My Experiece with the Furls Odyssey Cochet Hook

I know, I know - nobody needs a $30 crochet hook! But having one is just so luxurious in a decadent and wasteful sort of way. My $3 crochet hooks have lasted for years and still work fine, but one look at the Furls offerings and I had severe hook envy. They're so pretty! The first ones I saw carved of wood were so beautiful that they made me forget how much I dislike using wooden hooks! I considered getting one, but couldn't justify the cost, no matter how hard I tried. Then came the Odyssey hook, so lovely, expensive but not outrageously so, and I went for it. Furls suggests that the designs of their hooks will make crocheting a more comfortable experience - which was nice even though I was just buying it because I was infatuated with its beauty. I couldn't wait to get that silver and black piece of modern crafting technology into my hot little hands. I joined one of their CAL's to take my hook for its first test drive! I like the weight and shape of the hook and the way it feels in my hand in general. Although it feels comfortable, I find that muscle memory is a b...tch. Because the shape of the Furls hook is so different than what I'm used to, my dominant hand doesn't know quite how to hold it and the hook keeps sliding and slipping in my hand, slowing me down and causing me to have to constantly reposition the hook. It's taken more than an hour to get used to. Not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of. Aluminum and plastic hooks have some drag to them, but the Furls hook is incredibly smooth and slippery, so again, this takes some getting used to, though it isn't unpleasant. As a matter of fact, I'm really liking how this can contribute to crochet speed. The shape of the tip of the hook is round, without any point, and I find that this makes it difficult to enter tighter stitches, as when you can't avoid working into a base chain. I've had to dig my way through a number of stitches. Personal preference again, but I would definitely prefer a hook with at least a slight point on the head. I also find my yarn slipping out of the hook frequently, very annoying, and to me that means the hook's cleft isn't deep enough. I purchased the Furls hook myself and, with shipping, paid close to $40 for it. I don't want to return it, I find it intriguing to use, but it changes my technique somewhat causing its use to be, for me, counter-intuitive and somewhat awkward, definitely requiring an adjustment period. I'll continue to use it for the CAL and see what I think of it after using it for an extended period of time. I offer this review as my own opinion only.