[Lee] has a Hakko FR301 desoldering gun and a Duratool knockoff ... stiff wire to push through the barrel frequently when using a tool like this to prevent having to clear it like [Lee] did ...

Have any of you used a desoldering needle? This is a set of tools you might use to desolder a through-hole component with a wire-end poking out beneath the board. The idea is that as stainless ...