Abstract: A bearded needle for bookbinding machines, embroidery machines and other similar machines comprising a needle shank having a neck portion, a beard, and a needle head supporting the beard. The needle head is connected to the neck portion and has an essentially conical needle tip. The beard and the shank are connected to the needle head to form a needle eye having a rounded fillet at the side of the eye facing the needle tip. The needle tip has a portion in a region of the fillet which has an upright essentially rectangular configuration with rounded edges and two narrow sides each having a center with the longitudinal plane of symmetry intersecting the centers of the narrow sides. The needle head at least in a region of the needle eye has a first laterally smooth taper thereby forming a thread travel area on each side of the longitudinal plane of symmetry.