Abstract: A sewing machine needle has a piston for clamping the needle into a sewing machine, a needle shaft comprised of a shaft portion and an end piece with a tip, whereby the needle shaft has a needle eye between the shaft portion and the end piece for receiving a sewing thread. A conical portion connected to the piston forms a transition into the needle shaft. The end piece, between the tip and the needle eye, has a triangular radial cross-section with rounded corners, whereby the size of the triangular cross-section increases from the tip toward the needle eye, and whereby the triangular cross-section has its greatest size in the vicinity of the needle eye. The needle shaft, in the area of the needle eye, has an essentially circular cross-section, and this circular cross-section has a size that is smaller than the greatest size of the triangular cross-section.

Abstract: A plastic needle package is disclosed with parallel partitions defining compartments in which needle constraining projections are provided by controlled deformation of the partition top and to facilitate removal of needles each partition is interrupted between its ends to encourage bending of the package to expose needle extremities for access.