When I started crocheting, there were only two types of hooks available at the stores near me and internet shopping was not a thing. So the only options were Bates and Boye. I’m sure that these two names will be familiar to many and I’m sure that you have your own preferences. But for me, the Bates style was the clear winner.

I actually learned to crochet with a Boye hook and didn’t have any real issues with using it, but when I bought my own hooks, I chose the Bates style. This was around seventeen years ago so I can’t fully remember if I had had a reason at the time, but I do remember really liking the deeper hook on them. As a beginner, I found that it really helped me by holding my yarn snugly while I created the stitches. I had more yarn slippage with the Boye style. 

For years, I stuck with my Bates hooks and it was the only style that I would buy. I even made some comfort handles for some of my most used ones with Sculpey. However, 2 years ago I asked my fiance for a set of Clover Amour hooks and I have barely touched my old Bates ones since. 

It actually surprised me when I first tried the Clover hooks with how smooth they were with “sticky” yarns. I crochet fairly tight so I have had a lot of issues with sticky yarn. Now when I say sticky, I don’t mean it is actually sticky, but it catches on the edge of the hook and doesn’t feel smooth when creating stitches. The Clover hooks glide through stitches with no sticking, which means I can crochet faster and with less effort, which means I can crochet for longer. 

I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed crocheting with them as they look more like the Boye style, but I haven’t had many issues with slippage as I used to. This could be because I am much more experienced or it could be the design. 

I do have a few small gripes with the Clover hooks though. The seam on the edges of the comfort grip is occasionally irritating to my hand, as is the raised Clover text at the base. This could be because of my knife style grip, but I feel that an engraved rather than a raised logo would improve the overall feel of them in your hand. They are also a little short. I imagine that if my hands were small and dainty that would be no issue, but I have fairly large hands and wouldn’t mind around an inch more of handle to grip. 

All in all, when choosing hooks, I think that you really need to just try out different styles to find out what works best for you. I’ve heard great things about Tulip hooks and Furls hooks so perhaps I’ll give them a try one day. Until then, I am happy with my collection!