I am not as seasoned as many weavers here but have been helping a friend through this recently and advise the following:
1.bug your friends to try as many looms as possible of every variety
2. measure the loom you are most comfortable weaving at and stick to that size
3. get the most you can for your budget, outfit with accessories, warping board, shuttles, etc, later
4. consider what you enjoy or want to weave in the future.
I am lucky to have lots of space and have 2 very different looms, a baby wolf and a Glimakra Standard. If I had to choose, the Glimakra would win because it fits my height and long torso better than the BW. It is also more versatile, easier for me to thread, beam the warp, etc. and offers lots of alternatives with the overhead beater. If space were an issue, I would consider a Glimakra Ideal or an Oxaback Lillia. The Swedish style looms are my cup of tea.
Just MHO,
Claudia
Charlene, have you tried Petlins, they are in Sydney and not only sell new looms but also second hand: there are also a number of Ashford dealers around including in Melbourne, so try their web site and find a list of some nearer you....but it depends upon what sort of loom suits you as Claudia said.
Barb in Adelaide.
Thanks ladies for the advise. It's been of great help!
I wasn't aware of a seller in Sydney...thanks again.
Us Australian's can be far away from many things, most times!
Have a bunch of preloved looms in their store! I have dealt with Petlins for several years and have always found them very helpful.
Another place to try is
This is your local state guild who should know of anything near you. There have been a few looms on ebay recently, they are always local pick-up, which makes shifting them a bit hard so there could be something still around..
cheers, Caroline in Adelaide
Of the 8-harness looms on the market, two stand out to me. I own both of these myself.
Schacht Mighty Wolf loom - excellent all-purpose loom. Sturdy, dependable, well thought out design, comes with raddle for the back beam and lease sticks.
Louet David 90cm - beautiful, well designed loom. Comes with raddle on built-in on top for warping and lease sticks.
Of the two, I've owned the Wolf for 19 years now and never regretted the purchase. I am in the process of winding up my last project on it, though, and putting it up for sale. Why? Because I'm pushing 50 years old now and my knee can ache while using the Wolf. It's been a long goodbye process and it still makes me sad to think of parting with it.
I bought the David 7 years ago because Louet's treadling action is different. Schacht Wolf looms are "jack" looms, and the harnesses lift when you push on the treadle. The Wolf requires a lot of effort to force up those harnesses. And I shattered my kneecap a few years ago while running. (Well, falling, actually.) I like doing Bronson lace patterns, and on the Wolf that has become excruciating for me. I literally have to wedge my knee under the front beam when I treadle the shed open so that I can throw the shuttle. I just don't have as much strength in that leg anymore. And weaving with one foot is awkward.
The Louet looms are a modified counterbalance. They have springs loading the harnesses at the top of the pulley mechanism, and when you press on a treadle, the harness is popped down. MUCH less effort to weave. I think these looms are unsung heroes. I haven't done a rug on mine yet, but it's sturdy enough that I don't worry about it.
I never bought the Wolf trap for my Wolf loom, but I have wished for one many times. It's a narrow, long, shallow cloth bag that clips onto the front beam so that you have a convenient place for a second shuttle or bobbins or whatever while weaving. Comes in very handy when weaving shadow weave drafts.
Every weaver is different and has different needs. I started with 8-harnesses and never regretted it. I'm a harness weaver interested in structure and I weave typically 10/2 or 20/2 cotton with the occasional wild moment where I dig out the 60/2 silk. 8-harness is affordable.
What I'd really like is more shafts myself because I'd like to weave pieces with 2 or more blocks of satin (need 10 or more for that).
I had a Louet David also...36"...great little loom.....wish I had it back...that sinking shed is great...the only issue I ever had with it was the weight of the beater...I had to put a total of 2 weights on it...then all was fine...
Claudia this whole thread needed to have been moved to the "Weaving" section.
Michael
Me again this posting an the next three threads/four all need moving to the weaving section. How is your hand doing?
Michael
Hi Charlene, just joined Weavolution and saw your post. Did you ever buy a loom? And if so, what did you buy? I'm looking around too, and think a Louet David might be the best bet for me. It's a bit lighter than many of them so freight should be less. It is a problem not being able to try them out (I live in NSW) but I might just do it sight unseen!
