Your favorite shuttle?

[kocuria]

huh, girls, what is it with your husbands and cleaning sprees?
i have a deal. i don't touch anything in my significant other's corner of the room, or any of his stuff for that matter (he's a scientist... loads of important notes looking like unimportant jibberish, better safe than sorry...), and he does the same even though the room is overriden by my craft supplies when something gets in the way, we just relocate it to the other person's 'zone', simple as that...

[susiearnholt]

Should I say "sorry" or "have fun shopping"? I just got a curly maple and a birds eye maple in the tiny size with a brass hook to make earrings (primarily), and I love my padouk (reddish brown wood) and sycamore in the next size that will allow for a hook. There just aren't that many places to find wood, clack-clack shuttles with hooks...especially where you can get your name on them for free.

[GraceT]

Should I say "sorry" or "have fun shopping"? I just got a curly maple and a birds eye maple in the tiny size with a brass hook to make earrings (primarily), and I love my padouk (reddish brown wood) and sycamore in the next size that will allow for a hook. There just aren't that many places to find wood, clack-clack shuttles with hooks...especially where you can get your name on them for free.

I wasn't interested in a David Reed Smith shuttle until you mentioned the brass hook! But I looked on the website, and it's not a real crochet hook. Can you tell me whether it behaves like a crochet hook, and what size hook it corresponds to? Thanks.

Also, has anyone tried the pewter option? It makes the shuttle less beautiful, but does it improve the function by a lot?

[susiearnholt]

I don't like the way the pewter looks, and I've had some of his shuttles for YEARS and they don't lose their "click." He has a picture of a brass hook compared to a size 14 at http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Shuttles/Brasshoo.htm. It behaves like a very short crochet hook, and I find it shreds my preferred size 20 thread less often than a size 14 or 12 crochet hook. I'd put it between a size 12 and 10...small enough to go through a pretty tiny picot, large enough not to shred the thread.

[GraceT]

I don't like the way the pewter looks, and I've had some of his shuttles for YEARS and they don't lose their "click." He has a picture of a brass hook compared to a size 14 at http://www.davidreedsmith.com/Shuttles/Brasshoo.htm. It behaves like a very short crochet hook, and I find it shreds my preferred size 20 thread less often than a size 14 or 12 crochet hook. I'd put it between a size 12 and 10...small enough to go through a pretty tiny picot, large enough not to shred the thread.

Thanks, that's very helpful! I'm definitely interested to buy now! I'm eyeing the sycamore wood...

[susiearnholt]

I have a sycamore that I really like. It is a lighter shade than the curly maple (similar to a holly color) but it has similar waves in the grain that show up especially well in good light. I think his shuttles are pretty much as light as the clover or sewmate that matches them in size, but the hooks make them nicer to use.

[ChellWyo]

Hello Everyone,

I noticed that no one mentioned Tatsy shuttles. They are my favorite because you can even wind yarn on them. It's what I learned on when i started tatting. I have my great grandmothers shuttle and several others that are antiques. I'd love to run into a silver shuttle some day. That would make me jump for joy, but most people at these shops have no cue what I'm even asking them for so I'm still looking!!! I received a bamboo shuttle and I'm still testing it. TATSY ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!!!

[themadtatter]

I received two "Thumb Shuttles" from River over at Etsy. I absolutely LOVE them! They are really cute and hold just enough thread for bracelets, earrings etc. They are smooth as silk, and easy to hold (plus when I am out and about I tend to like to carry my tatting in my "treasure chest" (c'mon ladies, haven't we ALL been guilty of this at one time or another??) and the clovers with their sharp little picks....well just...... OUCH!!! I am w/c bound and do not carry a purse as it has been proven to be to easy to either catch in a doorframe when hung on the arm or come up gone after being followed by young miscreants if hung on the back(I lost an entire month of income one time, after DH hung it on the back of my w/c, complete with expensive digital camera, IPhone and irreplaceable pictures). So therefore I need somewhere to put my shuttles when traveling and my TC is as safe as it can get!LOL

I think there are lots of great and not so great shuttles and it's all dependent on personal preference. My pros/cons:
Tasty-holds lots of thread/Too big for small hands
Clover-Just right size,nice pick for picots/Pick is very sharp!(scars on back of middle finger fom multiple stab wounds)
Metal Boye-sturdy/metal connector snags on thread
Aero-Can switch bobbins easily, great hook for picots/bobbin wears out after much use, kind of long
GR8-I can't really say I liked this-bobbin tension too unstable. Either too loose or tightens too much as you tat.
LaCossette/neutered Aeros-beautiful designs,shorter and easier than standard length/bobbin wear
Pop A Bobbin- I haven't been lucky enough to get one yet!
River(OldWaysCrafts/Etsy)-beautiful, smooth,nice for small tats, fits perfectly under finger/doesn't hold a lot of thread

Anyway, that's my take on favorite shuttles!

[susiearnholt]

River is actually running a contest where she's offered a pair of thumb shuttles in trade for a pair of tatted earrings. I think she'll be picking the winner in the next couple days.

[Deb13b]

Ooooooo oooooo I didn't know you could get DRS shuttles with hooks ! That's the only reason I don't have one lol.

I've only been tatting a few months and have only used 2 different shuttles. Clovers and one of LaCossettes' beautiful aeros. (i'm actually waiting for another to arrive, I spotted it in her etsy shop and ordered instantly lol).

I was pining for a GR8 shuttle but I have been put off by the tension-post-thingy. Too much of a faff-on for me.

So, my most used shuttles are defo the clovers as I'm using very thick crochet cotton at the minute and I don't want the hook on the aero to mess it up. I love the feel of them in my hand, they're so light. They're cheap and cheerful and get the job done !