Why crocheters love Boye crochet hooks

Boye has been making crochet hooks since 1906, and the brand is often the first hook a new American crocheter ever picks up. The signature Boye design is a tapered hook (the throat of the hook is narrower than the shaft), which grabs yarn cleanly, prevents splitting, and helps speed along your stitches. Boye hooks are durable, consistently sized, affordable, and built to outlast decades of daily use. Many crocheters still use the colorful aluminum Boye hooks their mothers and grandmothers handed down to them.

Boye Aluminum Crochet Hook (6 inch)

The Boye 6-inch Aluminum Crochet Hook is the classic American crochet hook. Smooth aluminum shaft, tapered head, color-coded by size, and balanced in the hand. Sizes run from B/1 (2.25 mm) up through the larger worsted and bulky range. This is the everyday workhorse for hats, blankets, scarves, granny squares, amigurumi, and just about every pattern written in US terms. From $2.49, making it one of the most budget-friendly quality hooks you can buy. Pair it with a skein from our crochet yarn collection.

Boye 5 inch Steel Crochet Hook

The Boye 5-inch Steel Crochet Hook is built for thread crochet: doilies, filet lace, Irish crochet, snowflakes, jewelry, and fine cotton thread work. Polished steel slides smoothly through thread without catching, and the fine sizes reach down to the tiny hooks needed for crochet cotton size 10, 20, 30, and beyond. $1.89. If you are moving from worsted-weight projects into heirloom thread work, this is the hook you want.

Boye Jumbo Plastic Crochet Hook

The Boye Jumbo Plastic Crochet Hook is the tool you reach for when you want a blanket to grow in an afternoon. Lightweight plastic construction keeps the hook comfortable at larger sizes (where aluminum would feel heavy), and the jumbo diameters handle roving yarn, ultra-chunky novelty yarns, and arm-knit-style blanket projects. Starting at $7.59. Perfect for quick gifts, beginner projects with kids, and oversized home decor.

Boye CrochetMaster Set

The Boye CrochetMaster Set is the complete Boye toolkit in one organized case. It includes aluminum hooks across the full everyday size range plus fine steel hooks for thread work, covering projects from lace doilies all the way up through bulky blankets. A serious value at $59.99 when in stock. Reach out to us and we will let you know the moment a new shipment lands.

Boye Aluminum Crochet Hook Set

The Boye Aluminum Crochet Hook Set groups the most-used 6-inch aluminum sizes in a single affordable bundle. At $16.99 when in stock, it is the easiest way to round out a beginner crochet kit in one purchase. Contact us to be notified when it returns.

Boye crochet hook sizes

Boye hooks are sized in both US letters and millimeters. A quick reference to the most common sizes:

• Thread/steel sizes (10 through 00): 0.75 mm through 3.5 mm. For thread crochet, doilies, and fine lace.
• B/1 (2.25 mm) through D/3 (3.25 mm): lace weight, fine cotton, and detail work.
• E/4 (3.5 mm) through G/7 (4.5 mm): DK weight, sock yarn, and amigurumi.
• H/8 (5 mm) through I/9 (5.5 mm): worsted weight; the everyday sweet spot.
• J/10 (6 mm) through K/10.5 (6.5 mm): heavy worsted and aran.
• L/11 (8 mm) through N/15 (10 mm): bulky and chunky yarns.
• P/15 (11.5 mm) and jumbo sizes: super bulky, roving, and novelty yarns (this is where the Jumbo Plastic hooks shine).

Tapered hooks vs inline hooks

Boye hooks are tapered, which means the hook throat narrows gradually from the shaft to the point. The main alternative style is inline (like Susan Bates and ChiaoGoo), where the hook and shaft share the same diameter. Tapered hooks tend to grab yarn quickly and prevent splitting because the narrower throat forces the yarn off the hook cleanly. Inline hooks tend to produce very even stitches because every loop hits the same diameter. Neither is right or wrong; most crocheters develop a personal preference. If you learned to crochet from a grandparent, there is a good chance you started on a tapered Boye.

Which Boye crochet hook should you choose?

• Choose the 6-inch Aluminum Hook for everyday crochet in US yarn weights from DK through bulky. This is the do-everything pick and your first purchase if you are new.
• Choose the 5-inch Steel Hook for thread crochet, doilies, and heirloom lace.
• Choose the Jumbo Plastic Hook for chunky blankets, roving yarn, and fast-finish projects.
• Choose the Aluminum Hook Set if you want the main everyday sizes in a single affordable bundle.
• Choose the CrochetMaster Set if you want the complete Boye collection, including both aluminum and steel hooks, in a carrying case.

A short history of Boye (and a few fun facts)

Boye has one of the richest histories in the American crochet world. A few things worth knowing while you stitch:

• Boye was founded in 1906 in Chicago by James H. Boye. The original business made drapery hardware, sewing machine parts, and sewing notions before pivoting to needles and crochet hooks.
• Boye introduced the first complete line of steel crochet hooks made in America in 1917. Before that, US crocheters had to import their hooks from England and Germany. Boye hooks sold for five cents each when they launched.
• Boye hooks went to war. During World War II, the US government halted production of steel crochet hooks in 1942 to conserve material. Nickel plating was banned the same year, so wartime Boye hooks got a distinctive black oxide finish. If you have a black Boye hook in a family collection, it is likely from 1942 through 1945.
• The colorful aluminum hooks you probably grew up with were introduced in January 1949, originally in four colors: dubonnet (a deep reddish wine), starlight blue, aqua, and silver. The color-coded system for identifying hook sizes at a glance is still in use today.
• Boye is based on tapered design. The signature narrower throat has been part of Boye's identity from the earliest days and is why so many generations of crocheters pick up a Boye and feel like the hook just works.
• Boye pioneered the interchangeable crochet hook cabinet in 1924, a small wooden case with color-coded tubes of different sizes. The merchant display cabinets were so well-built that many outlasted the stores they lived in.

Complete your Boye crochet kit

A great hook deserves a few trusted companions. Browse our stitch markers to keep rows and repeats straight, pick up a yarn swift to wind hanks tangle-free, and check out our knitting and crochet accessories for scissors, tape measures, and notion cases. Pair your Boye hooks with yarn from our crochet yarn, wool yarn, or cotton yarn collections. Want to try a different brand? Compare our Clover, Addi, and ChiaoGoo crochet hook collections.

Boye crochet hooks FAQ

What is the difference between Boye and Susan Bates crochet hooks?
Boye hooks are tapered (narrower throat than shaft), and Susan Bates hooks are inline (throat and shaft same diameter). Tapered hooks work faster and resist splitting; inline hooks produce very even stitches. Most crocheters settle on a personal preference after trying both.

Are Boye crochet hooks good for beginners?
Yes. Boye aluminum hooks are one of the most beginner-friendly choices because they are affordable, widely available, sized consistently, and color-coded so you can always find the right one. Starting with a Boye 6-inch aluminum hook in size H/8 (5 mm) is a classic beginner setup.

Are Boye hooks made in the USA?
Boye was founded in Chicago in 1906 and was historically a fully American manufacturer. Today the brand is owned by IG Design Group and production sources have shifted over the decades. For the most current country-of-origin information on a specific Boye product, check the packaging or contact us.

What size Boye crochet hook should I use for worsted weight yarn?
An H/8 (5 mm) or I/9 (5.5 mm) Boye aluminum hook is the standard pairing for worsted weight yarn. Always check the recommended hook size on your pattern and the yarn label.

Can I use Boye steel hooks for regular yarn?
The Boye steel hooks are designed for thread crochet and are sized much smaller than regular hooks. For standard yarn (sport, DK, worsted, bulky), stick with the 6-inch aluminum line or the Jumbo Plastic hooks.

Questions? We are here to help

Our team in Spokane, WA has been helping crocheters find the right tools since 1997. Call us at (509) 536-7746 or email help@paradisefibers.com and we will help you pick the perfect Boye hook for your project. Free U.S. shipping on orders $99 and up, plus 5% back in Paradise Points on every order.