Regal Vice ?

[JLHJR 0]

For those of you who use a Regal Medallion, what head is preferred? Mostly would be tying trout flies. The standard says 1/0-22, the Midge head says 6-32. Both listed as same price.

[Bimini15 0]

My opinion is limited to the original jaws, which I have used to tie 3/0 down to 12. Mostly the bigger sizes, though.

Never had any problem with any of them, but I can see really small hooks kind of getting lost in the jaws.

What sizes are you going to tie?

[JLHJR 0]

My opinion is limited to the original jaws, which I have used to tie 3/0 down to 12. Mostly the bigger sizes, though.

Never had any problem with any of them, but I can see really small hooks kind of getting lost in the jaws.

What sizes are you going to tie?

Prob smallest would be 12-16. My eyesight ain't what it use to be

[RodL 0]

I have the standard and the midge jaws, the standard jaws will hold 12-16's without any issues, I only use the midge jaws when tying 20's and smaller.

 

Rodney

[Bimini15 0]

If that is going to be the bulk of your tying, then I would be tempted to get the midge jaws.

[Moshup 0]

If you're not even close to tying midge szs why go midge. Standard seems to have you covered and you can tie some larger flies for larger quarry if the oppourtunity comes up.

[Bugsy 0]

I'm not gonna argue with Mogup's suggestion for the standard jaws. Seems like a practical choice, and those jaws have been around for almost 40 yrs, I believe.

 

I have the midge jaws but haven't put anything larger than a #10 or 12 in them. Mostly 14 and smaller. I also have the big game jaws which happen to be quite capable for tying small flies. The side profile of the big game jaws at the nose is actually smaller than the midge jaws. I find they offer plenty of room tying down to #16, even short shank caddis hooks, and I've put 20s in them. The width of the jaws, which doesn't interfere with hook access, just makes the big game head seem bulky.

[mvendon 0]

I've had a Regal with the midge jaws for more than 15 years now. I tie trout and bass flies. You can easily tie size 2, 4, or 6 streamers just by setting the hook back a little more into the jaws. For smaller than size 22, you adjust the jaws more vertical. I've never had a problem with hooks slipping. I use the back part of the jaws to crush the barb down. While packing deer hair on smaller fly patterns, the hook shank will start bending before it will slip at all in the jaws. If I tied mostly large bass bugs etc., I probably would have went with the standard jaws and maybe got the midge head for trout flies. About the largest size that I fish with is a 4 and have never had a problem where I wished I had bought the regular head instead when I'm tying. The only thing that it won't do is hold a Mustad 277 size 32 hook since the jaw tips are curved and the hook is just too small. It will hold a TMC 518 size 32 when the jaws are straight up. They don't make both of those anymore though anyway.

 

Regards,

Mark

[Rolf Jacobsen 0]

I have the stainless jaws which Regal says is 32 to 2. I personally have not used it to those limits.

 

http://regalvise.com/vises.html

[robow7 0]

Yea, if you can afford the stainless jaws, spring for those. Otherwise, I use my standard jaws down to 18/20 without problems as I rarely have need to go smaller.