Non-rotary vise recommendations please?

[DWSmith 0]

28 minutes ago, flytire said:

did the tyers in all of the videos you watched finish tying the fly with this major error?

 

I don't think of it as an error at all but just a matter of convenience.  If the hook doesn't really need to be on a fixed axis then why bother adjusting?  I think the Spartan will be all I need.

If I had a Traveler I probably wouldn't fully (I shouldn't have said 'proper' earlier) adjust it most of the time, if ever, either.  Seems a bit too fiddly to me.

[niveker 0]

Plenty of opinions expressed here @ the virtues, or lack thereof, of rotary and true rotary vises.  Some find they need it, some find they like it occasionally, some find they never use it. 

That's why the best advise given here was to try tying on some vises, if possible, and then make an your choice.    

[DWSmith 0]

2 hours ago, niveker said:

Plenty of opinions expressed here @ the virtues, or lack thereof, of rotary and true rotary vises.  Some find they need it, some find they like it occasionally, some find they never use it. 

That's why the best advise given here was to try tying on some vises, if possible, and then make an your choice.    

👍

"To each his own."  "Live and let live."  etc.

I'm not criticizing anyone's choice but just thinking out loud about my choice.

I will add that in Poul Jorgensen's Book of Fly Tying by ... Poul Jorgensen he only recommends the HMH and D. H. Thompson vises.  In Production Fly Tying by A.K. Best he says to check out the HMH vise.  I think I made a safe decision even if it wasn't the best decision (but I think it was the best decision for me).

[partsman 0]

I’m a little late to the party here, but I agree with your decision, I have a griffin black mongoose vice , it holds a hook nice but I hate the angle of the jaws from the base of the vice. Trying to tie in small tails or wings with your hand kicked up at an odd angle doesn’t work for me anymore. The HMH spartan is vice I could tie on and perfectly happy with!

Mike.

[niveker 0]

2 hours ago, DWSmith said:

I'm not criticizing anyone's choice

Oh yeah, I get it, neither was I. 

My point was you never know until you try it, I never wanted one till I tied on one.  

[DWSmith 0]

Got my HMH Spartan delivered Saturday but with getting ready for family coming over on Sunday for my wife's birthday and Mother's Day I haven't spent much time with it until today.

At this point I know it was the right one for me.  I love it!

I tied my first two flies today after about 28 years.  Both of them were (supposed to be) Gill Getters.  Really messed up the first one but I'd never worked with moose mane before plus I had to keep tweaking my new bobbin holder so it wouldn't break the thread.  Second one was much better and went much more smoothly.

I whip finished both by hand.  I was proud of myself on hand whip finishing the second one!  I don't think I'll bother with the tool for a while.

Anyway, it's coming back to me.

[cphubert 0]

2 hours ago, DWSmith said:

Anyway, it's coming back to me.

👍 like riding a bike

[DWSmith 0]

When I bought my new HMH Spartan vise J. Stockard gave me a $50 gift card. Sweet!

I used it yesterday to get, of all things, some lead wire and threads that they just got in (they have been out of stock for so long).  I also got an HMH Profile Plate.

Not sure about the HMH Profile Plate.  Any of you have one?  What do you think?

[gadabout 0]

Honestly, I’d never heard of a profile plate until I saw this post, so I had to google it.  Apparently, it’s something that attaches to the vise that provides a white background which helps you see the fly better, or photograph it.  I don’t know if I’d buy one myself, but there have certainly been times when I would have found one helpful.

[flytire 0]

4 hours ago, DWSmith said:

Not sure about the HMH Profile Plate.  Any of you have one?  What do you think?

i certainly wouldnt spend the money for a hmh plate

 

[Sandan 0]

6 hours ago, DWSmith said:

When I bought my new HMH Spartan vise J. Stockard gave me a $50 gift card. Sweet!

I used it yesterday to get, of all things, some lead wire and threads that they just got in (they have been out of stock for so long).  I also got an HMH Profile Plate.

Not sure about the HMH Profile Plate.  Any of you have one?  What do you think?

I use a white profile plate, not an HMH though. I pretty much won't tie without it

[DWSmith 0]

Thanks guys!

[gadabout 0]

I have a couple of white 3-ring binders near my tying desk.  When I think I need a background, I stand one of them up behind the vise.  I had no idea that somebody made something just for this purpose.

[SalarMan 0]

As I read all this input, I feel at times it can make things more confusing. I always tell someone shopping for a serious purchase like this to first consider their budget.

I have several true rotary vises, and I wouldn't tie on anything else. I don't have any one I prefer over the other.

The HMH TRV is a fine vise, but has limitations on hook size range. If you have no need for tying anything larger than a 2/0 it is fine.

The Cottarelli T-Rex is considered highly specialized and geared towards the tying of classic Atlantic salmon flies.

Finally Renzetti -  If you decide to spend the money on the Traveler, I'd suggest spending an additional $40.00 for the Presentation 2000. It is a simpler and somewhat lighter version of the Renzetti Master making it very versatile. Take the time to go to the Renzetti website and check them both out.

Good luck and be sure and let us know which way you go...and if possible tie on the vises that are on the top of your list.

George

[flyflinger 0]

On 5/11/2023 at 8:37 AM, flytire said:

i never get a hook 100% on a true inline axis and i certainly will not fiddle with the hook until it is on a true inline axis.

if it wobbles a tiny bit off center i dont really care. it doesnt hamper me tying flies and probably hundreds of other tyers either

did the tyers in all of the videos you watched finish tying the fly with this major error?

 

Absolutely concur! - axis alignment doesn't need to be perfect.  However, one of the advantages to good rotary axis alignment is keeping constant light pressure on a fragile material while being wrapped (for instance some feathers and quills).  If it's not aligned there is a "pull then release" feel to the wrap, which is why many tyers do not use the rotary function at all for fragile materials.  Actually, I mostly use the rotary function for inspection of all sides of a fly, and managing things like UV resins.       

Regards,