Show first needle chinese the needle was known in very ancient times its invention being ascribed by the ancients an clenta to the goddess beltona bellona Bel tona the earliest instruments of this kind were fashioned of wood or fish bones and did not have the eye but were used after the manner of the awl the chinese are believed to be the inventors of the steel needle it was in 1820 1826 that a stamping machine which drilled eyes into needles was used for the first time after a suitable wire has been chosen it Is cut into lengths of two needles these are collected into bundles slightly softened by firing and pressed straight they are then pointed at both ends on a grinding stone i and the eyes are punched by dies after which they are broken apart then comes the polishing tempi tempering ing and grinding of the heads into shape |