I apologize in advance to those who were expecting a short post in consideration of the holiday season. Once I delved into the history of Boye, I knew I couldn't keep my promise.
I should probably also apologize in advance for my repeated cheesy wordplay with the Boye company name. But Boye, I just can't help myself...
Although I consider plain ol' aluminum Boye hooks to be everyday and quite uninteresting (no offense, Boye, I think that's just because I use them every day), my new "vintage" Boye hooks seem to have more than originally meets the eye. Let's begin with some history of the company itself:
First of all, Boye, they really got me! (Ha, ha...That's two already.) All this time, I thought they were just a knitting and crochet company! In fact, the Boye company began in 1906 with the introduction of a sewing caddy called the Rotary Case. That would be a clock-looking cabinet thingy that I don't even want to begin to understand because it has to do with sewing, so if you're interested, please go read this article. The authors were able to interest me in this sewing accessory even though I didn't want to be sucked into sewing history.
So, getting back on track... After James H. Boye and a few of his unnamed associates started the company with this invention, they further expanded into the realm of torture. I mean sewing... They expanded in the sewing business with sewing machine parts and accessories. It wasn't until 1917 that they would put out the first line of Boye steel crochet hooks.
http://www.simplicity.com/t-about.aspx
This at least tells me that my Boye crochet hooks can't be any older than that. Now, how to put a date to each of them? My most-used set of hooks are brand-new-ish aluminum Boye hooks, purchased at a Wal-Mart. The first thing I noticed about these older Boye hooks is that the style of the trademark is different. That's where I started the rest of my research:
I came across a wonderful bit of the Boye history while having no further success in my searches. In this article, I was able to find the years that certain hooks were manufactured, along with some other really interesting information. But first, I had to find out what "crochet forks" are. (Hairpin lace looms.) Did you know that because of the shortage and need for steel, the government stopped the production of steel crochet hooks during World War II? I mean, sure, I learned about that in history class, but not specifically crochet hooks. Guess the thought never crossed my mind that it wasn't just machines and building materials that were scarce; needlework suffered, too. And that's where the history gets a little confusing to me...
Nickel plating was stopped first on May 1, 1942, so (possibly) all steel crochet hooks from then to May of 1945 were finished with black oxide. But, all steel hook manufacturing was halted in August of '42. In April of 1944, two sizes of steel hooks were reinstated. And the ban on nickel plating was ended later in May of the next year. So, if I have this right, then black oxide hooks were only available for a few months before the ban on steel hooks, and for one year after. And since my Boye size 3 and G steels aren't black oxide, I can look farther ahead into the past for that.
Now, to cross-reference the information I gained about the steel hooks with the changes in trademarks and other markings...
To get the less-exciting news out of the way, the size 3 steel hook isn't very vintage. First of all, the print on the flats was changed to read "size/Boye/size" in 1925, so I was hopeful. But jumping right ahead, the trademark without the quotation marks wasn't used by the company until 1962. Although that means that it's ancient to me, this steel hook isn't truly an antique. This is a newer hook, possibly purchased by the generous soul that provided my mom with her first hooks, but probably by Mom herself.
On a related note, the colored size K and N hooks aren't truly vintage, either. The updated trademark along with the fact that size K wasn't introduced until 1956 tells me that these are newer. And... After a painfully long search through vintage hooks on ebay, I found a case... And bid on it... A set of Boye "Diana" crochet hooks packaged in a hard plastic case, and, if I remember correctly, a felt-covered or foam insert that held the hooks... Wait... What was that? How do I remember? Seeing the case struck a memory of watching Mom pull out this set of hooks every time she made a baby blanket for somebody. The colors matched all of the vintage ornaments she has for the Christmas tree, so in my little mind, it was always a bit like Christmas to see Mom's hooks. I know my mom stopped crocheting shortly after I started school, so it's been a long time since I've seen that set. I've discovered that the random size "J" hook I've been using belongs to that set... But where are the rest? Hmm... Mom never looses anything... Or takes it out of the case it belongs in... Grr, now that's driving me nuts! Where are they? I have asked; now it will probably drive her nuts, too. Alright, let's move on to something more interesting for everybody.
The two aluminum G and J hooks with worn paint use a trademark from before 1962. The part that has me stumped is: I can't find any information for exactly when the flats read "MADE/size/U.S.A., with "Boye" alone on the opposite side. But Boye, oh Boye, I think it doesn't matter... I had to do some extra learning, but I think the proof is in the paint. The color of anodized aluminum doesn't chip, peel, or wear off. Since these hooks are showing considerable damage (especially that bent one), I believe they may be from before 1949, when the anodized aluminum hooks were first sold. However, I'm unsure if these are the lacquered aluminum hooks sold from 1932 to 1935, or the set of various colors released in 1949 prior to the anodized. The colors listed are "dubonnet, starlight blue, aqua, and silver". Did they sell a set of all different colors, the way hooks are sold now, or was each size available in each color? So, I'm still a bit stumped, but my gut is telling me that these could be the older lacquered hooks.
For the coolest of the cool, and the most vintage of the vintage, let's get to that steel size G hook: It's vintage! Oh Boye, it's vintage... I was able to track down this assortment of hooks on Lace Buttons, where I found what it is: A nickel-plated steel rug hook! First introduced (along with size "I") in 1926. From there, I browsed many sources from Pinterest, eBay, Etsy, etc., but every one of them that has information says "made around the WWII era", and no actual date.
What I learned from my original source is that G and I steel hooks were not manufactured between 1942 and 1947. There are a few rare black oxide-finished "G" and "I" hooks out there, but mine's not that uncommon. So, being harder to place, I can only figure that it is from between 1926 and 1942, or it was made sometime after 1947. I was unable to discover when these hooks were discontinued for good, but my gut tells me it was sometime around 1949, when the aluminum size "G" hook was introduced.
Boye was the first company to sell a complete line of hooks that were made in America. And even if you have some Boye hooks that might not be "vintage", but they were made in the U.S.A., you have something that isn't being manufactured anymore. In 1989, the Boye Needle Company merged with Wrights, then Conso acquired Wrights in 2000. (http://www.forcrafts.net/crochet-patterns/37-boye-hooks)
I'm not sure at what point during that time hook manufacturing was moved to China. Although it's not stamped on their hooks, that's what it says on the packages my hooks came in. Boye hooks can still be purchased, but with a no-flair logo on one side and international hook sizes on the other. They still have similar Christmas-ball anodized colors and the classic tapered throats that every Boye user either loves or hates. But that "vintage" stamp of "U.S.A." is now a faded memory of the past, so hang on to 'em if you've got 'em.
And who knows? Maybe someday in the future, manufacturing will come back to the United Stated, and those of us who have these made-in-China/bought-at-Walmart hooks can call them a collector's item. Yeah, probably not. I won't hold my breath waiting for that to happen. But what I will hope for is that no matter where they were made, and by what company, somebody will cherish them because they were a part of Mom.
Happy Crocheting!
Thank you for this article. My mother in law gave me her hooks. Now I know that even though they are metal they are not that old because Boye does not have quotes. But they are stamped with U.S.A. If I understand your article correctly, these can not be older than 1962.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thorough review of Boye crochet hooks. I have (or had, I've been giving away so many things) one of the black steel hooks; my mother told me it was made during WWII.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love vintage crochet sewing and crafting in general!! I think I always have. I inherited a old flip up sewing machine from my great aunt when I was around 14 or 15 along with what I've always called "my sewing box." It's actually not a box, its wooden and has 4 Little tiny drawers on in and stands about 3 and half feet roughly. I've always just referred to it as my sewing box. When it first got passed down to me it was full of all kinds of old vintage crafting stuff! Everything from patterns,ribbon, buttons, fabric, extra machine parts, thread and bobbins! Over the years I have added my own stuff into the sewing box but always left the vintage stuff mixed in. Well just recently I found a magazine in there, copyright 1952 and it's a How To Magazine, how to crochet knit embroidery and tatting. I'm still not real sure what tatting is but my whole point of this long comment about the how to crochet part in particular! My grandma always tried to teach me how to crochet when I was a child and I could never even form a single crochet the best I could do then was a simple foundation chain! I'm 31 now and I've just recently taught myself how to crochet and was able to tell my grandma that just a day before she passed away. She had been sick for a while and she was always a fighter but her time here with us was done. I just know my grandma is looking down on me smiling proud as could be watching me learn and grow with her as my inspiration. I miss her a lot. But getting back to the vintage items, I have a "Boye" that says U.S.A I.29c on the flat, that hook is metallic blue. Then I have another "Boye" that says SIZE I U.S.A. That hook that is a metallic red, that one does not have the .29c mark on it. Have you heard much about those? I know nothing about it except that's old time cheap! I know 2 other Boye hooks but they don't have the quotation marks. Please let me know if you know anything about them! I'd be very interested in whatever you know or could find out!! Thanks so much!!
ReplyDelete*Stephanie*
It seems my original source for the history on these hooks has disappeared! I'm sure I had found the information for when the prices were stamped on the flats, but now I can't find anything helpful.
DeleteThat said, not all is lost! We can still identify your hooks to a certain point... The colored anodized aluminum hooks were originally introduced in 1949 in dubonnet (red), starlight blue, aqua and silver. Your blue hook with its price stamp is obviously an antique... The question is whether it is the starlight blue or aqua color, and I can't find any pictures that clearly label either of them.
The more difficult one to identify is the red hook, which would most likely be the dubonnet color. It would be easier to put a date on that one by the style of the trademark on the flat:
If it reads "BOYE" - Just like that, with quotation marks, then it is from before 1962. If it reads BOYE without quotation marks, then it was made after 1962.
If you take a look at the second picture in this post, the top two hooks show two styles of the modern trademark without quotation marks... The top hook (gold) is the newest design of the trademark; the font is sort of blockish and the underline is straight. This is a Walmart purchased, made-in-China, not-antique hook.
The second hook from the top (darker gold) is a post-1962 style trademark. The font is more flow-y and the underline is curved. If it is this style, then it isn't technically considered "antique" but it's still really old.
I'm so disappointed that my original sources have disappeared because they were a big help in identifying the exact dates. If I ever do come across the information again, I'll update with whatever I find out.
Even though you couldn't manage crocheting when you were little, I'm glad you've picked up the craft after all. I was the same and many of us have a similar story. Some days when you miss that person you can pick up your hook and yarn (or needle and thread) and just feel... Connected. It helps a little.
Thanks for sharing your story.
And PS: Tatting is some kind of insanity where you create lace by weaving (?) with a little shuttle-thingy. I think maybe you have to be a magician to learn it. :)
You can find captures of Nancy Nehring's blog/website (lacebuttons.net) on the Internet Wayback Machine.
DeleteWhat a great article! Thank you so much for writing it and taking the time to do all this research! I came across your article because I have a very strange boye hook that I think I picked up at a thrift store. It is 9" long with a ball at the end and right above it it reads "BOYE-C" just like that, not script like we are used to. I know a size C hook is 2.75mm but when I got a full set of new hooks, my old boye is smaller. Though that maybe they were originally 2.5mm? Hoping you might know more about it.
ReplyDeleteDanni
Well now!... What I can tell you from your description is that the ball end makes your hook a Tunisian crochet hook. Boye originally introduced a 9" size C hook in 1922, and discontinued using the trademark with quotation marks around 1962.
DeleteI can't find any information on a 9" aluminum hook being introduced, so I'm going to assume your hook is steel. The making of steel hooks was halted during WWII, and I'm unable to find a record of the size C 9" hook being put back into production. (Here's my source: https://lacebuttons.com/?page_id=950 ) I could be wrong, but it sounds like you've found yourself an antique!
As for the size difference, it seems that my older hooks are slightly smaller than newer ones... I like to think they wear down with use over time, but it's more likely to be a difference in manufacturing.
For example, if you search for a size N hook you'll get results for both 9 and 10 mm hooks. 9mm is sometimes labeled as M or M/N, 10 mm is also marked as P or N/P. Who knows where the letter O went? (And don't even get me started on how steel hooks are labeled #1-14, but then there's a #0 and #00?)
The letter system is flawed and can't be used as an actual measurement. The best advice I can give you is to use a gauge tool to find out its true size.
Here's a terrific source on Boye and many, many other crochet hooks - https://lacebuttons.com/?page_id=4059 - according to the research on that site, the Boye logo without quotes dates back to about 1925, and that they stopped using the "Boye" (with quotes) logo in 1925. Hope this helps!
ReplyDeleteNancy Nehring's "lacebuttons" site is no longer active, but there are captures of it on the Internet Wayback Machine.
DeleteI found a "Boye" steel hook Steel T Hook Made in U.S.A. at a thrift store. Thank you for this research.
ReplyDeleteI also found a Boye 9 .35 cent crochet hook at a thrift store... So happy to have it
DeleteWith 1000s of hooks and years of research (to verify my qualifications), I'm sorry to say your hook is not a size T. No such thing then. Is it a 9" hook with a ball on the end? If so, then it's a letter "I" with the lower bar worn down If it's a standard sized steel hook, it could only be a number 1. To newbies: Laquered & Aluminum hooks have sizes in letters, steel sizes are in numbers :)
DeleteA moment of boredom and the sudden thought to google my hooks led me down a rabbit hole and I've discovered 2 things about the Boye hook set I have:
ReplyDelete1: I can't for the life of me even *find* where the main set came from, but I did locate one image on google search that was a near perfect match. Upon pulling out my set to compare, I discovered my G hook wasn't the gold color it should be...
2: Said G hook has the "Boye" in quotes like that on one side, and "size G U.S.A." on the other. They're raised, not stamped in, and it's the only one in my set where the greenish color is chipped. The others don't have that (though my blue colored H hook is fading to silver in a spot because I use it so much!)
I don't know when they were made, but now I'm more curios about the G hook than the others. It's clearly not from the same set, but must have come from the same owner. My grandma bought the set for me when she found it at a thrift store where she lives, and it's an area in California where a lot of older people moved to retire so...not entirely out of the ordinary for vintage things to just show up in the local thrift store. My only really big concern might be if that hook is painted and said paint has led as I have a not very smart cat who steals my things sometimes. She hasn't stolen my hooks before, but I might need to be extra careful from now on so the void goblin doesn't get them.
Anyway, the set ranges from D to K, and has a small range of colors. The Boye is on one side, raised, and it has "size H U.S.A" on the other, also raised. Apparently two of each of the hooks are supposed to be the same color. The colors in order of hook size starting at D are as follows:
pink (ish?)
green
blue
gold (this is the one I'm missing)
blue
pink
gold
green
the case they came in is plastic; tan with a clear lid. My lid doesn't have the Boye logo, but it does have the hook sizes. I've seen one image where it has the logo. The other set that matches doesn't have the lid in the picture and it's sadly from an ebay listing that I can't see anymore as it was sold.
IDK if anyone can help me figure out when on earth these hooks are from. Would be fun if I can find out as I haven't been able to find anything online and now I'm super curious.
This is truly an interesting case... Pun intended. I can't find any information about the cases the hook sets were sold in and that would be such a big help! As for your G hook with the chipped paint, it should be from sometime before 1949. The previous owner probably lost a hook or just misplaced the older hook into the wrong set. Cool find!
DeleteAs for whether the lacquered paint contains lead, it is possible. I'm not sure about what kind of paint was used for crochet hooks, but I know automotive lacquer paints do contain lead. There tends to be a higher level in red, yellow and orange paints, but just knowing that would make me take caution when it comes to the safety of the kitty, as well as yourself.
About your fading blue hook... Anodizing is a chemical reaction that happens when the metal is exposed to an electrical current, and it's pretty permanent. Normal wear shouldn't affect the color, but UV light or chemicals that change the PH can make it fade. I wonder if it has been exposed to something in the past, or maybe it also isn't a newer anodized hook? I'm only guessing about that one.
Anyway, as for the set itself: Size K wasn't introduced until 1956. If the hooks have the logo with quotation marks, then the set must be from between 1956 and 1962 when the quotes were removed from the trademark. They might not be "antique" but they are definitely very vintage!
Do you happen to know when the Boye crochet hooks were marked 10 cents? And what they were made of. Unfortunately the links above don't work anymore. Thanks!
ReplyDelete2 notes here on anodized hooks and the quotes used on "BOYE".
ReplyDeletePlease excuse me if somebody already wrote this.
Yes the process of anodizing makes a very long-lasting colored plated surface, but it is not indestructible. Although it takes a lot to chip it, it will wear and the color can fade after many many years of use. It probably also depends on whoever did the anodizing at the time and the quality level. Possibly the ph of the user had an influence as well? I have over 1000 hooks I've collected, about 1/3 either anodized or lacquered. Of those, around 10% of the anodized have some level of color worn off. A few are almost all to their silver base. The lacquered can chip or get scratched with misuse or lack of care. But it didn't tend to wear or fade. It's surface isn't as perfectly smooth as anodized, so it's easy to tell the difference. Along with when certain stamps were used, there's no doubt my faded hooks were anodized, not lacquered. The majority are Bates from the latter part of the 20th century. I'll assume a particular plant had quality issues.
For the quotation marks on BOYE, one person wrote that they were not used after 1925. I know another person wrote that they weren't used after 1962. I just want to clarify that the quotes weren't used on steel hooks after 1925. And the quotes stopped being used on aluminum hooks after 1962.
EXCEPT there were a small number of hooks made in the 1980s with the quotes. I know because I have a few! Their stamps were not used prior to this time, so there's no doubt. Except as to why a batch used them.
Important regarding trademark dates found on the USTPO (United States Trademark and Patent Office) site, or another site with some of their data. For some strange reason they required trademarks to be used at least 2 years before applying for registration of them. For an unknown stranger reason some companies waited much longer, even decades, before registering them.
Seems to me that this just gave other companies plenty of time to steal that trademark. In some of the USTPO records you will see a notation "first known use in commerce." There's a Bates trademark that they didn't register until the 1940s but that was first used in commerce in the 1920s! And that's from what the USTPO notes. So it could have been even earlier. But because that's nearly impossible to find out, I go with the first used in commerce date. So for anybody searching trademark records outside of USTPO, those sites generally don't include this information which can obviously greatly change the age of a hook!
Thank you! Although I learned a lot about the process of anodizing, I never could find if the color went all the way through or if it was just a top layer.
DeleteBoye's use of trademarks is so random. Why change one, but not the other, then discontinue the use, then bring it back? Setting a date to certain hooks can be a pain. I greatly appreciate any additional information anybody can help add to the story of their history.
So excited to find this article! I've been using my late grandmother's hooks for over a decade but actually *looked* at them for the first time today and thought about how old they may be.
ReplyDeleteI have several with the "BOYE" logo with quotes, three of which have the "size letter USA" on the other side of the flat, a red I, a green I, and a darker blue J. I then have four with the price in cents on the back, which I'm guessing are older? Two silver 29c, a G and a J, a light blue 45c G, and a light blue 55c K.
All this info has been great, and thanks so much for any future insight!
I think I might have two of the Dubonnet red hooks. They look pinkish to me. They have "Boye" on one side and USA I 55c and USA H 45c on the other side. They were my mom's.
ReplyDeleteI have two hooks by Boye and "Boye", both of which say size 'K' but they are considerably different in thickness. The Boye (in Blue) says on the flat: K/101/2-6.50MM, while the "Boye" (Reddish-pink?) says: U.S.A. K 55¢ (cents symbol). I was looking for a size N in my stash; would the old K be that size? Why was the size different?
ReplyDeleteDoes the blue one look like the one in this link? https://www.ebay.com/itm/204040410722
DeleteIf yes, that is the modern "Made-in-China" logo. I still don't know what that 101 mark means, but I am doing some new research so maybe I'll find out. I have a set of these "Walmart" hooks, and none of them match my vintage hooks. Although I can't answer whether the problem is with the quality of manufacturing or if there has been a change in modern hook sizes... my vintage hooks have always been close in size even with multiple brands. I think the best way to guarantee accuracy is to check your hooks with a needle/hook gauge.
Size K wasn't introduced until 1956, and the Boye logo without quotation marks wasn't used until 1962. I think your other (vintage) hook was produced sometime in that six-year window. That's pretty cool!
Most of my original sources are no longer available, so I'm sorry I can't answer your question with more confidence... but I do think that your vintage K hook will be the real size K, and that there is something off about the modern hooks. If my new research turns up anything helpful, I'll let you know.
*I just need to add that I'm currently laughing over a much-needed cup of coffee... The "101" mark is 10 and 1/2.
DeleteI had to see it on an actual hook before my brain put it together. No coffee = Me dumb
Let me try again...
After looking at a few crochet hook size charts, I think I can answer your question better. Size K is always 6.50 MM. Size N gets a bit complicated, as some list it as N/M, N/P, or just N. Regardless, most show size N as 9 or 10 MM.
(Here's a hook size chart for example) https://www.crochet.com/learning-center/understanding-crochet-hook-sizes
What I can't find is a vintage chart... That would be more helpful here. But because you said they are "considerably" different sizes, then perhaps the old size K was different. I think the best advice still is to check with a hook size gauge and go with whatever matches the correct metric size.