brianh

While I do think that good scissors are well worth the investment, there are good quality cheap(er) alternatives out there. For example, I picked up a pair of fly tying scissors at a local big box store that have become my favorite. They are cheap ($4.00) and made in Pakistan, but the tips are well formed and neatly ground, the serrated edges are extremely sharp and they cut well. The finger holes are large and overall the scissors are light and easy to use. I was so impressed I went back and bought another pair to keep for future use. Are these worth having re-sharpened? No, but for the year or two of service I'll get out of them they are perfect for my needs. I also have a cheap pair of plastic handled embroidery scissors picked up from a local craft store. They do just fine for general utility use - cutting tinsel, pearl flash, foam sheeting, and do a great job of trimming deer hair bugs. Again, minimal investment - about $3.00. The point here is that perfectly good, serviceable tying scissors can be had for not much money. Yes, I also have a small collection of Dr. Slick scissors and they are well worth the money. When you buy something like the Dr. Slick micro tip scissors you are paying for a high level of quality control, quality of manufacturing and consistency, and a bit of insurance because you have a manufacturer that will stand behind it's product. However, there were so many warning labels stuck all over the packaging for the Dr. Slick Razor Scissors that I bought ("Warning! Extremely Sharp! May Cut Your Femoral Artery If Dropped! Danger Of Death! Use At Your Own Risk!) that I'm afraid to touch them! Brian

I'm just an OK tier. Simple patterns that work well for fish in local waters I do good at. More complex patterns I can usually muddle thru on. But there are some patterns that, if I tried them I would be branded a criminal. I figure I'll be a lowly apprentice at this fly tying thing for the next 40 years or so, then I'll be dead :-)

I stand corrected. It appears the Squire does rotate. My apologies

Dave, I've noticed the same thing, but I don't think it is the foam. The foam sold in craft stores is closed cell, so it doesn't absorb water. In my case I think what happens is all the other 'stuff' tied onto the hook absorbs water and puts the fly in either a neutral or negative buoyancy state. The weight of the hook and buoyancy of the leader/tippett is a factor, too. I tie very small 'ants' on #18 hooks using minimal foam for the body. They'll float for the first few casts, then require a few false casts to dry them out, then they'll float again for a bit. Doesn't matter - floating or hanging just below the surface, the bluegill love 'em!

Been using a Peak for the past year but just acquired a Dyna-King Barracuda. After having tied just a dozen flies or so on the Dyna-King I can see that I'll be selling the Peak. It's all in the jaws, man. It's all in the jaws!

I voted 1 - 250. I'd have more, but the tree fish keep stealing them.

I (very) recently sang the praises of the Peak to another member on this forum, but in the interim took delivery of a Dyna King Barracuda. All other features aside, all I can say about the jaws on the Dyna King is "wow!" While the Peak remains a good choice, and perhaps to top choice in true rotary vises in your price category, the quality of the jaws on the Dyna King are on a whole other level. There really is no comparison between the quality of design and execution of the jaws on the Dyna King and the jaws on the Peak. However, in my opinion the Squire looses out because it does not rotate; the body is fixed in the head of the vise. So that leaves us with the HMH. I have not tied on an HMH but have taken a close look at them at various fly shops. The jaws are on par with the Dyna King and the body rotates (very nicely) in the vise head. So for my money, in your price range, the HMH is the one to go for.

The bad news is that neither is a bad choice. OK, it's good news, too. It really comes down to how you see yourself developing as a tyer down the road. Many sing the praises of a true rotary vise (like the Peak), yet I suspect more flies - and good flies - are tied on standard vices that rotate (like the HMH). Both are well designed and well made. The Peak has a simple (and less expensive to manufacture), yet very effective rotary shaft mechanism. The HMH exhibits a higher degree of design, manufacturing and finish. While the Peak is no slouch in the quality department, it is obvious that HMH puts lots more time and effort into slicking up their products. That extra effort is reflected, in part, in the slightly higher price. Regardless, both are very well made and sturdy vises that are a pleasure to tie on (I currently own a Peak). To start, I'd recommend the HMH. You will never outgrow it or wear it out. If down the line you decide you HAVE to get into rotary tying you can sell the HMH (they hold their value as good as a Honda, mabye better) and buy a true rotary. Or, as many of us have done, you hang on to the HMH as a good travel/backup vise and bite the bullet and buy a rotary. Bottom line - they are both good vises and you will not regret buying whichever you choose.

I have been seriously tying for just shy of two years. My first attempts were back in the 1970s, when I tried copying a steelhead pattern onto the long shank flounder hooks that my dad used to make surf fishing jigs. I thought they would be just the thing for the stocked trout the New Jersey DNR dumped into the local lake. My how times have changed... I now live near Atlanta and most of my fishing is warmwater. This week I'm tying up a bunch of #18 foam ants for our local TU chapter to use on our 'Ultralight Night Out' at a local lake where the bluegill are hitting hard. You can tell by my signature that I've used a lot of the same math you guys have used to 'justify' getting into tying

I view learning to use a whip finisher like the Matarelli as just another key tying technique. Can I tie off by hand? Sure. I can also trim my yard by getting on my knees and yanking on the blades of grass. It works, but the end result will be a lot uglier than if I used a lawn mower. I'm always amazed at the guys who sit behind a $600 vise armed with a rack of automatic bobbins, "slick, ice tempered" scissors, a battery of hair stackers and assorted other tying toys and gadgets and think that somehow using a whip finisher isn't 'authentic'. We're tool makers - that's what separates us from the rest of the animal world. I for one believe in celebrating that difference and using the tools that work, and the Matarelli is a tool that works like a champ.

I have had the Peak for about 7 months now and have tied about 500 flies on it, mostly small (10 - 16) warmwater stuff. For the price the Peak is the best vise available. It is clear that Peak put a lot of thought into the design in order to produce a high quality (and rugged) product that stays just below the $150 price point. The vise is well thought out and well made and is a lifetime investment. I don't think you'll wear it out. I have tied everything from #18 foam ants to 2/0 deer hair poppers on mine using the standard jaws. Jaw adjustment is quick and the cam engagement is fast and sure (although I share other poster's reservations about the coarse threading on the adjustment collar). Rotation is amazingly smooth for a rotary vise with no bearings. Again, it is all part of the design. The rotary shaft runs through a large brass housing, and the two parts are so tightly machined that it feels like the shaft is riding on bearings. Very smooth rotation for not much cost. The pedestal base is one of those things that must have other manufacturers smacking their heads and saying "Why didn't we think of that!" The base is large and it does a great job of anchoring the vise even while spinning deer hair. The base is also powder coated white and makes keeping track of materials a snap (easier to see against a white background). The base also has a second hole drilled in it to accept an accessory shaft. Want to use a clamp-on goose neck lamp, bobbin holder and waste bag while tying? With any other vise you would quickly run out of 'real estate' on the shaft. With the Peak, just drop in the accessory shaft and clamp the extra stuff to that. A neat concept that works great. I don't know why other manufacturers haven't picked up on it. Is the Peak a polished piece of machinery like the Renzetti, HMH or (gasp!) the LAW? No. It is a mid-priced vise that shows design and manufacturing trade-offs to meet a price point. Is that a bad thing? No, not in this case. Peak has unique and well executed design that results in a quality, well built and smooth running rotary vise that will do 90 - 100% of what a fly tyer is looking for, all for way less than $200. (Before you all accuse me of being a Peak Fishing plant or shill, I'm about to trade my Peak vise for a Dyna-King Barracuda. Not because the Peak failed in any way, just that I got a super deal on the Dyna-King and don't really need two rotaries)