To test these, I ordered a size 5, stilletto tip, with the bell cap, 7″. As a straight needle user I do like them.
I like the length which may be why the ends don’t seem so unbalanced to me. If they were longer, I might feel the heaviness of them but I really don’t notice it using them. I used it on a slubby cotton 2 ply baby sweater that I split easily with other needles but not using these, as I thought I would due to the pointy tips, surprise to me!
I didn’t notice any change in gauge between these needles and the wooden ones I used on the front piece.
The yarn slides very nicely across the metal needle, no dull drag and not too slippery. I might even get more from time to time as they don’t get splinters like my bamboo and even some of my wooden ones do.
“Hand-crafted, hand-polished and the perfect fit for any knitter’s hand, a Signature Needle is at first a luxury — and then a necessity. No other needle makes a more perfect, uniform stitch, which is why it’s the true hobbyist’s choice.”
On their website, http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/products/ you actually “build” your own needles. Choosing a size, length, tip and cap options.
The company was born out of a “why don’t they make needles with tips that don’t split yarn” statement. “We had many people involved in the design and manufacturing process here at Bothe Associates Inc. Machinists who were non-knitters became experts at crafting needles perfect for avid knitters and they rose to the challenge with a great, reliable product made here in America. In addition, we met with focus groups of knitters who had lots of great ideas to give us a push in the right direction – and so Signature Needle Arts was born.”
They sound great, all round. I would like to get some longer ones, though, like the 14″. If you have since tried them, do you find them heavy? I have a few sets of my grandmas (definitely not signature!) and they are weighty devils.
Thanks!