Spun Deer Hair

[dbracertaylor85 0]

i tried both and they seemed to work just the same but mabye it is hard to tell the difference in sharpness

 

[Joe Hard 0]

there is a small tool that you can slip on one side of the double edge razor blade. It is fairly new and for the life of me I cant remember where I saw it. What I do to a double edge razor blade is make a carboard sheath and clamp it onto the blade with a small clip board type clamp. I make sure the cardboard does not touch the blade. When one side is dull I rotate it and when the other side is dull I toss the blade. I do find I trim much better with siccors, but the razor blades also serve for stripping hooks and fine trimming butts and tag ends of things at the flys head. I do not like the bigger single edge blades. Here is a bomber I trimmed with siccors.

I find that you should only trim a bit at a time with siccors or you will ruin them. I dont think they dull but come appart and no longer trim true

[oneslammedpanel 0]

Hello,

I can offer two opinions on this one i think everyone who tries it will LOVE it for deer hair...

My first is to offer the best trimming tool ever made,Go to k-mart or wal mart and get one of those $6.00 NOSE hair trimmers.I know it sounds funny but man does it work good, youll get @100 good flies before you will need a sharper blade,It is battery powered and has a fine tip on it about this size" mm "

 

But if you insist on razor blades the reason no one likes th single edge blades as well as the double edge is, The double edge blades are a ".006" blade basicly realy thin and super sharpe..single edge blades are ".010" BUT>> you can get single edge blades in ".005" thickness we use them for leather work, and they work great just go to a local "scrapbooking store" they'll have them...

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi dbracertaylor85,

 

I watched this tread with interest and the answers you received were right on. I use all the techniques mentioned and make the decision which I'll use depending on what I'm trying to accomplish. If I'm in a hurry to go fishing my trusty Wiss clips will get me a bug ready for the water in real short order. On the other hand if I'm concerned what the fly looks like (for framing or a customer) I rough the shape with my Wiss clips and smooth it up with the razor blade method.

 

Regarding trimming muddler heads: You can easily do a fast trim on a muddler head with ONE clip of your scissors. First stack the hair to even the tips, then identify the length the hair needed to form the collar, and place that amount of hair between your left thumb, forefinger, and second finger (the butt ends are now sticking out from the fingers). Use your scissor/clips to cut the butt ends off almost even with (about 1/8" away from them) your three finger tips. Mount the hair on the hook by "squirmming" it partically around the hook, take three snug but not tight turns around the hair (very near the ends of the trimmed butts), and pull the thread tight at the same time you let go of the stacked hair with your left hand. You end up with a perfectly formed/rounded muddler head; no additional trimming is needed. The principle is very similar to the rounded form you get when you trim yarn close to the hook when tying an egg pattern. It take a little practice to get your thread close enough to the end of the trimmed butts and to allow the right amount of space on the hook for the hair you want to apply but once you get it you will like the results. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com