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Deer Hair Razor Blade Tool

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I'm not sold, I do a lot of stacked bugs and during the carve I am continuously flexing the blade. So much of it has to do with the " feel" as you trim.

 

There you have it , the "feel" is very important! I have done a fair amount with deer hair, I might add that i do plenty of trimming with the corner of the blade, so I adjust angles and blade use as I go

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I'm not sold, I do a lot of stacked bugs and during the carve I am continuously flexing the blade. So much of it has to do with the " feel" as you trim.

 

There you have it , the "feel" is very important! I have done a fair amount with deer hair, I might add that i do plenty of trimming with the corner of the blade, so I adjust angles and blade use as I go

 

 

I also use the heck out of the corners/ends of the blades.

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Cream is the only one I've seen who does stacked or spun deer hair flies on the size 10 hook.

I'd lay odds against that tool being able to bend the blade that far, but then, I don't think Cream bends his anyway. I do know they'll snap if you fold them too far.

 

Mike is correct, I almost never bend the blade. At least not much.

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I was guessing, based on the some of the flies displaying a little more squared surfaces.

I am pretty good at observation .... if I could just find my laptop ...

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Ah, now I see it, that's a pretty neat gadget. As long as the blade doesn't spring out if you bend it too far, it looks to be a handy tool.

 

 

Mike - you said what I was thinking. It's a great concept and I love the look... but some how it looks like it could be a fantastic blade launcher! That said, if I stumbled into one in person I'd likely buy it to try. My go to trick has been "cautiously" breaking them in half the long way with needlenose pliers, then putting painting tape on the broken side. It works, but they are still SCARY to use!

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I don't do enough hair trimming to justify a special tool. I avoid spun deer hair bugs if I can. Hate tying a fly where the waste pile is bigger than the bug. A while back I made a pill bottle blade holder, and while it works fine, I was thinking about making something that would allow me to change the curve in the blade. So I McGivered this little holder from a couple of piece of scrap plastic from a hook box, and some masking tape.

 

I can bend the blade to where the ends are 3/4 of an inch apart, and then work with the blade almost flat the next cut. Cost .05 cents worth of masking tape. It will do for all the deer hair bugs I ever make.

 

 

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Okay, quick background. 24 year old nephew rolls his truck falling asleep on way to work. No seatbelt (why when you're indestructable at that age), throw from truck, serious brain damage. Will never be quite the same again. Was big in both fishing and hunting. After a year of recovery and meds to control shaking he's learning fly tying and I'm helping him as much as I can. Okay, that's background.

 

Bo comes over the other day with some a bobbin with heavy thread and some deer body hair. "How do I tie a Muddler?" We sit down at bench and I go through basic process with him matching feathers for tail and wings. He says he's seen them with just marabou in the back and he thinks he can tie that one easier. Okay so after doing a couple of spun heads and trimming with bent half/straight razor he was going to try. Nope, Too shaky and can't grab a sing blade with two hands. So I ordered a couple of the razor holders to give them a try. Haven't got together with him yet to see if he can handle it okay but I'm sold on it. Not only does it nice bend to shape you want it gives you great control. I also found using it flat and shaving my wings off Mallard feathers for Classic worked fantastic. Beautiful clean cut and by cutting exactly to the same spot on the blade, bottom of the "y" in this case, I was able to match side to side almost perfectly in width. I'm sold. Product testimonials are only as good as the person testifying and I don't recommend unless it meets the standards it claims.

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Looks like a good tool even if it saves me from one cut finger. I plan on tying some deer head streamers in the next few weeks. So I ordered one in red delrin.

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Idaho, looks like the couple guys doing that in their workshop managed to find a good market in Hareline. Good for them and their ingenuity.

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Maybe that is why I could never get in contact via the phone # to buy one! Hareline has the inside track on all they can produce?

 

Rocco

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OK I finally got around to putting this tool through it's paces. In a nutshell I like it. Been trimming deer hair flies for 30 years with a razor blade in my hand so it's a little different and you got to get used to it but it works and serves a purpose. It works well for shaping a tapered body But I still held a blade on my hand.

I'll probably buy one or two more just because my grandpa always told me if you find something that works and you like it you better by two or three more because they will quit making it.

 

It's a quality tool that works. But if you grew up tying using a razor blade in your hand you might find it awkward at first.

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My luck ... I'd try sliding that tube up, to bend the blade, and it would slip.

I'd cut my finger tip off as my hand passed by the rear edge.

I'd flip the holder out of my hand grabbing for my finger tip and hit my head on the over head lamp.

The lamp would spin forward and the bulb would break, showering sparks and hot filament pieces down onto tying materials.

The materials would ignite as I, now partially unconscious, continue falling forward.

About that time, the holder would have contacted the floor and sprung open, flipping the razor back up where it would slice through my carotid artery.

The materials have now blazed up in an uncontrollable flame as I crumple to the ground, bleeding out from my neck and finger tip.

 

And the fly never did get finished.

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Mike

You're a funny man.

The blade pops in there real easy & it's not going to come flinging out like a frisbee

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