Whip finish; by hand or with tool?

[SilverCreek 0]

5 hours ago, DWSmith said:

I hate to ask but instead of me hunting for one and finding out it's not so good then trying again, can someone save me some time and point me to a source for a good one please?  Or when they say Matarelli style do they really mean one made by Matarelli?

Looks like the ones made by Matarelli are going for $80 to $110!?!?!?  Never mind the original ones. 

Thanks.

Just buy the knock offs. Matarelli stopped making his whip finishers many years ago. I still have new Matarelli tools in their original packaging.

 

BTW, you can file a thread cutting notch in the end of the Matarelli to cut the tying thread off after whip finishing. I found this photo of a cutting notch on this thread:

http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=136951&sid=0402f12db895c156dfed723e8895a154&start=40

[Chasing_Tails 0]

When I started commercial tying I quickly learned the less tools that I have to pick up, the better, so I learned by hand.

I'll pull out a whip finish tool, Thompson and Matarelli from time to time just to see if I remember how to use it.

[MuskyFlyGuy 0]

By hand for almost 50 years. Size 6/0 musky flies to size 24 tricos. I don’t tie anything small nowadays. 

[ScienceGuy141 0]

Usually by hand for me but the tools are pretty nice to use. Like Chasing_Tails said, its just another tool to have to pickup, and I often don't care to dig it out. On nymphs and dries the tool does probably help finish the fly a bit neater, though. On my streamers, you often can't see the thread head anyway, and by hand helps me jam the finish into the wool/deer hair/etc.

[mikechell 0]

I learned how to use a Thompson style, just to see if I could.  I learned how to whip finish by hand for the same reason.  I use the cheapo depot Matarelli style because I like it.