I had never tried a bamboo hook before and had shied away from them because I heard they were grippy. While that is true, I can see now how this is actually helpful when working with certain yarns. The hook helped me control a more slippery yarn and I was able to fly through my stitches. The only drawback is that I really need a thicker more ergonomic barrel. My hand seemed to tire more quickly with this skinny hook.