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review: Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hook set

Have you heard of the new Twist + Lock crochet hook sets from Susan Bates?

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

Yarnspirations (the company behind the Susan Bates brand) say:

Crocheting just became easier with the Susan Bates Twist + Lock interchangeable crochet hook tool. Select the desired hook size and insert into the opening of the oversized soft touch handle. With a simple Twist and Lock, your crochet hook will fit snugly in place whether in action or in storage. Purchase additional sizes to build your custom crochet hook set.

But is this a helpful addition to our crochet toolset, or just a solution looking for a problem? Coats & Clark kindly sent me a set to test out and see what I think…

About the Set

The Twist + Lock kits are available in various configurations:

  • 1 handle and 2 hook heads
  • 1 handle, 1 hook head and a cutter
  • 2 hooks and a cutter
  • the Deluxe Set that includes 2 handles, 2 cutters, and all 6 hook heads (sizes F, G, H, I, J, K – that’s 3.75-6.5mm).

So you can choose your preferred hook sizes and add on additional pieces later, or jump straight in with the complete set.

First Impressions

The hook heads are standard Susan Bates in-line hooks (my favourites). A hook head or cutter can be inserted into each end of the spring-loaded handle, and twisted to lock it in place:

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

As there’s no thumbrest on the hooks (where the hook size is usually embossed), the size is printed on the back of each hook:

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

With a hook at each end, the handle becomes quite long:

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

You can also reverse any of the heads and insert them facing into the handle, for portability:

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

My Testing Process

For my test, I’ve been crocheting my Cozy Cables Earwarmer using Bernat Satin yarn and a J US/6mm hook. I crocheted a full 4-row repeat of the stitch pattern with my usual Susan Bates bamboo-handled hook and then another repeat with the Twist + Lock hook, so I could really feel the difference the hook makes to the process.

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

I also tested the cutter out. The blade is so well protected inside the plastic casing that I couldn’t get it to work at all at first, but once I figured out you have to loop the yarn over the cutter and then pull back fairly hard, it worked well enough:

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks

The Importance of Honest Reviews

I’m a big fan of Susan Bates hooks and I really wanted to love this concept, but it didn’t really work for me. I’m uncomfortable writing this, a less-than-positive review, but I think it’s important for people to hear both good and bad points to help inform their purchases. That’s why I’m not an ‘influencer’ – I never accept payment for reviews; you’ll always hear what I truly think.

All the other reviews I’ve seen of this set have said nothing but positive things, and I don’t know if that’s because the reviewers didn’t actually use the hooks before they reviewed them, or whether they truly love them, and it’s just me that doesn’t! Either way, it’s important for me to tell you the truth as I see it, so here goes…

Pros

Let’s start out with the reasons I do like this set!

  • It’s nicely made – the heads push and nicely into the spring-loaded body and twist securely closed.
  • I really like the idea of always having a cutter to hand!
  • You can store your hook head and cutter inside the handle, making it easy to throw into your project bag without worrying about snagging your yarn. Just push and twist and the head pops out, ready to re-attach facing outwards and start crocheting. This would be very convenient for travel.
  • The handle is reversible so you can have a hook at either end, or a hook at one end and a cutter on the other, and just flip the handle around when you want to use the other end.
  • As with all Susan Bates hooks, these hooks have the inline head shape I love. This shape head makes it far easier to form perfectly regular stitches.
  • The soft touch handle is substantial and comfortable to hold in the palm of your hand, and I think it’d be especially useful for those with larger hands or who have grip difficulty.

Cons

Now for the downsides… I have two main problems with this hook that ruin the crocheting experience for me. To make a fair comparison, I got out all my Susan Bates J hooks so you can see what I’m talking about.

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks
Susan Bates J hooks, top to bottom: Twist & Lock, bamboo-handled, Soft Touch, Quicksilver.

Firstly, the grip position. As with all interchangeable hooks I’ve seen (from any brand), there’s no thumbrest on these hooks, and because of the shape of the handle, you have to hold it below the section where the head is inserted.

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks
The standard thumbrest position is between the dotted lines; the Twist + Lock hold is below the bulge in the handle, below the lower dotted line.

This is about an inch below my usual position, and it feels like I have less control of the hook as a result. If you have difficulties forming a tight grip and prefer to grip a larger comfort handle instead of a thin thumbrest, this may be a benefit to you, but personally I much prefer the control of holding the hook closer to the head.

Susan Bates Twist + Lock crochet hooks
Top: my usual hand position; bottom: my hand is much further away from the hook head.

Secondly, the weight. It was immediately noticeable to me how heavy this hook was in use. I tried taking the cutter out from the base of the handle and that helped slightly, but it still felt much heavier. In case I was biased, I weighed all my Susan Bates J hooks to compare:

Hook (all Susan Bates size J) Weight/g
Twist + Lock plus cutter 32.9
Twist + Lock plus 2nd hook 37.3
Twist + Lock, empty end 31.0
Bamboo-handled 11.5
Soft Touch 10.4
Quicksilver 10.1

It wasn’t my imagination – all my other J hooks weigh between 10 and 12g, and the Twist + Lock weighs 31-37g, depending on what you have installed in the other end. That’s around three times the weight of a standard hook, and if you do a lot of crocheting, you’ll definitely start to feel that difference!

Verdict

Susan Bates hooks are my all-time favourites, because of the head shape, and that’s the same with this new set as much as all their other hooks. But, while I love the concept of the ‘portable toolkit’, carrying your toolkit in the handle of your hook maybe isn’t the best thought-out idea…

There are some plus points: the handle material is comfortable, and the wide grip in the palm of your hand is an advantage for knife-grip crocheters, especially for those with larger hands. Being able to flip the head inside the handle for easy and safe transportation in your project bag is genius, and the idea of always having a safe cutter to hand is very appealing!

If you travel a lot with a crochet project at your side, or have large hands, or your top priority is a wide comfortable grip, and/or you don’t mind the added weight, the Twist + Lock set may be a good fit for you. But, for me, the hugely increased weight and the lack of a good thumbrest position for controlling the hook make this a miss.

If you’re looking for crochet hooks, I’d recommend instead any of the other Susan Bates aluminum hooks:

  • The bamboo-handled hooks (if you can still find them), are my favourites.
  • The Soft Touch handled hooks are also very nice – the grip isn’t as wide as the bamboo handle, but the material is very comfortable to hold, and the new-style pointier tip is growing on me too.
  • The classic Silvalume hooks are just one-piece anodized aluminum, but you can always add a comfort grip if you need a wider handle.

All of these also have the same aluminium hook with the in-line head style as the Twist + Lock, and I’d guess that smaller-handed people like me would probably have a better crocheting experience with any of these than the Twist + Lock set.

(And I’ve reviewed all the other Susan Bates hooks here, if you’d like to know more about those options!)


What do you think? If you tend to like heavier hooks and larger handles with no thumbrest, or you’ve tried a Twist + Lock hook, I’d love to hear about your experience – especially if you disagree with me! Am I missing something here?!

8 Comments »

  1. Sharon F said

    I have a set of these hooks and find them easy to use, however my favorite set of ergonomic interchangeable hooks, that are inline like Susan Bates and also have a very comfortable thumb rest, are my ProvoCraft ones. Unfortunately, they no longer make them, but I own seven sets, and use them 99% of the time.

  2. BARBARA White said

    Hi I’m a Susan Bates fan I enjoy the way they hold my threads when working. Ordered some hooks but they were not what I ordered I would like to order more but don’t trust that my order will be correct please help 😒

  3. Knet said

    Now that is how you review a product! Susan Bates hooks are my absolute favorite also! I saw those hooks last year and wanted them just because. I also thought the handle would be great for my arthritis. The price kept me at bay until today. I saw them on sale, did some pricing research, and put the deluxe set in a cart, but I kept vacillating with my decision. Other reviews weren’t much help. Then, I found yours. I love your insightful detailed pro’s, con’s, and your visual breakdown of information. You gave me insight that I hadn’t even considered. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this review. After I empty that cart, I’m going work on being content with the treasures I already have. Thank you so much!

    Knet☺️

  4. Knet said

    Susan Bates hooks are my absolute favorite also! I saw the Twist & Lock hooks last year and I wanted them just because. The prices kept me at bay until today. I saw them on sale, did some pricing research, and put the deluxe set in a cart, but I kept vacillating with my decision. The reviews I saw weren’t much help. So, I Googled for more and found yours. I love your detailed pro’s, con’s and visual breakdown of information. You gave me insight that I hadn’t even thought of. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into this review. Thank you so much!

  5. Lynda said

    Thankyou for your unbiased reviews. V much appreciated.

  6. Chrisie said

    The biggest drawback for me (besides the lack of thumbrest) would be the size I use the most 3.5mm isn’t included!

    I do like the idea of being able to store the hook inside, I’ve had more than one snag while travelling.

  7. Rachel L Cornelius said

    I don’t like Susan Bates hooks for the precise reason you do like them: the head shape. I much prefer Boye hooks and their more rounded shape. Also I think holding the hook farther from the head would be annoying — I tried it with one of mine, and it does make me feel I have less control, though that might be just because I’m not used to it. But I do like holding my hook closer to the head. I used to hold them “above” the thumb rest (between it and the head). Also I think the heavier weight would be a negative too.

    So thank you for this review. Now I know not to buy this!

  8. Linda Wise said

    These hooks are interesting enough. But i would have to say a heavier hook would be a problem for me. Another con would be several WIPs in progress with same sz hook..nope I’m not going to invest in something more expensive when i have made handy needle totes (scrap yarn makes) instead (no snagging & my current hooks work just fine). I LOVE Susan Bates hooks but these aren’t for me. Thank you for your review.

    Linda Wise

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