My grandmother taught me to tat, and I made all the lace for my sister's wedding gown. I can't imagine where I got all that time!
The metal ones are available in stores now, but very difficult to work with. I wouldn't try. The others are an early plastic, I forget what it's called. You have one really good one, the one with a pic on the end, that looks like a spear on the tip. That is the one to use. With the other 2 ivory colored ones, you have to use a crochet hook to pick the thread through each loop, which takes a lot longer.