Weaving Shuttles: Stick Shuttle or Boat Shuttle? What You Really Need

"Which shuttle do I need?" is one of the questions we hear most often. The honest answer surprises many people: to get started you usually don't need a classic shuttle at all, just a stick shuttle. In this guide I explain the types of weaving shuttles, when a boat shuttle is really worth it, which size fits and how to wind bobbins neatly, even without an expensive bobbin winder.

What types of weaving shuttles are there?

"Shuttle" is a general term for anything you use to carry the weft through the shed. These are the forms you will come across most:

• Stick shuttle: a flat wooden stick with notches at both ends. You wind the yarn straight onto it. It is the standard tool on a rigid heddle loom.
• Boat shuttle: a boat-shaped shuttle with a bobbin inside. The yarn unwinds from the bobbin as you throw it. Typical for table and floor looms.
• Ski shuttle: a long, flat shuttle with hooks. You wind thick materials such as rug yarn or fabric strips onto it in figure eights.
• Band shuttle: small, flat shuttles for narrow bands on an inkle loom or band loom.
• Fly shuttle: a heavy shuttle with metal tips that a fly shuttle beater throws through the shed when you pull a cord. More on that below.

To start with: the stick shuttle

When you are just starting out, I always put a stick shuttle in your hand, and a smooth one from Kromski at that. On a rigid heddle loom you work with stick shuttles anyway, that is what it is built for. But even on a table loom I would start with a stick shuttle as a beginner.

The reason is simple: with a stick shuttle you have the yarn under control the whole time. You slide it through the shed, pull the yarn through loosely and lay it in at a slight angle. Nothing unwinds by itself, nothing flies off. Especially at the beginning, while you are still fighting with your selvedges, that is much more relaxed.

The Kromski stick shuttle comes in seven lengths from 10 to 81 cm, in natural or walnut. As a rule of thumb, choose a shuttle about as long as your weaving width or slightly longer. For the Kromski Presto with 25 or 40 cm, the 25 and 40 cm lengths are the ones to go for. An alternative is the Lojan stick shuttle in 32, 52 and 72 cm, for example 52 cm for a loom with 50 cm weaving width.

Why not a boat shuttle right away?

A boat shuttle looks more professional and is faster once you master it. But for it to zip cleanly through the shed, the warp needs a lot of tension. On a rigid heddle loom that is harder to achieve than on a table loom. If the warp is too loose, the shuttle gets stuck or slips under warp threads.

On top of that, beginners often throw the shuttle too far and it lands on the floor. It is a matter of practice, but it takes a lot of the fun out of the first few hours. So start with a stick shuttle and switch when you notice something is holding you back.

When a boat shuttle is worth it

There are two situations where I like to reach for a boat shuttle myself:

Fine yarn. If you enjoy weaving with very fine yarn, you will eventually buy a boat shuttle and plenty of bobbins. A bobbin holds much more fine yarn than a stick shuttle, so you refill less often. And because the yarn unwinds from the bobbin, it does not twist.

Many colour changes. When I work on a table loom with five or six colours in rotation, I prepare a separate boat shuttle for each colour. That way I just pick up the next colour instead of constantly rewinding yarn. Otherwise, to be honest, I prefer weaving with stick shuttles. It is a matter of practice and partly of taste.

We carry several boat shuttles:

• The Louet Flying Dutchman in lacquered beech. A wire bow on top separates warp threads that stick together, and a front yarn guide gives an even pull. Use the 30 cm Mini up to 50 cm weaving width and the 34 cm version from 50 cm. It is also available with 10 matching cardboard bobbins.
• The birch shuttle from Glimakra, with or without rollers, in lengths from 29 to 38 cm. With rollers it tends to glide through the shed more easily.
• The Glimakra mini shuttle, 20 cm long, for finer yarns, narrow widths and small sheds.
• The Ashford boat shuttle in 29 cm or 38 cm with XL bobbin, plastic bobbin included.

Which size fits?

The right boat shuttle depends on three things: your weaving width, the height of your shed and the thickness of your weft. A long shuttle crosses a wide warp more easily, a short one suits narrow pieces and small sheds better.

Also check the bobbin chamber. The bobbin must be a little shorter than the chamber, otherwise it cannot turn freely. On the Glimakra mini shuttle, for example, the chamber is 10 cm long, so bobbins can be 9 cm at most. You will find the chamber size in the description of each shuttle.

Bobbins: cardboard or plastic?

Cardboard or plastic does not really matter. What matters far more is how neatly the bobbin is wound. A badly wound bobbin causes trouble whatever it is made of: the yarn catches, jumps off or unwinds unevenly.

Our cardboard bobbins for shuttles come in sets of 10 in 9, 11, 13 and 15 cm. They are cylindrical, so the same diameter along their whole length. If your shuttle needs tapered bobbins, they will not fit. For Ashford shuttles there are Ashford bobbins in nylon or cardboard, in packs of 10.

Winding bobbins: bobbin winder or cordless drill

The most comfortable way to wind bobbins is with a bobbin winder. Put the bobbin on the shaft, turn the crank and guide the yarn with your other hand. Wind firmly and evenly, without loops, and do not fill the bobbin right up to the edge, or it will jam in the chamber. The Louet bobbin winder attaches with a table clamp. There is also the Ashford bobbin winder and the Glimakra bobbin winder.

There is a cheaper way too: take a drill or cordless screwdriver, push the cardboard or plastic tube onto the bit and wind very slowly. Slowly is the key. If the speed is too high, the bobbin gets uneven, and you will notice it later when weaving.

Ski shuttles and band shuttles

For thick materials such as rug yarn or fabric strips, a boat shuttle is too small. This is where a ski shuttle comes in. The ski shuttle from Glimakra is 64 cm long and made of birch. You wind the material around the hooks in figure eights, and the slightly curved base lets it glide evenly through the shed.

For band weaving on an inkle loom you need small, flat shuttles instead. The Lojan band shuttles come as Classic and Mini. They fit the Inkle Loom and the Inkletje.

Fly shuttle and fly shuttle beater

A fly shuttle is often confused with a boat shuttle, but it is something quite different. It is heavier, has metal tips and runs in a fly shuttle beater. You do not throw it by hand: you pull a cord and a picker sends it through the shed. That pays off mainly on wide looms and for long pieces. I explain how it works in What is a fly shuttle beater?

The Louet fly shuttle is made for the Louet fly shuttle device and comes with five plastic bobbins. You do not need one to start weaving.

You will find all shuttles in our weaving shuttles collection and bobbins and winders under bobbins and bobbin winders. If you do not have a loom yet, our page Which loom is right for me? will help. And to warp your loom before the first shuttle goes through, follow How to warp a rigid heddle loom: step by step.

FAQ

Which shuttle do I need for a rigid heddle loom?
A stick shuttle about as long as your weaving width. Many looms, such as the Kromski Presto, already come with two. An extra smooth stick shuttle, for example from Kromski, is still handy when you weave with two colours.

What is the difference between a stick shuttle and a boat shuttle?
On a stick shuttle the yarn is wound directly onto the wood. In a boat shuttle it sits on a bobbin that turns and unwinds by itself. A fly shuttle only runs in a fly shuttle beater.

How long should a stick shuttle be?
About as long as your weaving width or slightly longer. For a loom with 40 cm weaving width, a 40 cm shuttle fits.

Can I wind bobbins without a bobbin winder?
Yes. Put the bobbin on the bit of a drill or cordless screwdriver and wind very slowly. What matters is that the bobbin ends up firm and even.

Cardboard or plastic bobbins?
The material hardly matters. What counts is that the bobbin is wound neatly and fits the chamber of your shuttle.