When I started pouring about ten years ago,I bought 7000 matzuo sickles in different sizes. I still have some but have worn it down to the ones I use most, and like you, I prefer them over most anything else. Lately I’ve been using some in #8 that look about the same in black chrome that I’m happy with. All that I’m using don’t let me down when it comes time to set the hook and have them hold on. My advice is to try some of the others and keep track of whose they are and where you got them from. I guarantee that if you don’t, when the time comes to reorder you’ll scratch a bald spot on your head. We all forget.
Creativity is just intelligence fooling around