Latch Needle and Spring Bearded Needle | Difference Between Latch and Spring Bearded Needle

Latch Needle:

The needle which have a right hook and easily around the axis is called latch needle. Pierre Jeandeau patented the first latch needle (also known as the tumbler needle) in 1806 but there is no evidence of its practical use.There is also no evidence that the pivoting of a broken pocket knife blade led to the development of the latch spoon. 

Latch needle

Spring Bearded Needle: 
The flexible hooked loop holder which is capable of enclosing the newly formed loop in order to draw it through the previously formed is called bearded needle. As mentioned previously, the bearded or spring needle was the first type of needle to be produced. It is the cheapest and simplest type to manufacture as it is made from a single piece of metal, in machine gauges as fine as 60 needles per inch, with the needles being pliered to ensure accurate needle spacing.

Spring bearded needle

Difference Between Latch & Spring Bearded Needle:

Latch needle	Spring bearded needle
1. It contains a hook portion at the top & a latch reverted at certain distance from the needle head.	1. This needle consists of a top hook curved downwards with a finished tip.
2. The main element of knitting is latch.	2. The downward continuation is called beard.
3. The latch needles are self-acting.	3. The spring bearded needles are not self-acting type.
4. Do not need outside agency to close the hook.	4. It requires pressure to close the needle.
5. Machine gauge is coarser then spring bearded needle.	5. Machine gauge is finer then latch needle.
6. This one is not simple type needle.	6. Simple type of needle.
7. It has reduced stroke.	7. It has more stroke than latch needle.
8. Most widely used in weft knitting.	8. More widely used in circular single knitting.
9. Complicated operating system.	9. Easy operating system.
10. The latch needle is more expensive & intricate needle.	10. The spring bearded needle is less expensive than latch needle.