Cricket vs Ashford Rigid Heddle: Which Loom Should You Buy?

Buy the 15” Schacht Cricket ($246) if you want the only rigid heddle in this price range that converts to a true 4-shaft loom, via the Cricket Quartet. Buy the 16” Ashford SampleIt ($255) for one extra inch and a wider accessory line. Both make the same plain weave cloth.

The decision comes down to whether you want the 4-shaft path (Cricket) or the wider Ashford line above it. The full Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom reaches 48 inches at a flat $315, and the Knitters Loom folds for travel at $399. Neither core choice is wrong. Prices verified June 2026.

What actually separates the Cricket and the Ashford at the same price?

The 15” Cricket ($246) and 16” Ashford SampleIt ($255) cost within $9 of each other, weave within one inch of each other, and produce the same plain weave cloth. The difference you are paying for is material, reed, and what you can do next.

Hard maple versus Silver Beech. The Cricket’s warp beam, breast beam, and frame are hard maple and maple plywood, built by Schacht in Boulder, Colorado. Hard maple sits near the top of the Janka hardness scale for North American hardwoods and resists dents at hardware contact points. Ashford uses Silver Beech (Nothofagus menziesii), a New Zealand native with similar density and fine grain. Both are durable for a tabletop loom. The practical difference is subtle: pale gold maple grain versus pinkish-white Silver Beech, and the supply chain behind each (Schacht parts from Colorado, Ashford parts from New Zealand).

The 8-dent versus 7.5-dent reed. Half a dent per inch is not a meaningful weaving variable for most beginners. At 8 dents the Cricket spaces warp threads slightly tighter than the Ashford’s 7.5-dent, which is a marginal advantage for medium-fine yarns. Both manufacturers sell replacement reeds in other dents: if you buy a Cricket and want a 10-dent reed for tighter setts, it costs about $40 from Schacht. The same math applies on the Ashford side.

The upgrade path. This is where the looms diverge. Schacht makes the Cricket Quartet, a $497 add-on that converts a 15-inch Cricket into a genuine 4-shaft loom capable of weaving twill, herringbone, huck lace, honeycomb, and any other structure requiring four independently controlled shaft groups. The 10-inch Cricket does not accept the Quartet. No Ashford rigid heddle accepts a comparable 4-shaft conversion. A Cricket 15” bought now plus the Quartet later totals $743 for a 4-shaft loom. That is less than a Schacht Baby Wolf floor loom at a comparable 4-shaft entry point.

How do Cricket and Ashford widths and prices compare?

The Cricket tops out at 15 inches. The Ashford line goes wider, and the flat pricing on the full Rigid Heddle Loom is the most striking number in this comparison.

Ashford prices the full Rigid Heddle Loom identically at $315 across all four widths. A 48-inch weaving width for $315 is genuinely remarkable: you pay $315 for 16 inches or the same $315 for a loom wide enough to weave a baby blanket in a single pass. If you already know you want 24 inches or more, the Rigid Heddle Loom at $315 is the correct buy regardless of the Cricket.

Where the Cricket competes: at 15 inches, the Cricket at $246 costs $9 less than the SampleIt 16-inch and $69 less than the Rigid Heddle 16-inch. For the buyer who wants a 15-16” loom and may want the 4-shaft Quartet eventually, the Cricket is the only option. For the buyer who wants 16 inches and no upgrade path, the SampleIt at $255 saves $9 and adds one inch.

What do each loom’s box contents include?

All four ship ready to warp with a reed or heddle, shuttles, a threading hook, and warping hardware. The Cricket is the only one that includes starter yarn; the Knitters Loom is the only one that ships assembled with a carry bag. Full contents below.

Schacht Cricket 15”: loom, 8-dent reed, two stick shuttles, threading hook, warping peg and clamp, two table clamps, two apron bars, six apron cords, two balls of yarn. The included yarn means you can make a first warp the day the loom arrives.

Ashford SampleIt 16”: loom, 7.5-dent heddle, two stick shuttles, clamps, threading hook, warping peg, warping guide.

Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom (any width): same as SampleIt plus an instructional booklet and double heddle blocks with notches. The hardware for a second heddle is built into the frame.

Ashford Knitters Loom: same plus 10 warping sticks, locking tension pawls, a padded carry bag, and second heddle blocks. Ships fully assembled with a lacquered finish. Folds for transport. The only loom in this comparison that packs into a bag.

The Ashford accessory catalog is broader than Schacht’s rigid heddle range: Ashford sells stands, sectional warping kits, and heddles in five dents (5, 7.5, 10, 12.5). The Schacht Cricket accessory line is narrower but covers the essentials: additional reeds in 5, 10, 12, and 15-dent; table and floor stands; the weighted warping peg; and the Quartet.

What more complex patterns can you weave on each?

Both go well beyond plain weave with a pickup stick or a second heddle. Only the Cricket reaches true twill and lace structure, through the Cricket Quartet 4-shaft conversion; the Ashford double heddle adds floats and color range but stops short of four shafts.

On any rigid heddle: a pickup stick lets you create float patterns, supplemental warp lifts, and simple weft-faced designs without buying any extra parts. A second heddle extends the range to clasped weft, supplemental warp, and simple twill-like structures. Neither loom requires modification for pickup stick use.

Cricket Quartet upgrade: the Quartet converts the 15-inch Cricket into a 4-shaft loom. Four independently controlled shafts let you weave twill (2/2, 2/1), herringbone, huck lace, honeycomb, and other structures requiring at most four shaft groupings. For a weaver who knows they want to get to twill without buying a second loom, the Cricket-to-Quartet path at $743 total costs less than a new entry-level 4-shaft floor loom.

Ashford double heddle: the Rigid Heddle Loom and Knitters Loom include second-heddle hardware in the box. Two heddles add supplemental-warp floats, wider color range, and some twill-like structures, but they are not equivalent to 4-shaft weaving. Ashford does not make a Cricket Quartet equivalent.

Cricket or Ashford: who should buy which?

Buy the Schacht Cricket 15” if:

• You want the path to 4-shaft weaving without buying a second loom
• You are in the U.S. and want American-made tools
• You want 15 inches of weaving width at the lowest price in this comparison ($246)
• You want starter yarn included so you can warp the day the loom arrives

Buy the Ashford SampleIt 16” if:

• You want 16 inches for $255 and are not planning the 4-shaft upgrade
• You want the widest accessory ecosystem for a rigid heddle
• You already weave on Ashford equipment

Buy the Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom if:

• You want more than 15 inches of weaving width. The 24” is the most practical starting width for towels and panels
• You want double heddle blocks built into the loom frame
• You want the best price per inch in this comparison ($315 for up to 48”)

Buy the Ashford Knitters Loom if:

• You need a loom that folds and travels in a padded bag
• You are weaving at guild meetings, classes, or while traveling

If you are completely new to weaving and want to understand what a rigid heddle can actually make before committing to either loom, the rigid heddle first project guide walks through what a first warp looks like on either. Both looms are also covered in the best rigid heddle loom roundup.