Very good info!!!! I found that between the EC lil nasty and the Matzuo sickle the Matzuo has a little larger gap or bite but the EC is much stronger. I too had tired of all the bad Matzuo sickle hooks, in fact I'm sick of the Matzuo wacky hooks that Do-it calls the 785, the bends are different as is the length of wire from the eye to the bend. It is hard to imagine a hook that is sharper than the Lil nasty, as you mentioned, the Matzuo sickle is sharp and the lil nasty is even sharper so with the mustad being even sharper than those, well may as well get ready for a blood transfusion because when I tie hair jigs using a lil nasty I end up bleeding without ever knowing I got cut in the first place. The fact that the Mustad is heavier is nice, but like I noticed with the Matzuo, that tiny difference in hook gap seems to make a big difference in strength, I'm wondering if Mustad used the heavier gauge wire in order to keep the strength while allowing for a larger gap. For me the only issue I'll have is the fact that hook is bronze, I'll have to get some in a size 1 and 1/0 to try out but it will have to be a lot better in order for me to pay more for a bronze hook over a black nickel. I for one really appreciate the review and initial observation, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the actual fishing performance, for all my disdain for bronze hooks, this may be one that might be worth taking over a black nickel, anyway thanks for taking the time, I know I use larger sizes but I'm one of the few that likes this style of hook for small hair jigs, they are stronger than round bends and I never lose fish that I have hooked.