5 questions to ask before ordering heddles

A heddle looks like a small part, but a loom runs thousands of them. If one size is off, the problem doesn’t stay in one wire: warp ends break, the loom stops, the fabric shows faults. These five questions help you get the right heddle the first time.

1. Which loom and which jacquard?

The machine always comes first. The loom make and model, the jacquard make and its hook count decide the heddle length and how it connects. A velvet loom and a label loom don’t use the same heddle.

2. What are you weaving?

Velvet, terry, satin, labels and narrow fabrics each need different heddles. Velvet and carpet jacquards use full steel heddles, while terry jacquards often use spring heddles such as the 355R. Your yarn count sets the eye size: the eye shouldn’t pinch the yarn, and it shouldn’t leave it loose either.

3. How long should the heddle be?

Heddle length depends on the loom and the height of the harness. The safest way is to measure a working old heddle end to end, or send us a photo. For heald frames, frame heddles come in 520, 580 and 620 mm.

4. How many grams of spring tension?

The length and tension of the spring that pulls the heddle down decide how cleanly the shed closes. Too weak, and the heddle won’t return; too strong, and the jacquard and cords carry extra load. As an example, the 1020R has a 4.0 × 1.5 mm eye, a 24 cm spring and 60 g tension. The right value for your loom depends on the fabric and the jacquard.

5. How clean is the eye?

Many warp breaks start at the eye. If the inside is rough or the shape is off, the yarn rubs on every pick until it breaks. A cheap but badly finished heddle gets expensive fast. We check eye shape and finish on every batch we make in our own workshop.

If you don’t know the size

That’s fine. Send a photo of the old heddle or harness with the loom and jacquard details. We’ll pin down the size together and make a sample first if needed.