Question about A.K. Best

[Jacks Grampa 0]

Did A.K. ever get his tying tools business off the ground? I remember his adds in Flyfisherman magazine but never saw them in catalogs.

Edited April 26, 2020 by Jacks Grampa
typo

[redietz 0]

I own an A.K. Best vise.  The design is great, except the jaws are made of a metal too soft to really hold a hook very well, and the word got out.  I think he probably lost a bundle in the venture.

[Jacks Grampa 0]

After I posted I checked ebay and found a pair of tweezers of his. His facebook page hasn't been active in 3 years but at that time he was in Bozeman MT. Sorry about the vise.

[johnnyquahog 0]

On the off chance that you are interested,  you can purchase flies tied by A.K. at southcreekltd dot com. You can mix them up but you need to purchase at least a dozen.  I got a bunch several years ago. The cost is reasonable considering they are tied by a master and advocate of the craft. 

 

[DarrellP 0]

They are amazing flies.  I didn't realize that he was in MT.

[petelangevin 0]

I have a pair of his squeeze snips which are wiss just in green with his logo,  have served me well for 25 years.   And the blades are replacable/able to be sharpened.   Definitely worth whatever i paid in 1995

[DrLogik 0]

I had heard that his vise had some issues as well; however, his hair stackers are excellent!  I have the large and small versions.

 

 

[petelangevin 0]

Some guy on ebay is trying to get rich on RARE ak best tying tools,   1500 for two hair stackers and 1 set of tweezers.    Good luck to him.

[Jacks Grampa 0]

I saw the tweezers for a bargain of only $499.99. I read everything he wrote and learned a lot. I remember him writing that he doesn't really have a pattern down until he's tied a hundred dozen.

[DrLogik 0]

Quote

1500 for two hair stackers and 1 set of tweezers. 

That's nuts!  I mean they are well made but they are just hair stackers.