Besides tahklis, other support spindles, super-light top-whorls (or bottom whorls for that matter), wheels (there's a local lady here who spins cotton on her Majacraft Rose -- amazing to watch!), and charkhas, there's the Akha spindle.
This is a *really cool* spindle to spin on. I love learning techniques, which is possibly why this appeals to me. You can simply use an Akha as a "drop" spindle if you want. But, the way it is traditionally used is to add twist as a horizontally-held support spindle (so your right hand is the "support" part), giving it a spin and letting it rotate there in your hand while you draw out fiber with your other hand, and _then_, step two, once there's enough twist for it all to hold together, letting the Akha drop and twirling it in the traditional top-whorl manner to add the extra twist cotton wants.
Fun stuff!
(posted by me to spindlitis, this day)
