What do you use a second vise for?

[Landon P 0]

I've seen some people who have 2 vises on there fly tying bench. What is the use of having 2? Wish I didnt have to make a topic for this since is isnt really a big question. 

[dflanagan 0]

I have a second vise...actually it’s the one I started with. I keep it around in case any of the kids ever want to learn to tie. I’m losing hope in the boys ever taking interest but there’s hope for my daughter. She’s the outdoorsy one. 

[vicente 0]

I can't think of any reason to have 2 unless maybe I was tying a bunch of the same pattern, could go through the same steps at the same time to cut down on switching materials.

[cphubert 0]

Landon I have two my Nor-Vise with a tread post and my Dyna-King Pro with a old herters tread/tool post. True can only use one at a time some patterns I like the Dyna-King but I use the Nor-Vise system with the thread post most of the time. I learned to tie in stages that was the way the old timers I hung around with when I was a kid tied, they all tied commercially and for the most part I didn't know better at the time so when I tie I usually tie half dozen/dozen of the same pattern store what I'm not putting in my fly box goes in bins. If I am only tying one of a pattern or taking my sweet time playing & experimenting or traveling I take or use the Dyna-King. Just personal preference.  

[Landon P 0]

Thank you all! That makes sense. I might have to try that sometime! 

[bdngrd 0]

I have a second vise that I pack when I am traveling. It is simple and lightweight. 

[Dave G. 0]

It's not about need but desire. I can do everything on my old India made vise, it was my main vise for decades, still functions, still resides in my case, still goes to Maine with me on every trip.. It together with an HMH tube fly adapter I can tie any fly I use at home or away. But I desired and chose to buy an HMH tube fly vise thinking I was getting into tubes that deeply and since I had a gift certificate for pretty close to the cost of one for Bears Den, I bought it.. Since I liked both the pedestal and over all quality of the HMH vise I also bought an HMH Spartan  about a year later and those two vises stay set up at home.

[flytire 0]

one for right handed and one for left handed flies

[cphubert 0]

never tied a right handed fly

[petelangevin 0]

Landon i have had multiple vises on my bench for years,   Right now i only have two,  my original and my Nor-vise.   I use the old one to hold flies i am duplicating or i use it to prop up something to block the mess on my bench when trying to take a picture.   

 

 

[Poopdeck 0]

Variety is the spice of life. I have 3 vises on my bench and a travel vise in my travel bag. My main vise is a Griffin I inherited from my dad along with a portable tying desk he cobbled together. I have a pettigean fly master (I think that's what it's called) that I bought in the 70's to tie bucktails. I also have a hemostat vise that I patterned off of a video I saw of a Japenese fly Tier using one. My travel vise is a regal medallion auction steal that I paid $22.50 for. I also have a pair of vise grips I welded to a rod and a c-clamp but that is currently being used by a friend for bucktails.

I use each and every one of the vises depending on my mood and what I am tying. The Griffin is my main vise and I use it because it keeps the memories fresh of my father tying behind his cobbled together tying desk. He tied flies but a woodworker he was not. The hemos I use for really small stuff and just because it's cool. My original vise is still used for SW bucktails.

I will also use them to hold things while glue or paint or something is drying.  

[utyer 0]

I have only five now.  Sent one to Afghanistan about 8 years ago, and gifted two others to my niece and nephew, one to a friend, and one to a group teaching kids to tie.  That cleaned out my old Thompson vises, and one Regal.  Now I have 2 streamside small vises which hardly ever get used, but they are handy at times.  My primary vise is my Nor-vise system with two different jaws.  I never got the bigger Saltwater Jaws, so I have two vises for larger Saltwater patterns.  A Dyna-king Sidewinder (no longer made,) and a newer Regal, that is my travel vise.  

[mikechell 0]

I have 18 vises.  I only use one, but I put all the others on my bench to take pictures.  Makes me look more professional.  🤪

Actually, I only have two vises, and they are NEVER on my bench at the same time.  One is my home vise, the other is my travel vise.  All my time "up North" during the dealer training season, I have the vise to spend time in the hotel doing something other than dreading the next time I have to go outside in the cold weather.

[RickZieger 0]

I have a second vice so when I tie flies like this one with a krystal flash wing I can leave it on the fly on the second vice until I am ready to tie the wing on the next one. 

Also if I am putting a drop of resin on a wing case I can do two at a time. 

Rick 

[Jaydub 0]

There are a very few patterns that are easier to tie using two vises. The MOAL Leech comes to mind. It is tied on a braided line between a shank at the front and a trailing hook at the rear. It's easier to tie with the eye of the shank in one vise and the trailing hook in another vise with the braid stretched out in between.

For everyday tying, I have two vises that I use. 90% of the time I tie on a Regal. I learned to tie with my left hand resting on the slope of the vise head. The heel of my hand is below hook level allowing my thumb and index finger to be parallel to the hook shank. For me this position is more comfortable and efficient. Very few rotary vises have enough room behind the vise head to allow this. Rotary vises have some distinct advantages for certain operations. So I have a Peak that I use on some patterns. 

Then I have a small collection of vises just because they are interesting.