A comfortable, easy-to-use thimble

[ardchoille]

I'm wondering why kilt makers don't use a palm.

Well, sailors who work with rope are usually working with mooring line - very thick rope - which requires needles that are 4 inches long or longer. It takes a lot of force to push these huge needles through 2 inches of rope thickness. Kilt makers, on the other hand, probably don't deal with anything larger than a standard sewing needle, so a sailor's palm would be severe overkill.