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Fly Tying
Gene L

Best Buys for Vises

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I know this is a subject open to interpretation and I'm thinking mostly of new vises. Old Thompson As are outside the definitions for the sake of this argument; new As can be.

 

Vises now, IMO, are the best they ever have been. There are some great vises out there and they are so varied they should fit everyone's desires, and budgets, if that's a consideration (and to whom is it not?)

 

I've got several vises because I'm a gear hog but don't have a lot of variations. I've only got one True Rotary (Renzetti Master) two Regals, two HMHs, and a Anvil Apex. I consider all of these to be excellent vises.

 

For me, a best buy is the Anvil Apex, now the Wolf Apex. It's not perfect, but it's solid and very well made. I think a best buy in a True Rotary is the Dan vise. I've never had one, but the reports are very favorable and the price is right. I don't like the way they look, and for me this is important. But still, I think it's a good buy.

 

HMH...unsurpassed in my opinion for what they are. Given that, I'm not sure I'd say they're Great Buys but maybe they are. Quality is excellent and they're simple, "Standard" vises. I tie on mine probably more than any other, perversely. I thought at one time True Rotary was my idealistic goal, but I found I don't use True Rotary all that much. Thanks, Thompson A.

 

Regal? There are none like it, discounting the knock-offs. I really like mine, but have no idea if they're Best Buys because there's nothing to compare them to.

 

So what are your thoughts on this incomplete post? Best Buys? Awful buys? The floor is open.

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I have been tying flies for more than 50 years. My first good vise was a Universal 2 which is a rotary but not true rotary. I learned early that having the ability to rotate the fly to see what the far side looks like is a very nice feature. However, the ability to pay material onto the hook shank is an ok feature but not worth investing lots of money in.

 

The most important feature of a vise is to securely hold the hook while providing access for the tying operations. I too own many different vises. I spend most of my time tying trout flies on my HMH standard. My larger saltwater flies are tied on my Regal. The vises I use for travelling or teaching are the old Thompson A. And the go-to-tying nights is an Anvil Apex.

 

I do believe that out of all of them, the best overall is the Apex - will hold a wide range of hooks with one jaw, comes with a c-clamp and a pedestal base. While it isn't perfect, it does allow rotary tying and comes in around $115.

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I got a knock off of a regal and it has done the job for me for only like $30 or something. I need to get a regal at some point, but right now I have other things I'd rather spend the money on

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In all honesty, I can't give comparisons, since I've only owned/used two vises.

My first was the Supreme Vise ... $20 to $30 depending on where you buy one.

 

 

It worked perfectly and for decades.

The cam lever finally started to wear out, catching rather than sliding as I tried to lock the hook in place.

I almost bought a second one, but decided I wanted the rotary function on my second vise.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking to start tying. It's easy on the wallet and lets a newby concentrate on tying techniques.

 

So, I bought a "Griffin Odyssey Spider Cam Rotary Fly Tying Vise" ...

Griffin Odessey Spider Cam Vise.jpg

 

I like this one. It's held every hook I've put in it. It rotates well, and locks easily when I don't want it to rotate. It does use an o-ring for the locking mechanism ... but so far, it's worked well. I am pleased with it and would also recommend it to anyone tying on a budget.

 

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Well I know the Thompson is not in the discussion but I paid around 10 bucks for my Thompson about 30 years ago, I still use it and never once thought I needed to replace it. I'd say that definitely fits the discription of a Best Buy.

 

I have a griffin rotary that I inherited as well. It's a good vise as I believe most are nowadays. I do tie my small stuff on the griffin but use the Thompson for my medium and large stuff. I've been using the Thompson for so long that I view rotary features as almost meaningless to the vises ability to hold a wide range of hook sizes. Vise preferences are just that, preferences. The good thing is whatever anybody wants out of a vise there are plenty of affordable choices to pick from.

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Gene, this one comes up from time to time, and you're probably gonna hear about every vise ever manufactured, (including homemade) but for the kind of tying I do, (saltwater) the Anvil Atlas is about as serviceable as it gets. No bells and whistles; it's heavy, hooks don't slip, and it would survive a nuclear attack. There are lots of great vises out there, but I would advise beginners to go to a fly shop (even if it requires some driving) and try out a few before making a decision. A good vise will last a long time, but so will one that you don't particularly like.

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I've got the anvil atlas, which I think is a good buy nothing fancy but it holds the hook well and is built like a tank. I don't really use the rotary feature but it is nice to be able to easily turn my fly you see the other side or flip a clouser right side up and upside down.

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I had a Griffin Patriot that was an excellent vise. I traded it for a rod, foolishly. I liked the cam feature.

 

The old Thompson vises were great; I understand the last ones are not according to the reports. At one time, they were pretty much the only game in town. My first vise was an A.

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I own 3 vises. First one came with a kit. Adequate to learn on. The second was a regal knockoff which I still use for big bass flies. The third one is a Danvise which will hold any hook that I tie on down to 18's which I tied to see if I could. I don't fish anything smaller than a 14. All in all the Danvise that I got from J.Stockard on sale for 89 bucks is in my opinion all that I need in a true rotary. Mind you there are some beautiful pieces of machine work that I might be tempted to buy after I win the lottery.

 

Les

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I like making my own stuff. I made my Wal vise by reverse engineering a Law vise and then 3-D printing it in bronze impregnated stainless and for about $100. The metal is VERY tough so I think it will hold up well. It's mounted in a Peak vise base at the moment.

post-37228-0-25771000-1493683669_thumb.jpeg

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Considering how often I use my vise, I really do not consider the monetary value relevant. It paid for itself years ago. Ironic how often folks seem to fixate about the price of the vise, when their cost is trivial compared to everything else associated with fly fishing. Have you seen the price of dry fly capes, lines, and fly rods lately? The "best value" vise is whatever you buy, as long as it is of sufficient quality that you only have to buy it once.

 

For beginners, there are many good manufacturers out there, with Peak probably making the best inexpensive vise with the most features that will last a lifetime.

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I like making my own stuff. I made my Wal vise by reverse engineering a Law vise and then 3-D printing it in bronze impregnated stainless and for about $100. The metal is VERY tough so I think it will hold up well. It's mounted in a Peak vise base at the moment.

Looks good!

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Well I have only been tying for two years now but I have to say I really like my Peak vise. it was a 150 bucks and it will last me a long time. I'm sure there are many good vises out there though.

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