# How do they get the eyes into sewing needles?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 15, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500 "2001-10-15T16:12:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Amazing\_Magic-Gro\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazing_Magic-Gro_Monster)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2001, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500/1 "2001-10-15T16:12:25Z")
How do they get the eyes into sewing needles? And while we’re at it, how do they manufacture those perfect little metal balls that fit into the tips of ball point pens?
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500/2 "2001-10-15T18:47:15Z")
The holes are formed with a metal punch, before the needle metal is hardened. The manufacturing process for several types of needles is illustrated [here.](http://www.nvccom.co.jp/needle/pro.html)
I’m not sure how they make the tiny ball bearings for ballpoints.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500/3 "2001-10-15T20:03:42Z")
Isn’t it obvious. Dwarves use a tiny drill punch to drill the center of the needle out to form the eye. He then picks up the discarded center and throws it to his buddy down the line. The next dwarf polishes it up and, if he can make it nice and round, then he has a nice tiny ball bearing that they can sell to the pen company for a tidy profit. I wouldn’t go into this line of work unless:
A) You are a dwarf
B) You have really go eyesight.
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2001, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500/4 "2001-10-15T20:05:50Z")
Sewing needle eyes have to be much cheaper to produce than making the apertures in syringes. Those are much smaller have to be made with much more precision.
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### Author:  [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2001, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-the-eyes-into-sewing-needles/87500/5 "2001-10-25T02:53:35Z")
I’m in an engineering design class, and our design project involves fabricating a needle. We had no idea how it was done, or even how to find how it was done. I was cruising the SD last week, and came upon this thread. I sent **Squink’s** link to a team member, and we ended up referencing the website.
Thank you Straight Dope, for helping my team fight ignorance!