Comments from Mazurka spinners
This is my first posting to the group. I have been spinning only 4 months, so my experience is limited, but I can highly recommend the Mazurka. Spinning is something I always wanted to do, but just never made the jump into it. I am also a living historian, and this was a great addition to my persona. My first and only wheel so far is the Kromski Mazurka. I LOVE IT!!!
Obviously I needed something very portable and this fits the bill - all of 9 lbs. I have the mahogany stain. It is gorgeous! It spins beautifully. I have had very little instruction except using a book, and I have been able to master it well enough to have spun about 4lbs. of fiber and can even use the yarn. It is really a wonderful wheel. I saw it at a reenactment, and fell in love with it. I had not ever spun on any wheel when I decided to buy the Mazurka. I ordered it on recommendation of a fellow re-enactor, and did not have a chance to "test drive" it first. I just bought it. Since you are a very experienced spinner, you should not have any problem with the wheel. I think you will really enjoy it.
(comments taken from a spinning list and used by permission)
more comments...
I have a Mazurka Wheel...and I love it!!! My favorite wheel is my ________...I have about 9 wheels and the Mazurka comes in a close 2nd to the ______... The BEST thing about them is they both fit (the bobbins) on the same lazy kate...even though I have one for each wheel...the bobbins seem to be interchangeable for me!!! The Mazurka is VERY lightweight compared to the ______, so if I'm going to carry my wheel really far to a festival I take the Mazurka...
(comments taken from a spinning list and used by permission)
I have the Mazurka now for some time and love it. It spins like a dream. It is very portable since it is very light weight. I rarely have to touch the wheel to make it go, I can start it with the foot. Also, the bobbins are nice and large. I would recommend it.
(comments taken from a spinning list and used by permission)
Assembly took no more than half an hour--the instructions were clear and the parts all went together smoothly. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I can adapt it to double drive or Scotch tension. That's an option I was not aware of. I plan to try both and see which I like best on this wheel. (My Ashford has Scotch tension and my antique flax wheel has double drive, so I've used both before). The extra whorl is a nice plus, too, and the little hole in the table for the orifice hook is really handy.
Once the wheel was put together, my entire family oohed and ahhed at how lovely she is. We decided she is deserving of a name, so I'm calling her Maggie--after all, people name ships, and spinning wheels are just as important in the course of human history, IMHO. I am not one to advocate tools as knick knacks; I believe they should be used, but this wheel is so beautiful that she makes my home lovelier just by sitting there. And then I tried her out. She spins like something out of a dream. I swear, the wool just spun itself, and although I expected to have a time of adjusting to the new wheel, the yarn was among the nicest I've spun, right from the start. I had a full bobbin before I knew it, and those are nice big bobbins! If I were to ever teach spinning, I would consider this as a student wheel since it is compact enough to be a good extra wheel to fit in around the house or studio, yet spins so easily that it would be an excellent wheel to learn on. Treadling is smooth and easy, with good control. When I pick up the Mazurka I can't believe she weighs only nine pounds, but while I spin the wheel seems to have the stability of a heavier wheel.
(comments taken from a spinning list and used by permission)
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