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hmh trv review

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10 hours ago, Bazzer69 said:

Trouble with three? The Regals are excellent vises until you don’t put the hook full in the jaws then the hook gets fired across the room like a lemon pit.  The TRV I’ve already listed my dislikes about it. Mine was one of the first batch, maybe they’ve cured my issues. I loved the Renzetti but I’ve always fancied a LAW which I could not afford so I ended up buying a CAE which I’m essentially happy with apart from a sticky rotary action. So you see Was happy with all except the TRV that’s one in my book  I started the thread with my views in the TRV.  Yours, and others might have completely differs view and that’s good in my book  I was just trying to be helpful  

Barry

 

I think that if you don't put the hook in correctly on any vise the hook may get spit out, and the jaws may chip at the ends. I personally would call that "User error" and not blame the vise for that. I have about a dozen vises but I have only used four of them extensively, the Regal and the HMH among them. I would have to check on the others to remember for sure. I like the HMH more than the others at this time in my life but I don't dislike any of them and have not had any problems with any of them.

Maybe I have been lucky or maybe it is just me. I tend to be more optimistic about things in general.

Also, I have been in the small-scale manufacturing business, and the business of customer support/happiness my whole adult life. I know what it's like to be on the supply side of things. I know that you can't make everybody happy all of the time and every once in a while you run into some one that isn't happy with anything (like 1 percent). We call them (as politely as we can, a persnickety customer, or "highly discriminating") We do what we can for them but they kind of live in their' own misery.

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7 hours ago, DFoster said:

Hi there Mark- I figured you were out fishing or something, I knew you could answer George's questions.  Anyway if memory serves we both got our TRVs about the same time (Decemberish 2018?).  I ordered mine from straight from Jon Larabee over the phone.  At the time I asked him if there was a nearby dealer with one so that I could see it in person.  He said they were all being made to order.  There was no reason a dealer couldn't call an order in to have one on the shelf if they chose too but the TRV wasn't being sent out to dealers by the dozen for stock like the HMH Standards or Spartans. 

Dean

 

I was out fishing, had a great time, but that's another story.

Yes, we bought our vises at about the same time.  You are correct, I know the vises weren't widely available in shops, certainly not in Alaska, still, not hard to get.

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On 6/29/2020 at 2:41 AM, mikechell said:

😄 ... figure of speech.  People interchange "Need" and "Want" indiscriminately.  Most people in the developed world have NO idea what "need" really is.  For all you young people, save some money, use it to go to a third world Country for a week.  I don't mean a tourist destination.  I mean, something like Monrovia, Liberia.

 

Georgetown, Guyana ...

 

Then you'll see what "need" really means.

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread, but "need vs. want" is a pet peeve of mine.

I think that was exactly his point. We understand the difference between "need" and "want" but, we don't "need" to tie flies at all so everything after that is a want. So his question is a valid one, what does "need" have to do with it. All of us here have graduated way past needs into wants. It's for us each to figure out for ourselves to what level our wants go.

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1 hour ago, Mark Knapp said:

... I have about a dozen vises .....

Maybe I have been lucky or maybe it is just me. I tend to be more optimistic about things in general.

 

You have all the cool stuff. 😁  I'm an optimist too. Beats the other hands down. 

“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” Maya Angelou

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48 minutes ago, Sandan said:

You have all the cool stuff. 😁  I'm an optimist too. Beats the other hands down. 

“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” Maya Angelou

Most of my vises are the older classics like Herters, Thompsons and Universals but some of them are quality modern vises.

I'm happier when I'm happier and I find that I can control that myself

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15 minutes ago, Mark Knapp said:

Most of my vises are the older classics like Herters, Thompsons and Universals but some of them are quality modern vises.

I'm happier when I'm happier and I find that I can control that myself

Still it's cool stuff.  Agreed on the second sentence!

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Regarding the TRV and bigger hooks, I tied a size 2 popper last night.  I was curious as to the holding power on this size hook, the biggest hook I have and the first time I've used such an iron.  It held fine; found the groove.  Later, I took a bare hook, locked it in, and horsed it down just to see.  It could bend the hook without giving.

So for my use, it works fine.  I wouldn't know a salmon size hook if I sat on one and will never tie a saltwater hook. 

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The size 2 is fine...my previous TRV's did that with no problem. It's the 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 sizes that were the issue despite what the HMH video says. However I will stand by my earlier statement that the TRV was the best platform I've ever tied on...bar none!!!

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I have had no problem with my TRV up to 9/0. 11/0 however was a little trouble. Of course this all depends on the wire size used on those hooks, and the curvature of the bends in the hooks since, at that size, you must use the grooves and they need to match the bends in the hooks fairly closely.

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@markknap

Mark I don’t doubt what you are saying but  10/0 is a awfully big hook I didn’t use anything that big fishing for tuna on my past boat out of Carbo, how about a picture? 
 

if my TRV matched what you and others have discovered, mine was one of the first, I imagine I would still be tying on it today. However my  LAW ( CAE copy ) is so good I’m pleased I did return it. I can only afford one expensive vise at a time. 
im getting my camera set up and I’ll post some pictures soon. 
Barry

ps, yes, I’m a grumpy old guide, but I only write about something I’ve had experience with. 

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2 minutes ago, Bazzer69 said:

@markknap

Mark I don’t doubt what you are saying but  10/0 is a awfully big hook I didn’t use anything that big fishing for tuna on my past boat out of Carbo, how about a picture? 
 

if my TRV matched what you and others have discovered, mine was one of the first, I imagine I would still be tying on it today. However my  LAW ( CAE copy ) is so good I’m pleased I did return it. I can only afford one expensive vise at a time. 
im getting my camera set up and I’ll post some pictures soon. 
Barry

ps, yes, I’m a grumpy old guide, but I only write about something I’ve had experience with. 

I've tied something between 50 and a hundred flies with 6/0 to 11/0 hooks with my TRV and posted lots of pictures of them (you know me), even posted an SBS or two. I will look them up and post them again when I get a chance.

You can be grumpy if you want, I still enjoy talking to you.

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22 minutes ago, Bazzer69 said:

@markknap

Mark I don’t doubt what you are saying but  10/0 is a awfully big hook I didn’t use anything that big fishing for tuna on my past boat out of Carbo, how about a picture? 
 

if my TRV matched what you and others have discovered, mine was one of the first, I imagine I would still be tying on it today. However my  LAW ( CAE copy ) is so good I’m pleased I did return it. I can only afford one expensive vise at a time. 
im getting my camera set up and I’ll post some pictures soon. 
Barry

ps, yes, I’m a grumpy old guide, but I only write about something I’ve had experience with. 

 

Here's a link to the last SBS I did using a 9/0 Owner hook.

Here's another

 

FWIW, I too am a guide though I have slowed down in that regard in the last few years. I prefer to fish for myself more now. I became a registered big game guide in 1989 and still hold that license. In Alaska it's common to guide fisherman during their big game hunts. I have also held fishing guide licenses for most of that time. I'd have to check but I think it lapsed after the last year I took fisherman (and women) for hire three years ago. I stopped doing that when I found I wasn't having as much fun at it any more. I know that I am a happier person now that I just fish for myself with friends.

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I have to conclude there must have been some quality control issues with the early TRVs, which is a shame.  When the vise was introduced I spoke to some pro tiers who said they had trouble with hook holding and others that did not.  At this years show the each pro using the vise loved it.  I personally have had no problems with size 22's through 2.  That said I am careful to place the hook correctly as recommended by HMH.  Perhaps some are placing the hooks too close to the jaw tips?  

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Here's an Owner 9/0 hook in the vise, in the middle groove.

DSCF5489-X3.jpg

Here's a top view.

DSCF5490-X3.jpg

Here's the 9/0 Owner with pressure applied to the eye to show how firmly the hook is held. The hook doesn't move.

DSCF5497-X3.jpg

Here's an 11/0 Owner in the end groove, it won't go in the middle groove like the 9/0 did. It isn't held as firmly as the 9/0 and I am quite sure I can't pull down on it like I did the 9/0, but I can still tie flies on them all day long with no problem.

DSCF5492-X3.jpg

Here's another hook that I tie a lot with, I bought them in bulk and don't have the lable but as you can see it's a huge hook. It has a 1 inch gap, just like the 11/0 Owner hook.

DSCF5491-X3.jpg

Here's a close-up of the jaws. I am sure I have tied over 2000 flies on it from size 16 to 11/0 and posted an example of each of the flies on this site. As you can see, the jaws are as crisp and sharp as the day I bought the vise. I'm pretty sure the early problems with the vise have been fixed, cuz I haven't had any.

DSCF5494-X3.jpg

 

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