Hi again everyone! Since it seems like most who are interested in this review are people getting gifts for their loved ones, I figured it would be better to release a part of the review/recommendations now so that there would be enough time to buy the hooks.
If you have questions about the hooks posted here, hooks I haven't posted yet, or anything about crochet, don't hesitate to ask!
Disclaimer:
- I am not affiliated with any of these hook brands. I just am fond of collecting things, and it just so happened that crochet hooks were what caught my eye. I also have a sizeable stash of yarn, but I am by no means an expert on it since I buy big box store yarn.
- I am not an expert. I only started crocheting in February of this year. However, I have been doing "crochet" with rubber bands for several years now. I also have designed some amigurumi and have some experience in garments/bags/etc.
- I use the knife grip and my hands are small. Like, baby smol. The way these hooks fit in my hand may differ from yours slightly.
With all this being said, let's begin!
The Collection:
Here's the rundown of the hooks I have. 1-6 will be reviewed in here, and the rest in the second part of this review.
- Boye or generic aluminum hooks
- Several sets of ergonomic hooks from amazon (which will be reviewed individually)
- Thread crochet hooks from amazon
- Large crochet hooks from amazon
- Boye ergonomic hooks
- Daiso ergonomic hooks
- Clover Armour
- Tulip Etimo
- Polymer clay handle hooks
- Knitter's Pride Dreamz
- Furls Odyssey and Streamline
- Interchangeable hooks from amazon
- Interchangeable hooks from The Hook Nook
- Interchangeable hooks from Etsy (acrylic hand-turned handle)
- Other hooks I have here and there (bates silvalume, loops and threads)
Boye or generic aluminum hooks
Like most people, I started crochet with these kinds of hooks. They are your basic, reliable tapered hooks. Some swear by them, but to be honest it didn't quite work out for me and I switched hooks early on. Using these for extended periods gave me a lot of pain in my thumb, and the handle seemed too thin to be held comfortably, unless it was in the bigger range (H onwards). Imo these are okay, but if you've only ever used these, consider trying an ergonomic hook and see if that gives you better quality of life.
Amazon ergonomic hooks
Lots of variety in amazon. Here's the hook sets I've tried:
- BCMRUN Crochet Hook Set - Tapered hooks and comes with case and notions. These were a godsend compared to the bare aluminum hooks. The grip is comfortable and with these I'm able to crochet much longer. The hooks are pretty good for the price and don't snag the yarn that much. I'd say the hooks are of comparable or equal quality to the bare aluminum hooks. The other notions are great as well, especially the needles. They don't feel cheap at all and have been very useful to me.
- KOKNIT Crochet Hook Set - Tapered hooks and comes with a case. Some options include notions as well, but I purchased the pink one that comes without. Very cute design, and the hooks are not bad either, about the same as your basic aluminum hooks. The handles are wide and flat, so it may be a bit awkward to hold at the start. The hooks are also a little on the shorter side, so that may be an issue to larger hands. I love that it comes in the smaller sizes as well (starting at 1.00 mm), so it's good for more lacework and smaller amigurumi. The designs on the handles may fade a bit from use though.
- Katech Crochet Hook Set - Tapered hooks, and comes with a case. On first look, these look gorgeous. They are golden hooks in black rubber grips, kind of reminiscent of tulip etimo. The hooks are nice to use and pretty smooth. The case is also very nice and I love how it's one of those fold/roll out things, and how it has a plastic cover on top so that your hooks don't hit each other when it's folded. That being said though, the hooks aren't fully flush inside the grips. The grips slide around and out while working and it is a huge hassle.
Amazon large and thread crochet hooks
- Thread Crochet Hooks - Tapered hooks, and comes with a case. These are my go to for lacework. I don't do it often, so I didn't invest in more expensive brands for these sizes (ex. clover has a steel series as well) but these serve my purposes really well! They are nice to hold, have nice, sturdy hooks, and the yarn slides effortlessly. I loved these so much I actually bought a second set.
- Large Ergonomic Crochet Hooks - Tapered hooks, and comes with a case and notions. These look like the larger cousins of the BCMRUN set. Their sizes overlap as well, but if you're looking for the just larger sizes, this is your man. Hooks are nice and heavy, but they are comfortable to use. The notions are also pretty good.
- Huge Crochet Hook Set - Huge acrylic crochet hooks and notions. I got these for the occasional super chunky yarn. Not bad especially given the price since I don't use them often. They aren't unreasonably heavy and working with them is comfortable enough. I feel like working with hooks and yarn at this size is naturally uncomfortable for me, since my small hands means each stitch is exaggerated, but these don't cause me much pain.
Boye Ergonomic Hook Set - Tapered hook set. The handles are a little long for me, but for someone with longer hands this would be ideal. The hooks themselves are a little eh. The hook tips are rather sharp and snag a lot on my yarn and split it. Their size G is also unusual at 4.25 mm (vs the typical 4.00 mm of other brands, but if you use the boye aluminum hooks I think their G is also 4.25 mm). Not bad price point for ergonomic hooks with a pretty well-known name brand.
Daiso Crochet Hooks - Tapered hooks, while the larger sizes are acrylic hooks. Pretty hard to find unless you have a local Daiso, and even then it's not always in stock. It's super cheap though, and amazing given the price. My yarn just glides through these and the grips are wonderful. Just like the BCMRUN hooks, they make a good dupe of clover armour / tulip etimo style hooks. I love the cute pastel colors as well! These are rare but if you do find them, they're super worth it. They also come in smaller sizes (0.9 mm and 1.0 mm).
That's all I have for now! I'll post the second part of this review when my interchangeable hooks from etsy arrive. I shall also be posting more pictures of my own hooks by then. In the meantime, if anyone wants more photos, let me know. Thank you for reading all this!
TL;DR: I have too many hooks.
Daiso on the left, Boye on the right
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