grumpah

Well, I've done it! Made my choice and made the purchase. Hopefully my new HMH Standard vise with bobbin rest, Omni Jaw, Mag Jaw and tube fly conversion kit is now on its way to sunny Queensland. After weighing up the pros & cons of all vises and taking into account the very helpful advice offered from those who responded to my posts here - I think the HMH is the one for me. Boy, what a tough decision. There are such great sounding vises out there. D-K Barra Deluxe, Peak Rotary, Snowbee Waldron, Norvise - just amazing! No wonder it is so hard to choose. If I had the money - I'd probably have one of each but we all know that's not gonna happen. Yet - anyway. So a great big thanks to all those who offered advice. I look forward to posting a pic or 2 of my first flies on the HMH - no matter how rough or amateurish they may be. I think I'm gonna have a ball tying on my new vise. Cheers, Grump- aaahhh!

I was going to email HMH before I actually order one - just to ask the difference in size between the Standard and the Spartan. That's the only reason I'm tossing up between the two - I'd like to know it is not too small for my fairly large hands. I have corresponded with HMH and they were very helpful and I can purchase direct from them but I think I might go for the standard if it is bigger. cheers, Grumpah

Thanks to all who responded to my post. I realise it's a personal thing but your advice has been helpful. I have decided that I will buy an HMH Standard or Spartan - not quite sure which yet. I like this vise for its simplicity and the fact you can simply add a tube conversion and make it a very useful bit of kit. I can live with the fact that it is not "true rotary" as I have seen some demo's of the rotary function in action and believe it will be fine for me. My second choice by a very slim margin was the Dyna King Barracuda Deluxe and no doubt if I stay enamoured with fly tying I will end up with one provided I have sufficient funds and can convince she who must be obeyed that it is essential. Until I tie a few on - cheers and thanks all! Grumpah.

Thanks to lycos33 and cussfly16. I have seen the Snowbee Waldron and as you say it looks good. It costs 249 pounds sterling for the basic vice which is $A400 before freight so is not as good an option as any of the US made vises. The dingo vice is available in Australia at $670.00 delivered. Not a good proposition - and I have read bad things anbout its hook holding capacity. Not really an option at the price - the DK Barracuda base model is $A599 and the HMH Standard is about $460 so the dingo is not in the race. I look forward to all contributions and will exhaust this forum before making up my mind. Cheers

Thanks JSzymczyk, certainly think the Peak looks the goods - and "whoops" about HMH - just doesnt have that hook shank axis "same plane" ability to my mind but again looks the goods. That's what makes it so difficult not being able to drive one before purchase.All three have such great credentials. cheers, Grumpah.

Sorry this is actually an old topic but hopefully this is a new twist. Over here in Oz we have to pay through the nose for vises you get quite cheaply in the US of A so I'm thinking of buying from the US and shipping back. It cuts out the middleman to some extent and means I can get a good vise for a bit less than retail prices here. My dilemma is: I like the look and reviews of the Peak Rotary but it does not seem to have adjusibility in the jaws to compensate for hook sizes for centering the hook. I like the HMH Standard and its versatility for tube flies etc, but it is not a true rotary vice which I believe I would like to have. I also think the Dyna-King Barracuda Deluxe is the ducks guts (That's Aussie for really great!!) but I can't get to se these vices as there is no fly fishing shop within cooee of my place and even those on-line stores here do not stock the Peak or the D-K deluxe. I don't want Renzetti, I have considered and taken off my list the Griffin Montana Mongoose cam, Anvils, Thompsons, etc, etc. Now you know what I'm gonna ask! I am a new tyer, have currently a very cheap (for Oz) Snowbee Flymate Rotary which is near impossible to centre accurately. I will mostly tie larger flies - Bass, small saltwater etc but once more competent will certainly look to chase trout as well. I want to spend a maximum of $US400 and would happily pay less if sage and learned advice indicated doing so. I have been researching this for quite a few weeks now so any help would be appreciated. Cheers.