Gene L

This was my first good vise after the Thompson A. I've moved on but miss the Patriot. If you have one you're willing to sell, let me know.

Agree with Heff2. I think the "wire" is the hook wire and he's suggesting covering the gap in the eye. As Heff2 said, it's not much of a problem with new hooks. The eye of the hook is the most difficult part of hook making.

Can't get there unless you're a member.

They have them twice a year at the conference center, I think it's called. It's off Satellite Blvd.

Thanks.

Where do you find poly yarn so thick you need to separate the thread? Or is everyone tying very small flies?

I think it's a Barred Rock chicken. I don't know the difference tween Barred Rock, Dominiker and Grizzley. I think Griz is just a pattern off one of the two gray barred chickens and not a breed. Bob Jaklin said BR but the modern term is called grizzly. When I was a kid we had Dominiker chickens in the yard. They were hardy chickens and avoided the typical chicken-killers like weasels.

Is it a draw collet or a push collet vise?

I was contacted recently as an ordinary man to endorse a product. They wouldn't pay me in cash, but promised me sex with a Victoria's Secret model. It was tempting but I remained strong. As strong as Ajax, the foaming cleanser that will leave your bathroom clean and shiny.

I'd say you were lucky. I ordered some stuff from him based on a couple of good reviews amongst all the bad and that was the last I heard of him. I can't remember if I paid for it and it wasn't delivered, but I think that was the case. He does have an excellent website, though.

Those bushes must be for saltwater? They are huge, or appear to be.

I had a tool for making brushes but donated it to TU. When I was making brushes, I used fine copper wire. I was given a quarter pound of this very fine wire and I'd spin the brush until the wire broke. I doubt the X Small wire you get for fly tying is as fine as this, but I use it for dry flies that need a bit of strength. It's too fine for creating segments on the fly's body.

I use a Peak base; it's heavy and works well.

I got rid of my TRV and agree it's an excellent vise. My carpal tunnel was exercised when torquing it down. I had a Master Vise and sold it long ago for some reason. That was a mistake. I now have a 4000, which is also a very good vise. I suffer from the same VAD illness. I had also a Traveller, which had a light-mass base. I solved that defect by gluing the base to the desk. Caused problems later but fixed the problem for the short term.

I saw one at the Fly Show I went to Friday. It looked OK, but was a bit cheesy. Light weight, mostly aluminum looked like. I didn't look at it all that closely, nor the original Nirvana so I don't have a comparison. It's a small vise.