Based on material used to make the hook (not the handle) and the method of manufacture.
Photographs of hooks are copyrighted. You need permission to copy photos.
Hook collection is available for loan to museums and other qualified organizations.
Articles on crochet hooks
Crochet Guild of America Commemorative Hooks
…more articles on crochet hooks
100. Wire needle with separate handle
steel wire needles, handle may be any material
110. wire needle held by brass compression fitting
brass collet with agate handle
brass threads with agate handle
brass collet with bone handle and needlecase
120. wire needle held by steel fitting
130. other wire needle fittings
200. Wire needle permanently mounted in handle
wire needle always steel, handle may be any material
210. cone mount
cone mount with brass handle and R finial
cone mount with porcupine quill
220. sliders – short needle with flat stamped brass or steel handle
Queen Victoria golden jubilee slider
WDS cross slider – brass or steel handle
230. long needle permanently mounted in flat brass or steel handle
240. needle with wire handle
241. coiled wire handle
single hook with steel coiled handle
double ended hook with steel coiled handle and brass sheath
double ended hook with steel coiled handle and painted sheath
single hook with brass coiled handle and glass paperweight knob
single hook with brass coiled handle, glass paperweight knob and brass collar
single hook with steel coiled handle and glass paperweight knob
single hook with steel coil over twisted handle
242. open wire handle
Z Shrimpton Duplex Crochet Needle and Holder 1866
Burgess duplex with curved handle 1868
Z Shrimpton twisted wire handle 1871
Crescent No. 33 twisted wire handle
Crescent No. 37 pivoting needle
double ended with fine twisted diamond
250. long needle with tube handle and brass mount
tube handle with flat brass end
tube handle with brass ball end
260. triplex (three needles with saber sheath)
green triplex with round sheath
270. long needles with steel handles
280. other soft metal mounts – brass, pewter
290. needles steel, self mount, or glued
steel wire needle with bone handle by Abel Morrall
steel wire needle with cork handle by Abel Morrall
Crescent steel wire needle with bone handle
300. Cast steel hook mounted in handle
handles may be of any material
310. decorative handles including ladies necessities
ladies necessity with bone and paste handles
320. cast steel hooks with comfort and safety handles
Tregellas with turned aluminum handle
330. double ended hooks
double ended hook with bone middle
390. cast steel hooks with separate handle, usually sets
391. Ladies necessities
392. cast steel — matching hooks of graduated sizes
400. Cast steel, one-piece hook
410. rod no grip
Henry English one piece steel 1860
420. rod with grip other than flat grip
Milward No. 420 with square grip
430. 4 1/2″ – 5″ rod with flat grip (patent US 572809)
photo index of 5″ crochet hook names on grips
only selected hooks with special features listed below
Clive, Faudelite and Vicars with X and bar on handle
Susan Bates Clipson metal clip
Susan Bates Clipson plastic clip
440. 3 1/2″ – 4 3/8″ rod with flat grip – safety hook
photo index of 3 1/2″ – 4 1/2″ crochet hook names on grips
450. 6″ rod with flat grip
500. Ivory
510. Eskimo style
walrus ivory, mammoth ivory
520. European/Asian style
elephant ivory
Other European/Asian ivory hooks
600. Carved Bone
700. Lathe Turned Bone
all of the simpler, massed produced hooks
simple bone hooks identified to distributor by finial shape
Abel Morrall bone crochet hooks
Crescent lathe turned bone plain
Crescent lathe turned bone with simple patterns
ladies necessity with bone crochet hook
800. Plastics
810. celluloid
820. cellulose acetate
830. casein
840. modern proprietary plastics
Magic Knitting Kneedle and EZEE Crochet Hook
900. Aluminum
1000. Plain Wood
Most made before 1970.
1100. Studio Wood
Most made after 1970. Exotic woods often used.
Turn of the Century, Bill Schmidt
1200. Brass/Copper/Bronze
Includes all Addi Turbo hooks which are brass, also some INOX
1300. Bamboo
Most made after 2000
2000. Other materials
2010. other metals – sterling silver, pewter
2020. horn
2030. mother of pearl
2040. glass
2050. tortoise shell (?)
2060. vulcanite/rubber
Crescent vulcanite crochet hooks
Specialty Crochet
3000. Tunisian/Afghan hooks
3100. one hook
3110. bone
Crescent long bone crochet hooks
3120. ivory
3130. steel
3140. plastics
3150. aluminum
3160. wood
3200. two hooks
includes Cro-Hook
3210. bone
3220. plastics
3230. aluminum
4000. Pjoning/Patning/Shepherd’s Knitting
broad, flat handles sometimes hand made from spoon handles, flat metal
Shepherd’s Knitting Hook from Rogers spoon
Shepherd’s Knitting Hook from spoon
bone snake by Kate Lebherz-Gelinas
5000. Rug Crochet Hooks
for crocheting fabric strips into rugs
Standart US patent 3,229,484 Jan. 18, 1966
6000. crochet hook with needle eye (locker hook, Cro-Knitting, Knooking)
Nihon Vogue Miracle Super-Needle
[…] a little more leeway. See, for example, some of the hooks shown on Nancy Nehring’s blog, Lace Buttons. In a word, wow! (Did you notice the one mounted on a porcupine […]
[…] two crochet blogs or websites are featured and today is my day. Crocheters will want to peruse my Crochet Hook Classification (see menu at right) for a look at the many styles and materials used to make crochet hooks and for […]
[…] is my day and I’d like to introduce you to a resource that I’m developing – the Crochet Hook Classification. It’s a catalog of crochet hooks, manufacturers and supporting documents such as ads and […]