Thumping? What's that and should I be listening for it?

I went to a long arm quilt show in Sept. and 3 of the instructor in the classes I took advised against using titanium needles in any machine. There were seceral reasons but the only one I remember is that they break easiler than the other needles as a result can mess up your timing. I don't know if it is true or not but I stopped using them just in case.

I use them for both quilting and embroidering. I do think they last longer.

I thought it wouldn't matter, but tried them anyway -- what a difference -- with my Sapphire which likes to "eat the first stitch" -- not even an appetite any longer! Haven't used them enough to say how long they will last, but am extremely pleased not having to be so careful about loosing the fabric under the stitch plate. Glad to hear the Klasse needles have a good top-stitch as they are less expensive then the Superior ones....

As someone stated, you can buy the Organ brand titanium topstitch needles at discountembroidery.com or at Allbrands.com or at the Yahoo Needle Coop Group (look under Yahoo groups) and probably other places for less than half the price of the Superior needles. About $60 for 100 needles for Organ - this is the case where it pays to go in with a sister sewer or two and buy the needles in bulk. I love my Organ needles but buy the Superior Brand for their smaller (size 70) needles which I don't use as often but I do buy the size 12, 14 in larger quantities since I am almost using these needles exclusively for all my sewing (embroidery, quilting, patchwork, metallic threads). I love Superior Threads, but it is hard to justify spending over twice as much for needles. Someone in an earlier post stated that Organ made the Superior needles, I haven't been able to verify this anywhere else but found that Schmetz does not have a titanium coated topstitch needle in my online search.

Any doubts about Organ making Superior needles can be resolved by taking a look at the back of a package of needles from superior - clearly states "manufactured for superior threads by organ needle co ltd japan"

I use nothing but the Superior/Organ titanium topstitch needles. They're just simply the best I've ever found.

I have no idea why anyone would need to buy them "in bulk" because they last so long...

minstrel ~ Thumping comes from using your needle 'too long'. It is a small noticeable difference, from a 'new' needle and a 'used' needle. If we have used our needles longer then the suggested 8-10 hours. It does get 'dull' and the friction of the thread going through the eye wears on the hole, thus the cause a 'thumping'.

I've read in different places that you should check to be sure that those Organ needles will work in your machine. Also, don't use the embroidery needles for regular stitching in your machine because they are too long. I've also read that all of that wasn't true. So, go figure.

I love the titantium needles machine embroidery needles because I have a lot fewer stitching problems with them. I especially love them for machine embroidery as they last forever. For simple sewing like piecing, less expensive needles seem to work fine for me.

Pretty much all I use now. I have them from Superior Threads and from Organ.