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I have tried many of the options noted above with the exception of the FC spools , at the end of the day , I just let it unravel, heresy for and organization nut but I get tired of fooling with the spools.

I love TMC 16/0 , bennechi 12/0 . Was not impressed with semper fi nano but TMC is hard to find out of production. Also really Iike mfc 8/0.

Very well done , beautiful photos

You can buy one at Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone. I have several that Frank customized for me with a little notch to cut thread . He did this before he was retired and I had a chance to talk to him and his son. Frank was the inventor of this whip finisher that's become a standard for all tiers that use a tool versus hand whip finishing. He is a true gentleman and he had some neat stories about some other things he developed when he first started out e.g he made his own vise. His tools are old fashion quality and its one of my favorite tying possessions, I can understand why you want to replace. When he sent me my whip finisher , he included an extra stainless version with a nice note. I will never forget that , still have the letter.

Have been very satisfied , prompt delivery,good quality.

I have used drier sheets to block odors , works we'll.

Those are both great looking set ups

Wow those are some seriously well done mouse patterns .

Besides tying I construct stick and tissue planes and have found the following blades to be better than the double edge type. The single edge enables me to manipulate and put pressure behind the blade. Inexpensive as well.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014E94SU/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thank you for the tip on these blades . I am going to try them , the price is terrific , and it will overcome my fear of splitting two sided blades and bleeding all over my tying table.

So many good choices and opinions both in this forum and searching google . I use a Dyna King ( Ergonomic Supreme ) non rotary and really like it and don't see myself changing . However your question was specific to "good rotary " vises . I tied for years on a Renzetti 4000 and I thought it was a great product . It is very smooth , holds hooks well and has lot's of gadgets for the in line rotary tier , which I am not . I don't think you can go wrong with a Renzetti , Peak or Barracuda . Look at the clearance that you have between the arm of the vise and the back of hook. The space between the V in the shaft arm and the vice head can be restrictive to some . For example compare the Rezetti to the Griffin rotary and you will see there is some congestion in Griffin setup . Others may not have any issue with that Recommending a vise is like recommending a golf club , at the end of the day it's the operator and personal preference. Another point is how solid is the manufacturer if you encounter an issue . Renzetti is very good. Let us know what you decide on.

The mulligan by Nathan Jorgensen , a must read !

Ditto, saved me ordering another material that ends up in a bin in the furnace room used once .

Great photos, history and buggy looking flies. Thank you for sharing

You tied a nice fly that will catch fish and most importantly did not crowd the eye !!.

These do work well , I don't have a big supply of them but agree very good way to go . Thanks for your reply

these would work. theyre from the local big box craft store. $1.49 each. whats wrong with the altoids tin youve used in the past?

 

T

Thanks to all for the great suggestions , perfect .

Can anyone who donates flies to various groups recommend an effective way to package them . It is straightforward when I am donating a Flybox but in cases where it is just a dozen or so individual flies , wondered what folks might be using . Currently trying to buy some Plancon Blisterboxes ( L 1.69, W.1.50 , D .75) but not sure I am going to be able to find those without a commercial account . I have used old Altoid tins , which work well . Thanks for any suggestions.

I have tied on a lot of different vises both rotary and non rotary including Thompson, Regal , HMH ,Renezetti and Dyna King . I still have my Thompson that I got as a kid in 1960 and it still holds a fly well . What you can tell from reading many forums is that once folks get used to a particular vise they are generally very happy with it .I tie with a Dyna King ErgonomicSupreme ( recommened by Chris Helm ) and don't see myself changing because I don't use the rotary function and I like the hook access and holding power of the DK . However I have owned 3 Renezetti's and share my feeback below ( primarily tie Trout flies ) :

Renezetti 3000 - Very well made , elegant vise and I liked the feature of turning the knob to secure the fly . It also provided great access to the fly for tight work . The one issue I had is that hooks tended to slip depending on the type of hook you were using . This only seemed to happen on flies in the 16 -18 - 20 range , on streamer or larger hooks it was very solid . Since I tied a lot of smaller flies , I sold this vise and moved to the Renezetti 4000 ;

Renezetti 4000 - I thought was equal in quality to the 3000 , a very well manufactured product . I never had an issue with a hook slipping on this vise . It was a noticeable difference in hooking holding for me versus the 3000 . You can adjust the tension on the arm and it provides great access to all sides of the fly . Looking back when I compared the 2 vises , I regreted not getting the 4000 first .

Renzetti Traveler or 2000 - Used this for a travel vise but sold it after I moved to the DK products . Great entry level vise , people love it but I found the arm design a little annoying and often required adjustment and I think I was definetly influenced by how solid the 4000 was .

Sorry for rambling response , I am sure you will be happy with any of the manufacturers listed products but of all the Ren. products I tried , the 4000 was the most solid and versatile for me.

Very sad news, an icon for many of us. I always hoped I could attend one of his workshops in Toledo to see him in person. His skill and generosity in sharing information was so helpful to me over the years. I continue to view his DVDs and am thankful I have one of his deer hair mouse patterns to remind me of this exceptional man. Deep sympathy to his family.

That is the most impressive set up I have seen , wow .