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Piker20

hair stackers

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Looking at a new stacker, couple of questions over choosing the new one.

 

First, will using a wide stacker with small bundles of hair mean it doesn't work properly?

The C&F Design 2-In-1 Hair Stacker states Double tube design adjusts to the amount and type of hair. Anyone got one and if so can they expand on that statement a little?

 

Also is there an advantage to the closed style over the open style?

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Up to a point, at least in my personal experience, the amount of hair and the size of the tube does not make a difference. That point I reference is that if I am going to stack a very small amount of hair, I stack it against the 'ball' of my thumb on my off hand, as it is much faster than worrying with a stacker.

 

With respect to the C and F Design hair stacker, I see nothing about it that would justify the price. (Talk about sticker shock!) As far as needing a different tube for 'various hair quality', IMHO this is total nonsense. I have stacked whitetail, Mule, and Blacktail (Coastal)deer hair, elk (cow, bull, calf), caribou and prong horned antelope hair with mine and have never seen the need for anything different. (Have never tried to stack moose.) I have the Renzetti double ended stackers, both the standard and the small one, and use them for everything except when I am spinning/stacking deer hair on hooks size 1 and larger. I have a much larger stacker that I use when tying such bugs, as the largest tube for my Renzetti will not accept the size of hair bundle that I use. As to the silencing pad on the bottom, one can do the same thing by simply gluing a foam pad to the bottom of the stacker.

 

Our club has a very simple, and inexpensive, aluminum bodied and flared tube hair stacker in the tying tool kits we provide for our students, which have proven over the years (35+) to be more than adequate. The students use them quite successfully to stack small bunches of hair for tying the Elk Hair caddis, as well as large bundles for both spinning and stacking of deer hair.

 

I have seen, but not tried, the 'closed' type.

 

Cheers!

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I like using a small stacker for very small amounts of hair or very fine hair. That said, if you use a large stacker with a small amount of hair, just tip the stacker on an angle and give it a few taps. That will gather the hair on one side and keep it aligned.

 

It's been many years since I used a closed stacker. With that stacker you loaded the hair butt ends first. That made it a little easier to load a bundle of hair with widely spread tips.

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I have used old rod ferrules, copper tubing, glass test tubes, and they all worked out just fine. There is no reason anyone NEEDS a $60.00 hair stacker. SOME people will WANT one, and I am sure some people will buy them. We shouldn't encourage this kind of overkill. Most of the simple stackers under $10.00 will do a fine job, and for the same price as a single C & F stacker you could have up to a dozen. J Stockard (among others)has excellent stackers starting well under $5.00, and all three Dr Slick Stackers would be less than $39.00.

 

Tungsten scissor, or Ice tempered scisser cost less than half what those C & F stackers cost, and you will use them a LOT more of the time. Do yourself a favor,save your money, buy a set of inexpensive stackers. My main stacker is Aluminum, closed end, cost about $5.00 and is over 40 years old, still works fine.

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Cheers for the replies. Didn't think I was missing out with my simple aluminum stacker but worth checking.

 

Utyer, agree with the C&F sentiment.

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If you want a stacker for small amounts of hair use a 22 cliber shell casing. I used to know a commercial tyer that had a set up of 5 dozen shells he would use as stackers when tying elk hair caddis.

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this one works with all kinds of hair

 

shoehorn_stacker.gif

What is it ? Looks good ! milo3

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this one works with all kinds of hair

 

shoehorn_stacker.gif

What is it ? Looks good ! milo3

??? I was wondering too. It looks like a shoe horn.

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this one works with all kinds of hair

 

shoehorn_stacker.gif

 

Its called a "Hair Evener". My question though is where can I get one? I've been looking for one for years.

 

Frequently I need to stack a lot of buck tail, often several mixed colours. I usually do salmon fly wings in lots of a dozen at a time. and stacking them all individually just takes too long. One of those would be ideal, Rough stack in my big stacker then pull out what I need for one fly, and give it a final stack in that.

 

Cheers,

C.

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ok guys its time I pass on a bit of info that was passed on to me from Bigdaddyhubbard that got the info from Floyd you don't need any stacker at all you only need a tube put the hair in the tube then turn the tips towards your hand and make small circles with the hair tips on your hand the static electricity sucks the hair into perfect allignment after learning this trick I haven't used a stacker since

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this one works with all kinds of hair

 

shoehorn_stacker.gif

 

Its called a "Hair Evener". My question though is where can I get one? I've been looking for one for years.

 

Frequently I need to stack a lot of buck tail, often several mixed colours. I usually do salmon fly wings in lots of a dozen at a time. and stacking them all individually just takes too long. One of those would be ideal, Rough stack in my big stacker then pull out what I need for one fly, and give it a final stack in that.

 

Cheers,

C.

 

You can get one here (scroll down the page to see the listing) http://smbobbin.com/Other_Products.html or on eBay, here http://www.ebay.com/itm/fly-tying-tool-S-M-HAIR-EVENER-hair-stacker-MADE-USA-combine-shipping-/370624961436

 

Regards,

Mark

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Screw all those high dollar stackers...$2 for this one...and maybe 15 minutes... :lol:

stacker001.jpg

Murray

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this one works with all kinds of hair

 

shoehorn_stacker.gif

 

Its called a "Hair Evener". My question though is where can I get one? I've been looking for one for years.

 

Frequently I need to stack a lot of buck tail, often several mixed colours. I usually do salmon fly wings in lots of a dozen at a time. and stacking them all individually just takes too long. One of those would be ideal, Rough stack in my big stacker then pull out what I need for one fly, and give it a final stack in that.

 

Cheers,

C.

 

I think the original was made from a tobacco tin. Do you have Prince Albert in a can?

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I use an aluminum stacker, and my favorite is a round wooden case for sewing machine needles back in the 60s or earlier, belonged to my mom...it's the right size and has a certain cache' that I like.

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