Vises 101

[TitanFlies 0]

After seeing about 30 vise threads on this forum, I felt it neccessary to make a thread in order to clear it all up. Accordingly, I will be creating a thread that non-bias and 100% factual.

 

First, we must discuss the 2 different kinds of vises: true-rotary and rotary.

 

True - Rotary

This style of vise is somewhat new and revolutionary in the tying world. In enables you to put the hook in the jaws of the vise and spin it around on a central axis. Renzetti was the first manufacturer of this type of vise and many other followed up with their own annontation such as Dyna-King, Griffin, Abel, Regal, Danvise, Peak, etc. It is said that this sort of vise, when used correctly, can speed up the tying process.

 

Key Manufacturers

 

Dyna-King

Basically, all of the Dyna-King rotary vises function the same way although some models of their vises include a special feature such as indexing or adjustable axis planes. The most pivotal part of ANY vise is the jaws. With Dyna-King, all of the jaws feature a unique variable called "hook pockets". This allows the tier to put larger hooks inside a pockets to acheive a greater grip. A downside to this line of vises is the price. The least expensive vise here is $135 dollars but you also get an American company that stands by their products and have excellent customer service. Noteable Vises: The Barracuda, Barracuda Deluxe, Professional (rotary), Supreme(rotary), Kingfisher(rotary).

 

Renzetti

This is the company that started the rotary revolution. They sport a smooth jaw and are now fully cam-operated. Every single vise they produce (excluding the Apprentice) is a true-rotary. The biggest single attracor to this company is the renown "Renzetti Traveler" because of it's mild pricing for a true rotary ($189). However, a major if not cheif downside is the customer service. The pedastal base is pretty light so think about buying the saltwater version of the Traveler. There have been many complaints of people having to go through many hoops to in order to get what they need. Others swear by their vise and will not tie on anything else than a Renzetti. More often than not, people like to complain about the "cheesy" o-ring that Renzetti uses on their vises. Noteable Vises:Renzetti Traveler, Renzetti Presentation, Renzetti Master.

 

Danvise

This vise is noteworthy. It features an all Delrin body (an extremely tough sythetic) instead of an aluminum or steel body. The famous Al Beatty almost exclusivly ties on this wonder tool and has even written a guide on how to use a true rotary vise properly. The jaws on this vise, unlike the body, are 100% steel. They have been known to slip a little over time but Danvise expresses customer satisfaction quite well. Another negative to this vise is that the shaft uses the metric system; instead of the standard 3/8 inch stem, this features a bigger diameter (finding attachments for this vise is next to impossible). Also, this vise only comes in a c-clamp model. The true beauty of this vise is the price tag: a very wallet friendly $85 dollars.

 

Griffin

An excelent vise manufacturer. It has very capable jaws of all steel construction. The c-clamp that goes with this vise is superb and the pedastal is a little on the lighter side. There has been much talk about how "unorganized" the vise looks - the contsruction of this vise is not all 1 peice as much as it is little appendages to the main frame but that does not deter from the vises performance only aesthetics. It comes in a nice, padded, briefcase style box which makes it ideal for travel. Key Vises: Bigfoot Mongoose, Montana Mongoose, 3ARP, Patriot

 

Peak

This American made vise is solid steel and brass construction. The jaws are smoothed. You are able to buy it in many different packages that include different attachments. Furthermore, Peak boasts the biggest and most successfull c-clamps in the business, you will not be able to move it an inch. For what you get, including the customer service, machining of the product, etc, the $150 price tag is chump change - you won't find a better deal for a true-rotary vise. A con about this vise is the interchangable jaws. It requires that you are the slightest bit tool savvy and you need to work with E-clips, something that can be hard to master. It shares the same characteristic of Dyna-King vises in that the cam lever "clicks" into place when you properlly set the hook. Yet again, another genious attachment to this vise is the accessory shaft, it enables the tier to clear up the vise stem of your light, waste basket, fly stage, etc.

 

The LAW

It is said that the LAW vise is the best of the best; the ideal vise. It is, to my understanding, that you are able to customize the vise to your liking. This vise I have never had the opprotunity to see in person, however I'm willing to bet it is excellent. The jaws on this vise are styled like a Lotus - nice clean angles and are pocketed. It is indexable, meaning you are able to tilt the vise itself on the shaft, much like the Barracuda Indexer. This vise is from over the pond so be ready to pay shipping. The only con I can think of is the integrity of the powder coating on the jaws, it looks like it wears down and leaves blemishes but it doesn't take away from the performance. All in all, if you have the means to afford it ($900 plus shipping in todays conversions) it is a jewel to have.

 

The Swiss Master Vise

Marc Petitjean is an innovative fly tyer and designer. Along with his magic clips and magic heads, he came out with the Swiss Master vise. It features fully capable jaws and attachments. It does take time to set up however so don't plan on this vise being anything but your bench vise. It is a sleek, shiny all steel construction that is made to last. If simplicity is what you are after, this may not be the one for you. It comes in at a wopping $575 dollars not including shipping. Another thing worth mentioning is the jaw construction. It may not be capable of handling big bas bugs and heavy deer hair work; moreover, it should be fully capable of trout and steelhead flies. Overall, a good vise but some of its functions might get in the way of the actuall tying.

 

Rotary

This style of vise is the "grand-pappy" of vises. Before there was an inkling of an idea for true rotary vises, this was the only style. With this type of vise, the tier has to do a "hand-over-hand" approach. However, 98% (exluding some Griffin and Regal vises) do allow the tier to rotate the barrell to check the tying process. On the other hand, when you do rotate the fly, it does not stay on an even axis. Examples of such vises are the HMH, some select Dyna-Kings, Regal, and Anvil.

 

HMH

This brand started it all, it was the first company to introduce a top quality vise at an affordable price. The HMH is a production and leisure tiers dream. This is an all steel, draw collet operated vise. HMH is reported to most likely be the number 1 in customer satisfaction and support - they boast an unconditional warranty. HMH jaws are smooth and also have a deluxe "midge jaw" and a "Mag Jaw" that is serrated . An instresting feature with the Spartan and Standard model is you are able to adjust the head angle. With this in mind, you can actually use this vise as a true-rotary. Another signature to HMH is the tube attachment. Along with HMH starting the high quality revolution, they also started the Tube Fly rage. And finally, the pricing of this brand is very fair; $127-$289. Key Vises: Spartan, Standard, Tube Fly Vise.

 

Dyna-King

Even though Dyna-King has exceled on the true rotary vise stage, they also persue the rotary market. They, like all their vises feature pocketed jaws and have a solid steel construction. The Professional, Supreme, and Voyager II all feature the same head angle as the HMH. The Squire and Kingfisher do not. Key Vises:Professional, Supreme, Squire, Kingfisher, X-1, Voyager II.

 

Regal

The production tier's knight in shining armor. This brand is very unique because the jaws on this vise are under constant pressure, therefore, you need to releive the pressure by operating a cam and place the hook in the jaws - think of it as the exact opposite way of operating any other vise. Even though the jaw system is Regal's biggest plus, it is also their pitfall. Since the jaws are under constant pressure, if a hook were to pop out of the vise the jaws would be most likely chipped, rendering them useless. Regal came out with a prevention of this problem by introducing the all stainless steel jaws; they will not chip as easily (these jaws cary a hefty price). The price of these vises range anywhere from $110 to over $400. Key Vises:Regal Medallion series, Inex, Revolution series.

 

Anvil

If Anvil vises are anything like their scissors, then this deserves two big thumbs up. It is an all steel construction with very reliable jaws. The rotation feature on this vise wears in over time and becomes as smooth as a stream in the spring. A big draw to this vise is the pricing and what you get. It is a very reasonable $85 dollars and comes with both a pedastal and c-clamp. A con to this vise/company is it doesnt have any attachments available - you will have to rely on other companies attachments (almost a non-issue). Also, the stem of this vise might be less than stellar to use with the c-clamp but it all comes down to preferance.

 

Thompson

Ask anyone who tied 20-30 years ago and they will tell you that they tied on this vise. Although the original D.H. Thompson went out of business a while back, there are still vises out there. As the old adage goes, "it ages like fine wine". It is the most standard of non-rotary vises but that does not detract from its performance, a solid vise - built like a tank. It is said however, that the jaws on this vise have an inward camber, which means there is a gap in the back portion and a tighter fit in the front of the jaws. The Thompson Cobra is the true rotary version, which has been noted that the jaws have a tendancy to literally explode. Key Vises: Model A, Pro, Cobra.

 

I hope this helps in guiding you toward the right vise for you. That being said, if you have been reading,THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD VISE. All you need to do is just find the vise that fits your tying needs which means you will need to try the vise out for yourself.

 

Of course, there are hundreds and hundreds of vises out there so please be patient while I take the time and give a breif discription of each. If a vise is missing, there is a 99% that I will put it up

[TitanFlies 0]

I'm going for a sticky on this one.

[smallieFanatic 0]

Fantastic stuff Blake

[TitanFlies 0]

Fantastic stuff Blake

fix'd

[JSzymczyk 0]

you neglected Peak.

 

True rotary, $150, made in USA, all stainless and brass, "BEST" c-clamp of any vise, all the accessories including midge and saltwater jaws, great customer service, BULLETPROOF.

 

you also left out the 720. I don't know anything about it though.

[TitanFlies 0]

you neglected Peak.

 

True rotary, $150, made in USA, all stainless and brass, "BEST" c-clamp of any vise, all the accessories including midge and saltwater jaws, great customer service, BULLETPROOF.

 

you also left out the 720. I don't know anything about it though.

I'll add that.

[utyer 0]

Very good post, but you left out many brands. You covered the top 3 or 4 brands, but didn't mention the Nor-Vise, a true rotary, or the LAW vise. You also left out the Swiss vise developed by Marc Petitjean, The J Vise from Wasatch Angling, and the C & F Design vise; all are also true rotary vises. The Peak vise was also not mentioned. Each of these vises are top quality tools, and some have unique features not found in other vises.

[TitanFlies 0]

Very good post, but you left out many brands. You covered the top 3 or 4 brands, but didn't mention the Nor-Vise, a true rotary, or the LAW vise. You also left out the Swiss vise developed by Marc Petitjean, The J Vise from Wasatch Angling, and the C & F Design vise; all are also true rotary vises. The Peak vise was also not mentioned. Each of these vises are top quality tools, and some have unique features not found in other vises.

And you're absolutley right! This is more or less a post in progress, more is on the way, will probably get back to it after Thanksgiving.

[Old Hat 0]

A good start for sure. But there are also still vises out there that are neither rotary or true rotary.

[smallieFanatic 0]

I know you can't cover em all, but I think the Anvil Atlas (vrs. the Anvil Apex) is a noteworthy TRUE rotary.

Anvil does sell a Bobbin rest for their vises though.

 

Also the Anvil Apex can be used as a true rotary by simply leveling the head.

 

 

I can see you put in ALOT of work in this and it is great, I am sure it will be a big help to many newbees seeking vise advise

[Old Hat 0]

A good start for sure. But there are also still vises out there that are neither rotary or true rotary. I use the Regal and will add a couple features you missed. The jaws of the vise can be not only rotated but can be quickly lowered or raised to the tyers preference or utility which can allow it to operate as a true rotary when parallel to the table and inline with the hook shank. Also the jaws can be quickly removed and replaced to better view the fly or other utilities without removing the hook from the vise.

[KevCompton 0]

Here is another helpful guide:

 

http://www.flyfisherman.com/content/best-vises/4

 

The authors evaluate several vises across various price ranges.

[Horseshoes 0]

TitanFlies great thread. I thought I had a problem with my HMH. The problem was mine, found my manual to reset to standards and now works beautifully. Tip: Keep your manual near by, over time you may need to disassemble to clean and reset ( kind of like a tune up for your car). Now it is the fine classic I first purchased.

[flytire 0]

another guide

 

http://www.flyfishohio.com/Vise%20Review%2...e_Shoot-Out.htm

 

dont forget the thompsom cobra, voseller, spearhead

[Wayne P 0]

I don't think you give HMH the credit for it's rotary features. You seem to have it in the same class as the Dyna King Squire, which to my knowledge does not have a tilt-able head. The HMH head can be tilted to a level position and then you can use it like a rotary vise. Yes the hook bobs up and down some, but it does do rotary and you can use rotary techniques with it.