The needle of system 4463 has a small ball point for working knit fabrics, without damaging the stitches. It is used in industrial overlock, coverstitch and safety-stitch machines for elastic knit fabrics. Suitable machine classes are found, among others, at Pfaff (classes 694332, 713696, 5463 -, 5467).
Thinner needle sizes are used, among others, for fine, light jersey and tricot fabrics, and the thicker versions for heavy, dense knit fabrics and technical knits. As sewing thread, a matching thickness is usually recommended depending on the needle size chosen, e.g. from Amann Serafil or Rasant; for very stretchy seams, a texturised thread also works well. The ball point glides between the loops instead of piercing them, keeping the seam clean and undamaged.