Anvil Atlast
My first vise was a Renzetti Traveler. It is now my travel vise. I purchased the Anvil Atlas about 6 months ago. I have been tying quite regularly and I will give you some straight forward answers on this vise. It is well built, solid and can hold any, and I mean ANY hook you have. I have tied as small as 22, and I have tied 6/0 saltwater flies. I have even mounted my wife's wedding ring in it so that I could polish it. It comes with a quality C-Clamp and base. The base is the sturdiest and most stable I have ever seen. The only thing missing on the base is some contours or dishing for beads or hooks. The base is big, heavy and well made. The lever action works well, but could be a little smoother operating. A little lube helped. How good is the lever action hook clamping? You can pinch a hook in half if you really crank it. If you put pressure on your hooks when you tie, you will bend the hook instead of tipping the vise or the hook slipping. Clamp down on the hook, and it stays put. The head of the vise can be moved up and down via a rotating collar to accommodate perfect rotation on any hook size.
I will list a few minor complaints, and they are quite minor, but being a fly tier you are already picky so here they are:
A few of the friction bolts/screws have plastic knobs. The bolt is solid and the plastic is thick, but….. plastic. Has not failed me but solid metal would be better. The vertical shaft needs stop notches so that you can lock it into its 90 degree position. I drilled a notch to accommodate this. The adjustments are great, more than you need. The rotation is great, the up and down is great, the elevation is great, the jaws are super. However, most of these adjustment features are not silky smooth. They work great, but feel like the machining quality could be better.
Grading
Base = A+
Veratility = A+
Operation = A
Machining = B
Quality =B+
Overall Value = A
