A couple of weeks back I needed a needle and I opened the package of platinum needles. It was my last pack of #26, and I started stitching with it.
Oh my god, did it suck. It was very rough going through the fabric, the drag was very noticeable. And the hand feel was just off too. Since I was away from home, I couldn't get a replacement, I sucked it up and stitched away. I just swore I'd never buy a package again...I'll just use their plain gold ones thank you.
After awhile I started to notice that the drag was lessening, and it was smoothing up. The hand feel became normal. Strange and mysterious things.
Now that its been several weeks of stitching with the same needle and what a difference. I love this needle, the more I use it, the better it gets. The eye doesn't fray the fiber as quickly as usual and the needle just flows through the fabric without catching.
Definitely worth the investment...I'll be keeping my eye out for these in the future. It will be interesting to see if they last longer than usual. Most needles give out after one good sized project.