Abstract: A needle blade roll (12) for forming short fibers from a material capable of formation of artificial cotton in an artificial cotton fabricating apparatus is disclosed which is made up of a roll main body (13) and a large number of needle blades (14) implanted into a peripheral surface of the roll main body (13). In the needle blade roll (12), each needle blade (14) is arranged at a sloping angle relative to a radial line of the roll main body (13) so that its leading end lies ahead of the radial line with respect to the rotational direction of the roll main body (13). This makes it possible to form short fibers the length of which is longer than conventional, thereby fabricating artificial cotton made of such short fibers which are fully intertwined with one another.