I mostly use John James. I don't use Dritz products any more. Too many problems. I have found that my John James needles will bend slightly over time but it's a very gradual process and does't require that much needle replacement. I don't do that much hand quilting any more and some of the suggestions in other posts would probably be a more reliable indicator of what's currently out there. Dritz, in general, seems to be doing some cost cutting on their production methods. More and more I have found their products to be unreliable. That's just my personal experience so take it for what it's worth.