High impact knitting needle

A shockless needle for circular knitting machines, wherein the needle is slidably mounted in a trick and is provided with a butt which periodically engages a needle-sliding cam. The butt extends radially from the needle in a direction at least substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle. The needle or jack of the invention is provided at the location of the butt with a relief in order to decrease the thickness and thus the stiffness of the needle and also simultaneously increase the clearance between the butt portion and the confronting thick walls. In another embodiment, the walls of the trick of the knitting machine at the location confronting the needle butt are recessed in order to increase the clearance between the butt portion and trick walls and to provide space for the sidewise deflection of the needle when the needle is momentarily bent when its butt is engaged by the needle-sliding cam.