 If you could only own one spindle, this should be it Maker: Kundert Weight: 29 g / 1 oz Length: 10" Shaft 3 1/2" Whorl Style: Top Whorl Woods: Butternut with Walnut Shaft My sample for this spindle is Ashland Bay Merino in the colourway "Borelis". 37 yards, 2 plyed. I first learned about these spindles when I went to my friend Susan's house to try out her collection. My birthday was coming up and I wanted a new spindle. I found I was really drawn to the Kunderts because they are surprisingly lightweight and a decent enough size to pack on a lot of yarn. They seem like a great all-round spindle which would be a good choice if you wanted to spin a variety of yarns from lace to bulky.  These spindles are all very similar in style and they weight between 1.0 oz and 1.5 oz but the whorls vary from plain to pretty darn cool. Steven Kundert uses really unique woods that add to the beauty of his spindles and the detailing is nice without being over the top. Sometimes spindles have a feminine feel (for example the Wooly Designs Heart spindle) but I think this one would appeal to both men and women. I have two of these spindles and could easily get more. His carved spindles are super nice. My other Kundert was part of a learn to spin package from Spunky Eclectic.
 The hook is thin (made from stainless steel wire) and perfectly centered. Its diamond shape holds your yarn in just the right spot above the whorl. The top of the shaft is correlates well with the bottom detailing. There is one notch on the side of the whorl (3:00 position), it's deep enough to hold your yarn in place but doesn't look like it was cut in a sloppy manner. Spindle rating:
Length of spin: 26.7 seconds (average of three tests) Fibre storage ability: Excellent Looks: Noble Overall Rating: 9/10 Kundert spindles are perfectly balanced because each spindle is turned as a complete unit. The craftsmanship that goes into making them is clear. These spindles are strong and will work well for whatever yarn you you would like to spin. They start at $25 but don't wait too long, Steven Kundert has already announced his retirement.
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 Believe the hype... Maker: Bristlecone Artisian Heirlooms Weight: 29 g / 1 oz Length: 10.5" Shaft Style: Russian-ish Woods: Hawaiian Koa My 21 yard sample is BFL wool in the colourway "Lucrezia" by Shadawyn Fibre Arts.  Glindle = glass/spindle, behold its beauty *queue angels* These one-of-a-kind spindles are highly sought after and for good reason. They are both pretty AND spin like a dream. Each focal is unique and jaw-dropping amazing. The Bristlecone shop is only updated a few times a year and when it is the spindles are sold in seconds. If you are looking for one, you can post an ISO (In Search Of) on Ravelry, which might be your best bet and that was the way I was able to acquire this spindle. My lucky stars must have been shining that day.  This particular focal is very mysterious and was hard to capture with my camera. I find these spindles spin best in a glass or pottery bowl and there is a b s o l u t l e y no wobble with this one. Glindles feel very comfortable in your hands and the sound they produce when the glass is spinning in a bowl makes it sound like its singing I'm very careful when storing this Glindle and always put it away when not in use and protect the end with a piece of plastic tubing. With that said, I'm not so afraid of breaking this spindle to not use it at any given moment. Its very well made and I have heard the customer support is wonderful in the case of an unfortunate accident. These spindles were made to be used and once you spin with one, you won't want to put it down.  The shaft is completely smooth and makes the grain shine like gold. It is tapered enough to spin off of yet its not so pointy that it may split. Your eyes will be drawn to the detailing near the focal which is the perfect resting place for the gem of the spindle. This focal changes colour depending on the light and I have seen, red, gold, green and orange (it's very warming) The tip is smooth and the roundish shape of the focal helps keep the spindle spinning for a long time. The detail and thought put into these spindles is astounding. Glindles are the Cadillac of support spindles and heirloom pieces. You can't help but smile while spinning on one and they are the reason many people get into support spindling. They are a huge addition to any collection and if you don't want to take my word for it, just check out their large following on Ravelry and don't forget to add your ISO to the list and don't be offended when others laugh at your request. You are not alone, they too are in search of Glindles themselves.  Spindle rating:
Length of spin: 22.8 seconds (average of three tests) Fibre storage ability: Excellent Looks: GORGEOUS Overall Rating: 10/10 Fully functional works of art. These are the best of the best. Worth every penny.  I'm a big fan of hearts and when this spindle was gifted to me, I fell in <3 Maker: Wooly Designs Weight: 32 g / 1 1/4 oz Length: 9" Shaft 3" Whorl Style: Top Whorl Woods: Multi-laminated Baltic Birch My sample is SW BFL/Kid Mohair from Susses Spindehjrne. I got 39 yards. This is one of the production Wooly Designs spindles. The hearts have been cut out with a scroll saw which makes this spindle lighter and distributes the weight to the outer rim to help with a longer spin time. These spindles are a decent size and would make a great starter spindle for beginners and a workhorse spindle for more advance spindle spinners.  One feature that I think is really awesome is the bottom of the shaft has been reinforced with a metal tip. This helps reduce damage when your spindle drops and I just love that they thought to add that. This is my only spindle with this feature.  I also quite like spindle with a cut out whorl like this one. Its fun to wind your cop and see how colours are progressing or how your singles look. It's kinda like a stained glass window and it looks neat when spinning. The sample I used this time looks really sweet behind all those hearts. There are two notches in the whorl at each side, and the hook is cup hook shaped, perfectly centered and not too open. The shaft is very plain and if it weren't for the carved hearts in the top, this spindle is very non-descript. This spindle is fairly top heavy but I didn't find there to be any wobble when suspended.
Spindle rating: Length of spin: 26.3 seconds (average of three tests) Fibre storage ability: Excellent Looks: Simple but cute Overall Rating: 6.5/10 If you are looking for a workhorse spindle that looks nicer than a toy wheel/learner spindle this is a great addition to your collection. This is also a good spindle to use when teaching a friend to spin because you don't have to hold your breath when it drops to the floor. Try one out, they are fairly inexpensive and very practical.   These beautiful handmade resin spindles are a pleasure to spin Maker: Spinatude Weight: 26 g / 7/8 oz Length: 9" Shaft 2 1/2" Whorl Style: Top Whorl Woods: Walnut
 I absolutely fell in love with this spindle when I saw it on etsy. Dark woods always sway me and the purple/green colour combo is a favourite of mine. The whorl is filled with Mountain Wild Cat flowers and leaves. The resin is very clear and there is no slippage of the shaft at all. This spindle is mostly balanced but there is a slight wobble. Not enough to worry too much about though. One aspect of this spindle I'm not happy with is the lack of a notch. Some of her spindles use different shapes with create their own "notches" but because the resin is a shiny surface, I find if I don't wrap my yarn around the hook several times, it slips around and drops to the floor.  The hook is also a bit of a downfall. It's very open and it seems like the curve is too large. Luckily, much of the cons of this spindle will be washed away when I tell you the price ..... $25 That's right, pretty darn inexpensive.  I bought this spindle in 2011 and this was right about the time when she started turning her shafts. They used to be very plain looking. The shaft on this beauty is lightly turned at the bottom and the top where it meets the hook. I quite like the little detailing. This spindle doesn't have a particularly long spin time but the whorl isn't rim weighted. You can maximize yardage and spin beautiful laceweight yarn with this spindle. I am very happy with my sample and plan on using this spindle in a larger project.
 Sorry I am a day late. I had everything ready in time except for time itself. This week I spun a sample on my Maggie Low Whorl Maker: Magpie Woodworks Weight: 24 g / 3/4oz Length: 11" Shaft 2 1/2" Whorl Style: Low Whorl Woods: Red Oak
 As mentioned before, this spindle is very well balanced. There is an extra pin to even everything out. I have noticed this in my other Magpie Woodworks spindles (except one and its the only one that wobbles). The length under the whorl is 2". This is a decent sized spindle, it's not huge and heavy but its not so dainty you'd be afraid to break it. Both ends are nice and smooth so you don't have to worry so much if you spindle drops to the floor.
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