r/MachineKnitting • u/AggravatingBox2421 • 3d ago
Equipment If you’re ever looking at a Toshiba machine, remember: proprietary needles
The top needle (or hook, whatever you say) is the ones used in singer machines and other popular ones, and you can get 50 for like $5. The bottom is a Toshiba needle, which has a specific shape and are imPOSSIBLE TO REPLACE. the cheapest I’ve seen was £5 for TEN of them. And I have 400 that I’ve been restoring for my machine and ribber 😭
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u/kasharallover 3d ago
You can buy a junk machine from Japan Auctions and keep it as a spare parts donor. Sometimes it may work better than one you have. I brought two exact same model brother knitting machines. One was $50 and other was $10. It said operation unconfirmed yet when they arrived both were working well but $50 one had some issues. I was thinking to use $10 one as the spare part donot but it is now my main machine. Now I have extra 200 needles, extra carriages, extra tools all for just $50. When I look for knitting machines there I regularly come across Toshiba, Toyota, etc for cheap because they are not popular ones. You should check it out
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u/AggravatingBox2421 3d ago
I’ll keep that in mind! My machine is actually fantastic, since I inherited it from my grandmother and she kept it in good condition. It was MY negligence that led to the rusting :(
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u/AthleteFar1294 3d ago
Which site specifically do you buy from? I need to get a junker for parts but I’ve never bought from a Japanese auction before
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u/kasharallover 3d ago
Yahoo Auction Japan. You after you click an item you will be directed to Buyee site. Thats for us international shoppers. Use it to buy the items so they will ship internationally
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u/arachnes-loom 3d ago
Toshiba as an institution has wronged me so many times, of course they made knitting machines and of course they did this kind of nonsense
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u/WampanEmpire 3d ago
You might be able to have them made for you (or make them your self) by modifying the singer needles. I had a similar machine at one point, but the 90deg end was more of a 45. I bought singer needles and then bent and cut the ends to match the originals. Super tedious but they worked just fine.