Knitting needle gauges... they’re supposed to be “all” the same, right?

...yesterday while knitting... I’m currently working on a sweater that requires three different needle sizes. Fair Isle is knitted with 3.75, and the plain stockinette rows without a pattern are knitted with 3.25. So far, so good. But since some of my needles don’t have any markings on them, I always keep a needle gauge in my basket....
  Yesterday, it had somehow “disappeared,” so I used a different one from a different manufacturer. …and realized that the “holes” for the needles are different sizes. …According to the “old” one, I was knitting with 3.75; the other one says 3.5…
  Why are they different, and do the corresponding needles from each manufacturer actually “match” their respective needle sizes????
That would mean that a size 3 needle from one manufacturer is thicker or thinner than one from another, right? 🤔
Anyway, now I know why I get to rip out a few rows of Fair Isle—it just doesn’t fit.... 

I think measurements only come in metric and imperial, and those are, of course, always the same across manufacturers.

On Amazon, I’ve read customer reviews for cheap items saying that the needles don’t match the specified gauge.

In my own experience, I’ve found that while the needles are the correct size, the stitch gauge chart isn’t.

Needles must be exactly the right size; otherwise, the knitted piece won’t fit. Of course, the same thing can happen even with the right needles if you set the project aside for a year and your knitting technique has changed.

That’s true.... but if the needle gauge templates differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.... Then either the manufacturer’s “own” needles don’t match the template, or they do match and aren’t the stated size.... 
I find that “strange”.... 
I’ve actually unraveled or thrown away most of my knitted UFOs because the “knitting style” simply changes over the years ...

It was very confusing for me back then because I didn’t know whether the problem was with the needles or the needle gauge.

If the needle size is different, you have to rip it out. No customer or manufacturer can find that acceptable. In my case, the needle gauge ended up in the trash—it didn’t fit any of my needles. Given the price, I’d already expected that.

I suspect that you’re either mixing needle sizes in mm and inches, or that the needles or the needle gauge have a defect.

This already annoys me to no end when it comes to clothing sizes, but I never would have expected it with knitting needles!

😂😂😂 To be honest, neither do I...
Today, “my” needle tips arrived—the ones you screw on for the Knit Pro cables.... They come in different colors for each gauge. 🙈 So now I don’t need the needle gauge anymore....

Hi Steffi,
I really like the different colors for the various needle sizes. The differences are sometimes so subtle that you can’t tell right away. And when you add in the inaccuracies in the needle gauges, it gets really tricky. Especially when you’re working on a project where the neatness of the stitches is crucial.

I also thought needle gauges were standardized.

The other day, I had several size 2 needles in my hand—some with metal tips, some made of bamboo. The yarn just wouldn’t glide smoothly over the needles. When I compared them to see which ones worked best with my yarn, I also noticed that the needles (all size 2) were different thicknesses. Yes, these are only very slight differences. But it’s still surprising.

Imagine if a man were sold a drill bit of size xy at a hardware store that only roughly matched the specified size. That’s supposed to be standardized, too. They probably don’t take our crafts seriously and think that “roughly” is good enough.

Best regards, Ina

It’s not the men’s fault either 🤷‍♀️. I’m surprised this is so widespread 😯. Just imagine if every pattern said: “Needle size 4 from brand XY...” 🙄

Does this apply to well-known brands too? In my case, it was already clear before I bought them that I’d have to expect some surprises. All my needles are the right size—I don’t know what brands they are; they’re from my mother.

I’m afraid this affects pretty much all of them....
I have needles from different manufacturers. With such “very inexpensive” needles and gauges, I kind of expected this, but apparently that doesn’t have much to do with it....
Now I also realize the “importance of a gauge swatch” 😂🙈😂—it’s not just about your own knitting tension, but also about which manufacturer the needles are from 🤷😁

Oh boy, gauge isn’t just about individual differences—it’s also about the needles themselves. Great! 🤣
Though it really does make sense, one way or another. My mom once brought my best friend and me some packages of cotton along with a crochet pattern for a shopping bag. Same yarn, same hook size, but two very different bags.
Mine was a shopping bag, sure, but not really meant for a big trip to the farmers’ market—more for a one-day, solo shopping trip. My friend’s was huge—bigger than a duffel bag—and she later hung it from the ceiling.

I still can't quite believe it. And they say knitting is boring 👻😁

Who says something like that? 🙈😂🙈
Knitting is never boring; there’s calculating involved, and sometimes a little “fudging”.... or magic. 
Today I found a third needle gauge in the craft room 🙈, a very old one, and it doesn’t match the others either. I’m now gradually buying needles from one manufacturer, and the sizes are marked on the needle tips.