Sewing Machine Needles for Leather: Which Type and Size

Which needle for which material

Needle by material, as the makers name it

Material	Needle the maker names	Source
Genuine leather, suede	Leather (cutting or wedge point); SINGER: 14/90 or 16/100	SCHMETZ, SINGER1,2
Faux or artificial leather	SCHMETZ Leather or Microtex; Klassé: not its leather needle	SCHMETZ, Klassé3,9
Vinyl, oilcloth	SCHMETZ Super NonStick	SCHMETZ4
Vinyl, coated materials	Microtex (BERNINA 335 manual)	BERNINA8
Synthetic suede	Stretch (SCHMETZ); ball point or leather wedge point if it skips (NMSU)	SCHMETZ, NMSU7,10

The leather needle cuts its hole, so stitches can’t be undone without a mark. SCHMETZ: “once the stitch is created, the thread can be removed, but the stitch hole will remain.”² SINGER says its leather needle cuts “without creating large holes due to the needle’s wedge shape”.¹¹

Size, thread and the limit of a home machine

• Size by thread. SINGER’s help center: if you use heavy thread, “be sure to use a appropriately sized needle (size 16 or 18) and increase the stitch length.”¹²
• Thread limit. Brother’s XM2701 manual: “Never use a thread of weight 20 or lower. It may cause machine malfunction.”¹³
• Very heavy leather. SCHMETZ: “a home sewing machine would be destroyed by using size 150 or 160 needles. A large needle is normally used for stitching on very heavy leather. You need to move up to an industrial sewing machine.”⁵

How to sew leather with the right needle

• Lengthen the stitch. A BERNINA blog author explains that a longer stitch keeps holes from being “too close together where they can perforate the leather”, and uses 3.5 mm herself.¹⁴ NMSU’s guide to synthetic suede says “10–12 stitches per inch or longer”.¹⁰
• Use a foot that doesn’t stick. SINGER’s HD4552 manual: the Non-Stick Foot “makes it possible to sew fabrics such as leather, plastic, vinyl and oilcloth with ease.”¹⁵ NMSU suggests “an even feed or roller presser foot”.¹⁰ Brother’s SE700 manual: if leather or vinyl sticks to the flat bed, sew with copy paper or tracing paper on top of it.¹⁶
• No pins in the leather. SINGER’s 4452 manual: “Using pins will leave holes in leather and vinyl.”¹⁷ The BERNINA blog author holds pieces with clips.¹⁴
• Tie off instead of backstitching on synthetic suede, says NMSU, “to prevent enlarging the stitching holes”.¹⁰

Five needles for leather, faux leather and vinyl

The cutting-point leather needle

SCHMETZ Leather

System

130/705 H LL

Sizes

70/10 to 110/18, assorted 80/90/100

Colour band

brown

Strengths

• Sizes from 70/10 to 110/18
• Brown colour band, per SCHMETZ

Drawbacks

• Holes stay if you unpick a seam

Good fit: you sew genuine leather, or faux leather that SCHMETZ lists for it.
Skip it if: you sew woven or knit fabric: SCHMETZ says not to.

Wedge-point needle, sold on SVP's stores

HUSQVARNA VIKING Leather

Sizes (US store)

80/12, 90/14, 100/16, 110/18

Sizes (Canadian store)

80/12, 90/14

Point

wedge shape with slightly sharp point

Strengths

• Listed on the Canadian SVP store in 80/12 and 90/14

Drawbacks

• Needle system not written on the product page

Good fit: you want a leather needle from a Canadian maker store.
Skip it if: you need 100/16 or 110/18 in Canada: only 80/12 and 90/14 were listed.

For vinyl and sticky layers

SCHMETZ Super NonStick

System

130/705 H-SU

Sizes

70/10 to 100/16

Coating

anti-adhesive

Strengths

• SCHMETZ names vinyl and oilcloth

Drawbacks

• Not a cutting point

Good fit: you sew vinyl or oilcloth, or through adhesives.
Skip it if: you sew genuine leather: use a leather needle.

Sharp point for coated materials

SCHMETZ Microtex

System

130/705 H-M

Uses

microfibres, silk, artificial leather, coated materials

Strengths

• SCHMETZ lists artificial leather and coated materials

Drawbacks

• SCHMETZ does not list genuine leather for it

Good fit: you sew faux leather or coated fabric and want a sharp, non-cutting point.
Skip it if: you sew thick genuine leather.

SINGER's leather needle

SINGER Leather (Style 2032)

Size

100/16 (this pack)

Uses

leather and vinyl

Strengths

• SINGER says it fits SINGER, Brother, Kenmore and other machines

Drawbacks

• Shown sold out on SINGER’s US store on 2026-11-10

Good fit: you sew leather or vinyl on a SINGER, Brother or Kenmore machine.
Skip it if: you need several sizes: this pack is 100/16.

SINGER’s Canadian store showed the 100/16 pack as available when we checked.¹⁸ The HUSQVARNA VIKING needles are listed on the Canadian SVP store in 80/12 and 90/14.¹⁹ SCHMETZ lists its Microtex as system 130/705 H-M.²⁰ HUSQVARNA VIKING’s product page says its needles cut “through leather and other heavy non-woven imitation leathers and suedes”.²¹