Best needles for structured hats

[1964GN]

We have been using 75/11 Ball Point chrome needles but after doing some reading it looked like sharp point would sew better on structured hats. I just got some 75/11 Titanium sharps and they are snapping like toothpicks.

What do you use for these hats?

[lrsbranding]

We use the GrozBeckert 75/11 RG and FFG. RG on hats and most of the time with no problems.  I found a big help with the breaking needles on start out is to digitize the start of the design to the side of the center seam then move to the center and sew out. There are cheaper hats that just don't embroider very well. We've had some that had something that looked like stiff black fishing line in the center seam and those caused a lot of problems. I've never noticed a difference between the regular needles and the titanium's. Does the machine you are using have a different needle plate for hats? I know our Barudan sews on hats much better than the Tajima. If the balls were working fine go back to them. My Tajima tech said to use balls in everything unless you are having problems.

[1964GN]

Thanks for the reply. We are using the 75/11 FFG and have been reasonable happy with the end results. I was under the impressions that the RG would sew better so I gave it a try yesterday... no go but I didn't really have time to mess with it. Just switched back and finished up the day.

We do have different plates for hats and use them. We did have issues with the flatter plates. Are you using the taller plates on everything?

The digitizing was supplied but the contract customer and I won't be asking to re-digitize... it actually sews out pretty clean. He is a friend and has the potential to bring us a lot of business. We hope to take this work away from is long time embroiderer.

It does start smack dab in the middle at the bottom, center to left>center to right, then moves up etc. We offset the starting point a bit but it is still going to sew small letters directly over the center seam (can't avoid that with this design). I don't remember the hat brand but they are not el cheapos

[lrsbranding]

The Tajima uses the plate with the ridge while the Barudan is flat. We use the same plate for everything.

[ftembroidery]

We use 65/9 ball point on everything including hats.  Cheryl digitizes designs so as to sew center out bottom top.  The only hats I routinely have problems with are the SanMar BTS (so I have concluded the BTS stands for "B.... to sew".

[1964GN]

Sounds like it's more of a hat issue than a needle issue.