but the lanolin has not been washed out of it. The needles will not rust in the pin cushion and the tips of the pins will be preserved.

Thanks Chasing Hawk about using steel wool to sharpen needles and pins. I will have to get dome out of my painting supplies. My organ machine needles get burs on them, from sewing over pins.