I've been crocheting for about 7yrs and I have developed some favorite crochet tools to use. Each hook'r is a little different here's what makes me, me- I use the pencil grip, have a loose tension, don't work with anything smaller than a DK for the most part. I turned my crochet hobby into a business pretty quick, so speed to get things done was important for me.
Material- metal, bamboo and plastic.
I never found plastic or bamboo/wood hooks that were tapered. I went for the metal hooks because I found I was faster with them.
Hooks- I love hooks with a smooth tapered neck not with a slit mouth. I find that I can get things done quicker and my yarn doesn't get caught as much.
Grips- A few months into crocheting I knew that I needed some type of thumb support. I tried using pencil grips like the Crochet Geek did on youtube, too much movement and I needed to grips each time I got a new hook! No gonna happen.
Next, I tried Crochet Dude hooks, I liked the colors but the grip part wasn't meant for pencil grippers, it was awkward and bulky to hold.
And finally, I met Clover. Amour and Soft Touch.... I've been using Clover Soft Touch for my projects for at least 5 of the 7years I've been crocheting. I loved them, they had the extra cushion for you thumb, not your whole palm like you would need if you were using the knife grip. They came in a range of sizes, all one color so no need to worry about a rose colored hook on the train.
What's your favorite hook to use when crocheting? Let's chat about it below!