Just a beginner here,have donated needles that need sharpened. Also where can I find info on how to stich proper
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I usually sharpEN with a grinding stone in my Dremel tool. I always do it under magnifying glass. Sometimes just a rub on some sandpaper does the job. It's really worth the effort to learn how to sharpen needles, sewing is tedious enough, without using a needle that isn't razor sharp! I also have a leather stope on a low RPM wheel that puts the final touch to a keen edge.
That should have been leather strope-oops. I also put jewelers rouge on the leather.
I hsarpen my needles in the shape of a triangle so that there is three sharp edges that help the needle puncture the skin. Like small mini broadheads on a arrow. You need not have to sharpen them often as the edges stay sharp a very long time, and only need rubbing on a a sharpening stone to touch them up.
Stitching is something that you can learn by doing it. First put a stitch in one side, and then the other and pull together. The common baseball stitch is the easyest. tie a knot in the end of the thread and pull your first stitch. then you simply weave back and forth going from under the skin up threw it and then over to the oppisite side and going up threw the hide in the same manner. just continue till you close up the hole. Do not pull skins to tightly as the skin tends to shrink. You have ot also factor in the length of the hair that will help hide the hole. Make your stitches half as far apart as the hair that will cover it up. If it is very short hair, you may want to go with a veyr tiny needle and invisible thread and stich threw only the inner half of the skin only, leaving the hair to be unbent by the thread.