I highly recommend the officialy Spiral Eye needle. There is a knock off made in China that am told is not as good as the original. Am told you can get 4-5 or so at the box stores for about $10. but they are not finished like the official (if you can call it that) Spiral Eye. So for me the additional cost of the official is worth it. I use the #8. The time saved in threading is worth the extra $$ to me. Thread doesn't break - at least I havn't found it so and the needle doesn't come unthreaded like the "v" type does.