Hi All,  In my very limited collection of things, I have my grand-
mother's Victrola.  Amongst the various packages of needles is a small
collection of bamboo needles.  They do indeed have an extremely mellow
tone and are a real joy at 8:00 AM on Christmas morning, when I start
playing all the Christmas records.

I've found them quite easy to sharpen using nothing more than a sheet
of 400 grit sandpaper.  As with a knife blade, the angle must be 'just
right' to get the longest playing time out of a single sharpening.

One of the things that I really enjoy about the Victrola, besides
the fact that it doesn't use electricity and still produces loads of
volume, is the variety of volumes that are available by changing the
length and diameter of the needle.

It's an amazingly simple and extremely durable device that has provided
perhaps tens of thousands of hours of enjoyment for the cost of a few
record needles -- and the bamboo ones can be sharpened and used over
and over.  (I've never bought a record or a needle, but I can sure
turn that crank!)

Such things are inspiring,

John A. Tuttle (john@player-care.com)