Crochet Hook Classification
Based on material used to make the hook (not the handle) and the method of manufacture.
100. Crochet hooks with removable needles steel wire needles or tapered hooks, handle may be any material
110. wire needles held in brass ferrule or collar pre 1880 or so
120. wire needles in steel ferrule or collar post 1880 or so
130. other wire needle mounts
140. tapered hooks
190. sets in case
200. Wire needle permanently mounted in handle until 1915 (WWI)
Wire needle always steel pre WWI. All post WW1 hooks in 300 (some look like wire hooks but actually
use a different method of manufacture). Handle may be any material.
210. cone mount - probably India 1860s
220. sliders - needle mounted in stamped brass handle
230. transition between slider and long needle with open handle
240. long needle with open wire handle - brass mount
250. long needle with tube handle - brass mount
260. swingers and swivels - steel pin mount
270. long needles with steel handles
280. other soft metal mounts - brass, pewter
290. needles steel, self mount, or glued
300. Tapered steel hook mounted in handle post 1880 (handles may be of any material)
310. pre WWI decorative handles from ladies necessities - brass mounted or glued
320. post 1900 with tapered steel hooks comfort handles and safety handles
390. sets
391. Ladies necessities
392. tapered steel - matching hooks of graduated sizes
400. Tapered steel, one-piece hook
410. rod handle
420. grip handle
430. sets -- matching hooks of graduated sizes
500. Ivory
510. elephant ivory
520. walrus ivory
Canadian Museum of Western Civilization - For a view of the many hooks in the museum collection, click on the very large "search" on the collections page. A warning that the catalogue is for personal use only will appear; agree to this restriction. Enter "crochet hook" as the key word in the search box, and click on the search button.
530. mammoth ivory
600. Carved Bone
700. Lathe Turned Bone - all of the simpler, massed produced hooks
800. Plastics
810. celluloid
820. cellulose acetate
830. casein
840. modern proprietary plastics
890. sets
900. Aluminum
990. Sets
1000. Plain Wood Made before 1970.
1010. sets
1100. Studio Wood Made after 1970. Exotic woods used.
Studio hooks
displayed at CGOA's Chain Link 2001 conference1190. sets
1200. Brass/Copper/Bronze includes all Addi Turbo hooks which are brass, also some INOX
1290. sets
1300. Other materials
1310. mother of pearl
1320. horn
1330. mother of pearl
1340. sterling silver
1350. tortoise shell (?)
1360. vulcanite/rubber (? rubber may have only been used for handle)
Specialty Crochet
2000. Tunisian/Afghan hooks
2100. onehook
2110. bone
2120. ivory
2130. steel
2140. plastics
2150. aluminum
2160. wood
2200. two hooks includes Cro-Hook - center between hooks is smooth (no carving or turning), hooks are same size
2210. bone
2220. plastics
2230. aluminum
3000. Pjoning/Patning/Shepherd's Knitting
broad, flat handles sometimes hand made from spoon handles, flat metal, don't know if this type of hook is or ever was commercially made -- see Liz Paludan's book for pictures
4000. Rug Crochet Hooks for crocheting fabric strips into rugs
Denner art rug needle US patent 1,751,796 Mar 15, 1930
Neusch wanger art needle US patent 2,279,926 Apr 14, 1942
Standart US patent 3,229,484 Jan.18, 1966
5000. Cro-Knitting
Mathews US patent 1,611,474
Burnham US patent 2,093,631
Neuschwanger US patent 2,217,524
Burnham US patent 2,353,875 July 18, 1944
Nagano US patent 5,211,710 May 18, 1993
Crochet Accessories
6000. Hairpin Lace Frames
7000. Thread Holders