FFS Marlborough- A.K. Best Vise back from the dead.

[DFoster 0]

I attended the FF show in Marlborough MA on Friday for the first time in 2 years.  2020 was cancelled as the facility was used as the city Covid treatment center.  Last year the show was moved from January to April (covid related) and I was out of state for that weekend.  I was really excited to go this year.  The main reason I go is to search out tying materials and occasionally tools, I always keep a list things I’m low on in my phone.  I have to say I was a bit disappointed.  This year there were only few vendors selling materials and I would say less than half of the usual fly shops were on site. The ones that were there were mostly focused on rods, reels and gear.  Guide/travel services seemed to take up half of the spots.

 

HMH had a big set up and I spent a few minutes talking with Jon Larrabee the owner.  He said moving the show date last year probably had an impact on the reduction of fly shops on site.  The dates coincided with the opening of trout season in at least 2 border states and the weather that weekend was beautiful.  After a long, cold winter the anglers went angling.  The poor attendance last year may have been the reason that a lot of retailers passed on showing this year. 

 

Jon did say that HMH recently bought the manufacturing rights to the old A.K. Best vise and that they are currently “engineering out” the design flaws in the original.  It sounds like they are going to retain the look of the original.  The updated version will be for sale from HMH when ready. 

[chugbug27 0]

1 hour ago, DFoster said:

HMH recently bought the manufacturing rights to the old A.K. Best vise and that they are currently “engineering out” the design flaws in the original

Gonna wind up looking something like this?

😉

[flytire 0]

or this?

[SalarMan 0]

7 hours ago, flytire said:

or this?

Not hardly. THAT is HMH's copy and great improvement of the LAW vise. Not even close to A. K. Best's vise design. I tie on the HMH TRV vise regularly and it took the great LAW design and made it all it should have been to begin with. A well done to HMH from me!!!

[jcozzz 0]

Think it's gonna look like the AK Best vise pictured.I know the originals with the tools and accessories are hard to come by.Good discussion about tying in hand on another board.We don't need no stinking vises.Like my old man used to say anybody can do it with tools

[DFoster 0]

18 hours ago, chugbug27 said:

Gonna wind up looking something like this?

😉

Chug I did ask Jon if they were going to use the same HMH chassis they use on their Standard or TRV he said no.  They intend to stay true to the original but to improve on it by using higher quality materials in the jaws and more precise machining.  

[chugbug27 0]

I do hope they can make that happen. It's a neat vise

[Gene L 0]

Neat vise indeed.  It will be interesting to see how the jaws turn out.  The original jaws look great but weren't great at holding hooks.  Or so I heard.  If any one can do it, HMH can. Unfortunately, modern trends to be toward rotary vises. I don't know if "unfortunately is the right word here, but I note that any rotary vise can be locked into a non rotary function. I prefer rotary but also own a few fixed rotary vises and tie on them occasionally.

[redietz 0]

I hope they also offer the new jaws separately.  I've got one of the old ones; if it only held a hook better, it would be my go-to vise.

[CYGUY31 0]

Picked one of these up from Etsy (Badger Fly Tying) and I love it.  I like tying tiny flies on this and it is perfect for that.  The half moon jaws give you great access to the fly.  Very well builT vise with HMH’s lifetime warranty.  

[chugbug27 0]

Just curious, how is it on sizes 4-8, and 10-14? Do you turn the jaw upside down and hold the hook in the wider jaw region (at the jaw base)?

[CYGUY31 0]

I have tied a bunch of size 10 bionic ants on it and it holds the hook great.  I don’t have any hook on me bigger than #8.  I just made some adjustments and it holds the #8 fine.  My smallest hook is a 24 and it holds that hook perfectly.  For me it is a size 14 and smaller hook vise which is what I tie 85% of the time.  It is not a rotary but you can rotate the vice on 4 “clicks” to work on your fly at 15 deg, 30 deg, 45 degrees and of course 12 o’clock which is great when you are checking your fly.  You can easily get the jaws “upside down” to tie a fly with the wide portion of the jaw.   I personally do not plan on tying anything bigger than a size 10, I just think this jaw excels on smaller flies, I have other vises I will use if I have to go bigger like an HMH TRV.  It really is a cool “retro” vise that I am really enjoying … I can’t stop tying midges now …

[chugbug27 0]

👍