I really love the Kromski wheels -- I have a Minstrel. It's a bit finicky, and what they say about Kromskis guzzling oil IS true, but it handles beautifully and I've spun everything from laceweight up to superbulky on it. I tried the Sonata at my LYS, and it was nice, but I don't need a travel wheel and the Minstrel was the one that really spoke to me.
Now you have me eying a Minstrel, which is such a pretty wheel. What do you mean when you say it's finicky? I'm not absolutely sold on a travel wheel, just so long as the one I end up with is compact, so...
Mostly, it needs a lot of tweaking. I'm constantly fiddling with the tension, sometimes even after I've got it set up for whatever I'm spinning -- I've noticed that it tends to need a little tweaking once the bobbin is about half full. And you have to oil, and oil, and oil, and oil, and oil. (I'm told that gets better after a while, once the leather gets thoroughly saturated.) I also get a lot of bobbin chatter if I don't keep the flyer spindle very well greased at all times.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with my wheel, and the oiling/greasing only takes an extra minute or so when I set up to spin -- but some people can't stand the constant oiling and bobbin noise. Kromski wheels seem to be a love it or hate it thing, though.
One thing to consider with regards to Sonata vs Minstrel -- the Sonata can only do single drive/Scotch tension, and it doesn't have as wide a range of ratios unless you opt for additional flyers. The Minstrel can be run in either single or double drive. I personally dislike single drive, and only use double drive, but again, that seems to be a love it or hate it thing.
Thanks! That's a huge help. Although someone helpfully pointing out that my Dream Wheel (after a custom Golding), the Majacraft Rose, is just about the same price at the current exchange rate is making things more complex. Heh...
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Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with my wheel, and the oiling/greasing only takes an extra minute or so when I set up to spin -- but some people can't stand the constant oiling and bobbin noise. Kromski wheels seem to be a love it or hate it thing, though.
One thing to consider with regards to Sonata vs Minstrel -- the Sonata can only do single drive/Scotch tension, and it doesn't have as wide a range of ratios unless you opt for additional flyers. The Minstrel can be run in either single or double drive. I personally dislike single drive, and only use double drive, but again, that seems to be a love it or hate it thing.
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