Rigid Heddle Loom vs Shaft Loom - which one is right for you?

Lojan Flex Rigid Heddle and the Dutch know how to make a particularly good loom

One of the most common questions new weavers ask me ..

Is whether to commit to a rigid heddle loom or a shaft loom. Looms take up space, cost real money, and shape the kind of weaver you become. It's a big decision, I get it.

Consider your personality type

Think about the other things you make. Are you the painter who reaches for fast watercolour or layering and waiting for oils to dry, the baker who grabs instant yeast or lovingly tends a sourdough starter? The stitcher who lets the machine do it or patiently pulls a needle through by hand?

Your answers probably tell you something about the kind of weaver you'll be.

If you want to get in and make something without too much fuss rigid heddle is your loom. If you're drawn to complexity and enjoy the challenge of interesting structures you'll love a shaft loom.

I've used rigid heddle looms for years, and an 8-shaft floor loom for much longer. Many shaft weavers turn their nose up at rigid heddle as if it's a child's toy — like a concert grand pianist dismissing an electronic keyboard player. I understand the instinct.

I love a quick weave. Unplanned, using chunky yarn I already own, weave it, wash it, use it, before doubt kicks in. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does, the immediacy lingers.

What a rigid heddle loom does well

No warping board. No second pair of hands. No missed threadings or treadles. The pace is irresistible if you're used to the commitment of a floor loom. I take mine camping. I weave in bed. I pass it to friends. It's not lesser, it's immediate.

As an 8-shaft weaver, I can still manipulate structures on a rigid heddle in ways I didn't expect. It's direct. Nimble. Portable. And when you want a quick weave. Unplanned, chunky yarn you already own, something washed and in use before doubt kicks in .. nothing beats it.

What a shaft loom gives you

More shafts mean more structure options. Complex twills, laces, double weave, intricate colour sequences on a 4 or 8-shaft loom in ways a rigid heddle cannot acheive. A shaft loom is a long-term commitment to the craft, and for many weavers, it's where the real obsession begins, and to be honest I could live the rest of my weaving life on a 4 shaft loom exploring and never repeating the same cloth.

So which should you choose?

Lots of weavers want the glory of both.

If you're earlier in your weaving life, a rigid heddle is a natural place to start with fast set up and options to explore all the variations a rigid heddle can achieve. You might stay there happily for years. You might also, eventually, find yourself wanting shafts.

If you're already a shaft weaver and you've never tried rigid heddle, go on, it’s almost comical. The immediacy is addictive in a way that's hard to explain until you've felt it.

The Lojan Flex loom is worth knowing about because it doesn't force the decision. You can begin with the rigid heddle setup and add shafts as your weaving evolves — or come to it from the other direction, starting with shafts and adding the rigid heddle configuration when you want that quick, portable option in your life. It's a loom that changes with you, rather than one you grow out of.

Which is exactly why the Lojan Flex loom exists. It's designed to grow with you: starting as a rigid heddle loom and expanding into a multi-shaft loom as your weaving develops. You don't have to choose right now, just make a start.

Next time you're thinking about a visit, come into the studio. I usually have something warped up and ready to try. Let me know you're coming and I'll make sure the Flex loom is dressed and waiting for you.