I have to admit to being a gadget gal, but there have not been too many felting tools that I have felt the need to buy. When I was "in America" the other day for the Quilt Show I picked up this new little pen style felting tool from Clover. It cost $14.50. I find that Clover tools are generally very well thought out - and the quality of their products has never disappointed me. This tool is no exception. I thought that it might be a gimmick - and perhaps in a way it is - but it works very well - especially in tight spaces. The only "gimmick" may be that the needles that the tool uses are shorter than standard felting needles so you need to buy replacement packs - offered in fine and heavy weight. Replacements are available at Joggles - and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they were not outrageously priced either - running about $7.40 - for more than just the 3 needles needed in the tool.The tool is preloaded with lightweight needles. I broke a needle working on Epley and found that, in fact, standard size needles work just fine in the tool - you just can't use the cap on it with the longer needles. What I like about the tool is that the needles are placed close together - making it an excellent tool to use in tight spots - and you ARE able to take needles out to utilize only one or two at a time rather than three.
Here is my standard small felting tool shown with the Clover tool. The pen style is more comfortable for me to hold - another things I like about it.
Here you can see it being used in a tight space on Epley - on the belly between the feet.
Here you see the shorter length of the Clover needles compared to a standard felting needle. All in all I think this is a good addition to any needle felters tool chest.
