Noob questions on some tools(?)

[Gray Ghost 0]

I am pleased to have found these forums, as I am a lifelong fly fisherman but have never tried tying. I am going to start tying. I have come into possession of various tying tools (or are they? that is the question in some cases). Thanks in advance for your help. 

1. Bottle with needle stopper: is this intended for head cement?

2. Wine corks: what is their purpose as a tool, or are they intended as popper raw material?
3. U-shaped brass wire with curved-hook ends?

4. Curved hemostat: I know how to use this as a hook removal tool when fishing. Does it have a purpose in tying?

5. Tiny metal twisted-wire brush with two different kinds of ends?

6. Toothbrush??

 
 

[mikechell 0]

39 minutes ago, Gray Ghost said:

 

Electric shaver cleaning tool (my guess).  I don't see a use in tying if the bristles are soft.
 
 

Yes, a bottle for head cement.  Didn't keep the cement from curing for me, so I threw mine away.

Raw material for cork poppers.  I use a few of them to stick sewing needles and tied flies into.

I'm guessing this is someone's attempt to make their own dubbing spinner.

I use straight jawed hemostats for spinning thread for furling.  But in tying, I don't use them for much else.  Other people might have some use in tying.

Tooth brush possibly used to brush out dubbing, on the fly or in a dubbing brush.

Helps clean up your vise?

 

[WWKimba 0]

I agree with mikechell on all but the first item.  It looks a little full but I do believe that it is a bristle flosser for your teeth and serves the same purpose as the toothbrush.  It is smaller for smaller flies.  When clean it looks a lot like a miniature bottle brush - bristles on twisted wire.  At least that's where I'd place my bet.

Kim

[Poopdeck 0]

I wouldn’t call any of them a fly tying tool. Could they have a fly tying purpose………sure.

1) sure can be used for glue. Not something on my desk since glue comes in it’s own bottle. I would use it for pinpoint oiling.

2) popper bodies

3) ? Possible a dubbing loop spinner but I would throw it in the trash

4) always a use for hemostats

5) no idea. Not something on my desk. Possibly a dubbing brush. In the trash with the wire thing

6) Toothbrush - developed in West Virginia. I know this because if it were developed anywhere else it would have been called a teeth brush (sorry West Virginians but I couldn’t resist). Always a use for a toothbrush but not knowing it’s origins, in the trash with #3 and #5. 
 

 

[niveker 0]

Yeah, I agree with everything Mike said except the first item also.

 Sometime a softer dubbing brush (like the toothbrush)  is all I need.  

I use hemostats as small pliers at the tying desk, not so much for the locking jaws.  

[niveker 0]

🤣🤣

[chugbug27 0]

Before tying my own flies, I used to use my hemostat on the river to pinch barbs down while fishing. Not very effective on old hooks (of course), works well though on modern microbarbs. 

[mikechell 0]

 

4 hours ago, WWKimba said:

It looks a little full but I do believe that it is a bristle flosser for your teeth and serves the same purpose as the toothbrush.

Kim

Okay ... it's not for electric shavers ... but it ain't for teeth, either.  I found these advertised for cleaning sewing machines.

 

[Gray Ghost 0]

Thanks for the info. I am guessing also that #1 was intended as a dubbing brush

 

[SilverCreek 0]

I use a 22 caliber bore cleaning brush as a dubbing brush. I carry one in my fly tying kit and one in my fishing vest to rough up my nymphs to make them look "buggy" before fishing them.

[Gray Ghost 0]

10 minutes ago, SilverCreek said:

I use a 22 caliber bore cleaning brush as a dubbing brush. I carry one in my fly tying kit and one in my fishing vest to rough up my nymphs to make them look "buggy" before fishing them.

Good idea, but I would carry .45 because it would have more stopping power lol

[WWKimba 0]

3 hours ago, mikechell said:

 

Okay ... it's not for electric shavers ... but it ain't for teeth, either.  I found these advertised for cleaning sewing machines.

 

In a smaller size they are called interdental flossers and their is no "paintbrush on one end.