Every needle upgrade in Silksong goes through one bug: Pinmaster Plinney in Bellhart, available once you free Bellhart from Widow. The ladder runs four upgrades from 5 damage to 21, and the real currency isn’t rosaries, it’s Pale Oil, of which exactly three exist. Here’s the full tier table and where each oil hides.
Updated October 1, 2026: confirmed the Shining Needle’s cost in the tier list and FAQ.
The Needle Tiers
All upgrades at Pinmaster Plinney, Bellhart:
- Needle (base): 5 damage
- Sharpened Needle: 9 damage, free on your first visit
- Shining Needle: 13 damage, 1 Pale Oil and no rosaries
- Hivesteel Needle: 17 damage, 450 Rosaries + 1 Pale Oil
- Pale Steel Needle: 21 damage, 680 Rosaries + 1 Pale Oil
Team Cherry doesn’t publish shop prices, so these costs come from player reports, which agree that the Shining tier takes only the oil while the last two add a rosary fee. The free first upgrade is easy to miss for players who skip Bellhart’s liberation; do it early, since 5-to-9 damage nearly doubles your output.
All Three Pale Oil Locations
- Whispering Vaults (west side): a platforming puzzle guards it. Bring your full movement kit and patience for the vault’s shelving acrobatics.
- The “Great Taste of Pharloom” wish: given by Loyal Mergwin in the Choral Chambers. Complete his gourmet errand and the oil is your payment.
- The Fleamaster’s reward: find all fleas and the celebration in Act 3 pays out the final oil. This one’s effectively endgame, matching the Pale Steel tier’s timing.
Needle Upgrades Versus Tool Upgrades
One clarification that saves confusion: the Forge Daughter in Deep Docks upgrades TOOLS with Craftmetal, not the needle. Needle work is Plinney’s monopoly; don’t stand at the wrong counter wondering where the upgrade option went.
Upgrade Pacing
- Sharpened: immediately upon freeing Bellhart.
- Shining: as soon as you clear the Whispering Vaults puzzle; this is the mid-game power spike, and since it costs no rosaries, there’s no reason to wait.
- Hivesteel: Mergwin’s wish plus saved rosaries; aim to have it before The Cradle.
- Pale Steel: the flea-completionist capstone, ideally before Act 3’s Lost Lace.
Damage tiers compound with crest multipliers (and Patch 3 buffed Hunter Crest’s multipliers specifically), so a needle tier plus the right crest is a bigger jump than either alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Shining tier cost rosaries too? No. Player reports list the Shining Needle at one Pale Oil with no rosary fee; the rosary costs start at Hivesteel (450) and Pale Steel (680).
Can I miss a Pale Oil? All three sit in repeatable-access content; nothing is permanently missable, just gated.
Is the needle the only weapon? The needle is the core weapon; tools and crests build the rest of the kit around it.
Where is Bellhart’s Widow fight? Bellhart’s liberation is early-mid main path; if Plinney isn’t available, Widow still stands.