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Hook brands - pros and cons


perigrine

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I like the Bates hooks. I crochet very tightly and if I don't use an inline hook it's difficult for me to work.

 

I like my Brittany hooks as well, but the aluminum hooks seem to work more smoothly. For me, anyway. :)

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I have mostly Boye, Crystalites, Lion Brand, and one Brittany. Because of the way I hold my hook I have to have one that has a flat area on the handle. Lion Brand and Brittany don't have that flat area so they are very uncomfortable for me, causing cramps in my hand! I really like Crystalites but they don't have the size printed on the hook which drives me nuts, and my size h crystalite broke while trying to crochet with recycled sari yarn.

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I used to use exclusively Boye but recently switch to Bates (for aluminum hooks). The Bates are smoother and the notch is more defined which means that the yarn doesn't slip off as much (for me). They just seem better made.

 

I used to have a great grey aluminum hook with a "cap" at the other end. It was my favorite to use, and it disappeared (probably under the couch somewhere). If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about and if they are still available, let me know!

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I prefer Hero, but they're no longer manufactured, so I get them occasionally from e-Bay.

 

I like Aero hooks and buy them from Canada.

 

I also have a set of Clover hooks that I bought in Taiwan. I like the heads quite a bit. At times they feel too short. These don't have padded handles.

 

I have a set of Boye. I prefer the older Boye. As someone else said, they're smoother. I also think the older Boye are close to the Hero brand. And the finger rest of the newer ones are in a different location than the older ones.

 

CGOA has a Hook Special Interest Group you might be interested in.

http://www.crochet.org/hook/hooksig.html

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:) I have many hooks:

Bates, Boye, Crystallites, steel, and plastic

 

my wooden from e-bay:

Brittany, Vermont wookwork, Graydog, unclepawpaw, Jan's Hooks

 

I also have Skacel which I just love

 

The Skacel and wooden ones are my favorite. :manyheart

 

 

I do not like the Crystallites or the plastic ones, I find that my work slips off. but I use them to travel, or to take with me when I am away from home.

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Could someone please explain what the arthretic (sp?) is like . If someone has a picture that would be even better. I would really appreciate it.:manyheart

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Hi, did you mean hooks for arthritis? If so, this site explains the Addi Turbo padded hook. And if you click on catalog, you'll see a closeup.

http://www.karpstyles.com/crochet/Types-of-hook.html

 

 

 

Could someone please explain what the arthretic (sp?) is like . If someone has a picture that would be even better. I would really appreciate it.:manyheart
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Thank-you Mary Pat....:ty

 

I love to crochet when ... I'm not busy and arthritis has started to settle in.

This hook likes just the thing....

If anyone out there knows where in Canada you can purchase these please let me know......

I will be searching...:ccompute

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I love the Susan Bates hooks. Will use any in-line hook. Use the Crystallites when large hook is needed. Have never used wooden hooks, would like to. May purchase one to see if I like it. Iva

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I believe this is a Canadian site, although I've never purchased from them:

http://www.karpstyles.com/hooks.shtml

 

I buy from Canadian sites a lot and they have no problem shipping to the US; maybe the same is true for US sites shipping to Canada.

 

 

Thank-you Mary Pat....:ty

 

I love to crochet when ... I'm not busy and arthritis has started to settle in.

This hook likes just the thing....

If anyone out there knows where in Canada you can purchase these please let me know......

I will be searching...:ccompute

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Most of my hooks are Boyes. I learned to crochet on them so they're what I'm most comfortable with.

 

I have a bunch of Bates for thread crochet too. I don't use them unless I can't find a Boye in the size I want at that time. I'm just not used to in-line hook, I guess. Plus, I've discovered that the gauge of the two brands is different. For example, a size 9 in a Bates is closer to a size 8 in a Boye.

 

I have two Addis, a Gold Fleck 9mm and a Turbo in size H. I like and use them both. But I found the Turbo had a tendency to roll in my fingers as I worked, so I took an X-Acto knife and whittled a flat spot on the grip for my thumb to rest on. The metal hook part sometimes comes out of plastic handle as I'm working but I try to remember to push it in occasionally before that happens. The Gold Fleck, though round, doesn't seem to roll as much as the Turbo did. I think it's because it's such a large size.

 

I have a no-name gold-plated G hook that I got for subscribing to a magazine years ago. It gets used enough that the plating is wearing off.

 

Then there's the Crystalite knockoff set I have that I don't like at all. Yarn doesn't slide well on the plastic, slowing me down. And I broke one accidentally just a few weeks after buying them.

 

My sister gave me a size M hand-made wood hook that I don't like using either. I can feel the yarn fibres snagging on the beveled area between the hook and the shaft where the wood's grain is exposed. It a tiny bit like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Perhaps if I put a little bit of varnish there it wouldn't bother me so much.

 

That's it, I think.

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Wow, I want to make these! I bet my Dremel tool would be a great help in shaping the hooks!

 

Ages ago we used to live near willow trees, and when we were younger we'd strip the bark off the fallen branches. I think 'fresh' wood might be easier to work with than 'dry' chop sticks. I guess I need to pull my finger out and try. I wonder when the neighbours roses will be pruned......

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I have all types of hooks .... Bates, Boyes, acrylic, plastic, aluminum. My absolute favorites are my hand made woods that I got on e-bay. I have 4 wood ones that I love, but the H hook is my winner, hands down. It has more of an ergonomic (sp?) shape and with it being wood, I feel that it absorbs the warmth of my hand and it is more comfortable for me to crochet for longer periods of time.

 

Just my humble opinion!

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Wow, I want to make these! I bet my Dremel tool would be a great help in shaping the hooks! I'm going to see if I can find some chopsticks at the thrift store tomorrow.

 

You can also use wooden dowels to make your hooks then you won't have to measure them you will know what the mm size is.

 

Emily

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I used to have a great grey aluminum hook with a "cap" at the other end. It was my favorite to use, and it disappeared (probably under the couch somewhere). If anyone has any idea what I'm talking about and if they are still available, let me know!

 

This is a Susan Bates Quicksilver hook. They are still made today but I do not think they have a cap anymore. If the one you have is marked made in the USA it can be dated to the 1970's.

 

Emily

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I have a no-name gold-plated G hook that I got for subscribing to a magazine years ago. It gets used enough that the plating is wearing off.
OMG, seriously? I inherited one of these hooks from my boyfriend's g-ma after she passed, with the original ad even! That's just too funny, mine's the same size and everything.

 

My sister gave me a size M hand-made wood hook that I don't like using either. I can feel the yarn fibres snagging on the beveled area between the hook and the shaft where the wood's grain is exposed. It a tiny bit like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. Perhaps if I put a little bit of varnish there it wouldn't bother me so much.
Have you tried rubbing it with a little waxed paper? That might help.
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I prefer Susan Bates for most things, especially boucle and furry yarn, I find that Boye tends to split my yarn. I do prefer Boye for smaller sizes and thread because it has a longer shaft before the thumb rest. The Balene hooks I find are not slippery enough, neither are the Susan Bates Crystalites. Also the Crystalites tend to have seams that stick out, another readon I don't like those.

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This is a Susan Bates Quicksilver hook. They are still made today but I do not think they have a cap anymore. If the one you have is marked made in the USA it can be dated to the 1970's.

 

Thank you! I'm definately going to look into replacing it, it was by far the most comfortable metal hook I've ever worked with.

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What an effort.

 

If anyone would like a copy of the file, it would be best to email me and I'll send it on (its a Word doc), coz I am certain that it violates copyright rules in regard to the lifted pictures and blurb off web sites.

 

And I still haven't found out what the blue hook is.....:think

 

Monique,

You did a great job:yay :yay . I know how much work you put into this.

 

When you can, send me pictures of your blue hook, I may be able to help identify the maker.

 

Emily

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This made me look at what I have.

 

Pony - My tunisians for instance are by Pony. It doesn't say what they're made from, but it looks like metal with a grey plastic/paint coating

 

Aero - I can see they're popular in Europe, I didn't realize I had several of them until this topic made me take a closer look. I think it was a plastic Aero I snapped a few weeks ago, even though I'd only had it for a couple of weeks.

 

Disc/Milward - It says DISC on the handle, but I don't know if that is the brand or what

 

ADDI - I have a single one that looks like it's made from glitter glue

 

Perl-Inox - Aluminium I guess

 

Hjerte - A brand that doesn't say it's name, there's just a big heart on the packaging

 

Panda - I have a single Panda bamboo hook

 

Boni - also aluminium I think. Definitely metal.

 

Boye - that I got from a swap with a nice Crocetville-forumer, as I can't get them over here. :manyheart

 

Prym - that's the brand of my multiple size hairpin crochet staple.

 

Most of those are just grey (with the exception of some coloured plastic handles) and look like they could have been made by the same company, except from the ADDI and the Boyes. :)

I don't really have a favourite, I haven't used the bamboo hook yet, for instance. But I like the Boye ones, they're very smooth and colourful.

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