hmh trv review

[Bazzer69 0]

All reviews are subjective. You won't find an objective review of any vise. There were some fairly early ngative reviews of the CAE early on, possibly because it was a poor copy of a LAW vise. Maybe they've cleared those complaints up by now.

Well, Im not sure if my observations of the CAE vise count for anything, but I have been tying since the sixties on a variety of vises and this is the one I have liked the most. At the moment I cannot fault it, other than the price, it equal, if not better due to the tungsten carbide insert in the jaws, than the LAW that I was given to try for a while.

I liked the TRV if only it didnt have a couple of glaring problems, one of which has since been fixed. I think it was released a bit early and not fully developed. But I object to having pay full price to be a beta tester. Is the CAE or the Pro Vise or the LAW any better than the TRV? Thats purely subjective and the TRV is the cheapest of the bunch. Add a decent 4lb base from eBay and youve got a very good tool.

I might add Ive got a $50 Regal knock off from eBay and the flies I tie on that are every bit as good as my CAE, however its not so easy or nice to tie on, particularly with smaller flies

Barry

[DrLogik 0]

Just remember that some of the finest most beautiful dry flies ever tied by an American were tied by Reuben Cross in the 1930's on a jeweler's vise clamped in a small bench vise. For a time that was his production vise because he lost his real one in a poker game when he had been drinking...or so the story goes. He tied flies to put food on the table. That was his occupation.

 

Notice the lack of "essential" tools? No bobbin, no bobbin holder, no thread clamp, no fancy tools...

 

His book, "Tying American Trout Lures" is what got me started when I was a young kid back in the 1970's.

 

Here's a good look at his "vise" at the time and Cross tying at the bench.

 

 

[mikechell 0]

on a jeweler's vise clamped in a small bench vise.

Notice the lack of "essential" tools? No bobbin, no bobbin holder, no thread clamp, no fancy tools...

 

 

Oh, I know ... and I used to walk up hill both ways through 4 feet of snow barefoot 9 months out of the year to school.

 

Just because THEY did it without the tools we have today ... does NOT make it something to be nostalgic about.

I used to shovel coal into our heater in the basement every day. Now I just adjust the control on the wall.

[DrLogik 0]

Snicker, snicker.....yeah, we have it good today. Especially hackles! They had no idea what hackles would become 80 years later....

 

They would sell their granny to get a Whiting or Collins neck that we buy today.

 

 

You might get a kick out of this. I saw as signature on another fly fishing forum this evening (in the UK) and it said:

 

20 years ago we had Johnny Cash, Bob Hope and Steve Jobs. Now we have no cash, no hope and no jobs. God, please don't take Kevin Bacon from us!

 

 

I thought that was quite clever.

[mikechell 0]

If all else of the "civilized" world should crumble, if bacon survives ... I'll be okay !!!

[xvigauge 0]

Lee Wulff used to tie flies with no vice; just his hands holding the hook.

Joe

[DrLogik 0]

I have this on DVD but it's also on YouTube. Check the 16:20 mark. Lee Wulff ties a streamer in his fingers. He used to fly that little plane up in to far reaches in Canada by himself and fish lakes that were hundreds of miles from any town. Quite an amazing man. That takes real guts.

 

https://youtu.be/TwK0gYTzRz4

 

I know this is a bit off topic but here's another of Lee fishing wife Joan. Joan was a world champion caster who often times beat the best male casters in the day to win championships. YouTube has some good videos of her giving casting instruction. She's one of the best casters ever. Even in her 80's she can outcast 99% of fly fishermen. I personally witnessed her empty an entire reel of line with 30 feet of backing showing in just two double-hauls. She made it look easy....

 

https://youtu.be/aqUCBoktzuA

[Mike West 0]

I actually got to watch him do that at the Long Beach casting club....1968-1969 I think?

[Gene L 0]

Bob Jacklin says Lee Wulff held the hook by the eye rather than the bend. I tried it but neither way worked for me. Jacklin says Lee also was the first to use deer hair in flies.

[DFoster 0]

Bob Jacklin says Lee Wulff held the hook by the eye rather than the bend. I tried it but neither way worked for me. Jacklin says Lee also was the first to use deer hair in flies.

One of the pro tiers at the Marlborough show said he watched Lee tie back in the 70's and that he actually had "strange looking" flat callouses on his index finger and thumb from years of holding hooks-

[johnnyquahog 0]

and to further hijack this thread;

 

I have never used a vise; I have never seen anyone tie a fly and noone has ever seen me tie one. I have never read or had any fly tying instructions. Said by Carrie Stevens in a letter to Jospeh Bates. The words of a trailblazer. How fortunate we are to reap the benefits of a road paved by innovators before us, such as Mrs. Stevens.

[Baiter 0]

Thanks to everyone that contributed. I am eyeing one of these. Please continue to share your experiences with this vice

[SalarMan 0]

I'm new to this forum, so please forgive me if I missed something about this vise...but I have just one question.

Will the vise hold all of the hook sizes I hear about in the Gunnar Brammer's video? I need it to hold 5/0 salmon hooks for my classic salmon flies. According to the folks at HMH the vise maxes out at 2/0...yet the video say something else.

Any experience in this area that will help?

[DFoster 0]

Welcome, I haven't  needed to tie anything bigger than a #2 on mine so I can't say.  They guy you need to ask is Mark Knapp who's on this thread. He ties for the salt and I'm sure he will know.    About the TRV-  after a year and a half I have zero complaints, it functions exactly as the video claims.  I did order a taller stem from HMH for mine ($23) to raise it up a little.  The rotary action is butter smooth.  I tied from #20s up #2s and as long as you place the hook in the jaws properly the vise will hold tight enough to bend them as demonstrated in the video.   

[SalarMan 0]

19 minutes ago, DFoster said:

Welcome, I haven't  needed to tie anything bigger than a #2 on mine so I can't say.  They guy you need to ask is Mark Knapp who's on this thread. He ties for the salt and I'm sure he will know.    About the TRV-  after a year and a half I have zero complaints, it functions exactly as the video claims.  I did order a taller stem from HMH for mine ($23) to raise it up a little.  The rotary action is butter smooth.  I tied from #20s up #2s and as long as you place the hook in the jaws properly the vise will hold tight enough to bend them as demonstrated in the video.   

Thanks for your input DFoster. I've actually owned 2 TRV's in the past. The first one would handle hooks up to 8/0...but hold nothing smaller than a #8. The second one held the small stuff, but I couldn't get a 2/0 into the jaws. I guess I need to get my hands on Gunnar's vise - LOL

I loved tying on that vise, but I was and still am  hoping for something more versatile when it comes to hook sizes. Jon L. at HMH and I have communicated about this in the past, and I suppose we will again. We shall see.

George