A Canvas Needle For Your Kit

canvas-needle

There are all kinds of needles. The canvas needle in particular is a fairly heavy duty strong needle which could be used for all sorts of applications. It’s primary function — sewing-stitching canvas type material, lends itself towards stitching most any material into useful things, be it heavy duty or light duty. Only your imagination will limit it’s use.

For a survival kit, a canvas needle could provide solutions for many additional things including that of it’s primary design. You might consider including one in your preps.

Here is a list of a few additional uses for a canvas needle…


 
The tip of a canvas needle is pointed, but with triangular flat sides at the tip. It is slightly more than 2-inches long and about twice the thickness of a typical sewing needle. They can typically be found in a pack of ‘Repair Needles’ commonly found in some fabric stores.

 
Sewing and stitching enables repairs or new creations
The inner strands of Paracord could be used as thread
Punch small holes through objects to string together
Makeshift eating utensil; poke and hold food
Writing utensil – dip in ink substance
Test ‘doneness’ of baked goods
First Aid emergency stitches
Sterilize and clean a wound
Fishhook; bend and bait
Scratching and scribing
Clean under fingernails
Remove a splinter
Make a compass
Tip of a spear
Straight edge
Toothpick
Weapon

 
Add your own additional uses for a needle or canvas needle…

13 Comments

  1. me, I am thinking of all the “old” stories/movies read/watched, in which a nicely dressed (helpless?) female pulled out a hat pin and poked the dastardly dude in the eye or other tender place.

    so…

    keep a canvas needle handy for

    Self Defense

  2. I have a half dozen canvas needles (aside from the hundred or so other needles that are used for everything you can think of, I’m a needle artist :) ) and the idea of making one into a fish hook interested me. So, using two pair of pliers I tried bending one. It didn’t so much bend as actually snapped in half! I think for a fish hook you may need a more slender needle. Or maybe I was doing it wrong, not sure.

    1. Would bending it more slowly perhaps prevent the snapping? Not sure, just a random thought.

    2. Maybe heat it up and slowly bend it into shape? I would assume that all metal does have a breaking/shearing point. Try it and let us know if you do. I’m interested now.

      1. The only way your going to bend a needle is to have a METAL needle that can temper properly for the bend. The needles that we sew with are POT METAL and are very brittle thus cannot be bent or heated. But… If you MADE a needle out of say a welding rod, flatten the end put a hole in it THEN bent it will most likely work. Just thinking outside the box.

    3. Probably the problem is that the needle is heat treated. You could try heating the needle with a torch and then letting it cool before bending. You can also set it in hot coals for a minute or two. However if your only goal is to have a fish hook look in a sporting goods store for a great selection. I have some 000 treble hooks in my survival kit. I have caught fish by snagging and it can be very productive often better then bait fishing.

      1. You are right, of course. Fish hooks are cheaper than canvas needles. I already have more hooks than I could ever use, so it would be a waste to use needles instead. I tried the bending just because I’m as curious as a cat. ;)

  3. Timely post. My wife just started taking sewing lessons (we both decided to focus on building up skill sets this year as part of our New Year’s preparedness resolutions). I’ll be sure to put down canvas needles on our list of supplies needed.

  4. Its a good idea to have some good heavy needles to be able to sew clothing, boots, jackets and other heavy sewing applications. I have “scraps” of all kinds of materials and a few different in leather. Also invest in a sewing Awl, It will help when working with leather and other heavy materials.

  5. I already have a lot of needles so now my project is to get extra fabric to use with the needles. Fabric has become very expensive at the fabric store in our closest city. Value Village (2nd hand)has just come to that city this past year. I’ve found that they have some very good buys on fabric that only a piece was cut from 1 side or someone bought & never used & then donated so when I go to the city I check it out. One of my daughter-laws (a quilter) finds a lot of fabric at yard sales. I think if times get tough we may be glad for some needles, cloth, buttons, thread etc.

    1. “Canadagal” I put back old clothing for such a purpose. Old jeans,shirts jackets boots they all will work for scrap material and the color may be off but you have the same material.

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