What Vise do you use?

[Jim2Flies 0]

Good morning Bum!

 

I have had the opposite problem that you have encountered. The DynaKing rules for the antique and new display salmon fly hooks.

 

I use a Sidewinder for all of my salmon flies. Not sure how old it is.. I have had it over 10 yrs.

 

The cuts in the jaw actually help to put less pressure on the hooks by spreading the pressure "around" the hook. Always use some kind of paper (wax triple folded) on the hooks. The jaws on my vise are much smoother than the current offerings. When I first got it I hit the inside of the jaws with 400 grit sandpaper wrapped around a hook.

 

I have used this vise on hundreds of flies. Antique hooks, new production, Ron Reinhold hooks (the best!) and with proper protection the finish always stays intact.

 

Look at Schmookler's "Rare and unusual vol1" Look close and you can see where a large percentage of the hooks have been touched up from vise tracks. It is not uncommon for this to happen. Especially on Gene Sunday hooks. They were great hooks, but the finish was painted on and not all that durable. Gene made a mean hook and was always looking for a new finish.

 

For deer hair I use the DynaKing Ron Abby vise. Great vise with lotsa access to the rear of the hook.

 

I use a Regal for twisting up my gut. Used to own the traveler, master. Good vises for on the run but lousy for the salmon flies (IMHO). I use a LOT of pressure when tying and by the time I would get the hook to hold I had damaged the finish.

 

A few months ago I thought I wanted to sell my sidewinder to finance my Ron Abby. Glad I came to my senses as I have yet to see any vise the compares with this for the full dress flies.

 

Naturally all of this is IMHO.

 

Jim2Flies

[dabalone 0]

I have the Danvise and since it is the only vise I have used I cant make comparisons. I can say it works very well for what I tie in the sizes 12 and up. The jaws hold very well and I have been playing with the rotary function some with good success. For 80 bucks it fit perfectly for my introduction to fly tying and I can see no reason to change in the foreseeable future.

 

Room behind the jaws for larger bass flys and streamers is lacking. Thanks to Chemprof2001 I have contacted the link he posted and will purchase the extension arm he mentions. Looks like it will solve that problem.

[Guest]

Jim,

I went through a couple of D-K's and just never could learn to like their jaw configuation. I use a lot of torque too when tying salmon flys, too much for the Thompson Cobra I found out.

 

I think I have finally found a vise I can live happily ever after with, the HMH Pro I just bought. I can adjust the jaws with one hand to set the pressure on the hook. With most other vises I've used this has been a two handed trial and error operation. I just finished tying a full featherwing on a 6/0 Gaelic Supreme and and some #14 dry flys and the vise handled both with ease and no damage to the finish on the hooks. Dick Talleur sold me on this vise and so far I'm glad I took his advise.

[Guest]

Marryat MP vise by Marc Petitjean - true rotary, excellent engineering, pure class and comes in its own box with a great toolkit.

 

plus ThompsonA with midge jaws made by my brother (30 degree jaw from 7mm to 2mm) I can get a #32 in there with security

 

plus a Weaver Rotary from www.scottierods.com

 

plus a homemade rotary, which is excellent.

 

plus a Lazzeri Presentation

 

plus an old lever action rotary with swivel head

 

plus various other bits.

 

 

[Jim2Flies 0]

I think the HMH is right up there with the Dynaking vises. When I stumbled on to my vise I was looking for an HMH.

 

Gene Sunday was the one who turned me on to HMH. Holding power bar none!

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi Trout Bum,

 

Gretchen and I use a Danvise for about 75% of our commercial work with several other vises from different manufacturers for some specialty flies. Quite frankly we use the Danvise because we sell it, it holds a hook well, and is rotary - we tie a lot of flies rotary to increase our speed/income. Take care & ...

 

Tight Lines - Al Beatty

www.btsflyfishing.com

[sparkleminnow 0]

A common sense reply...

A lot of guys who play guitar are the same about their guitars as we are about our vises. Jimmy Hendricks played a right handed guitar upside down, and strung backwards. Not the way it's supposed to be done, but no one can argue that he was a master. Now, most others play a right handed guitar the "normal" way, and left handed guitars are made for those who chose to play that way. However, it really comes down to what do you train yourself to get used to!! I like my Renzetti Traveler because it "fits" my hands. I can bring my hand up from under the bend in the neck to grasp the material, or fly, and perform whatever function I need to with no problems. However, I learned to use it this way!! If I were to sit down in front of a D-K Barracuda (a similar style) I would have real trouble. I'm not used to it!!

 

I have tied everything from 6/0 Decievers to sz 24 midges, and everything in between, and I have no problem with any of them. Lest we forget, Lee Wulff used to tie his Royal Wulff's without a vise!!! Can anyone top that?!? Of course Lee Wulff is a legend, but it shows that we can get a little too deep into preferences towards devises that true masters don't even need, at all!

 

I can play guitar right handed, but knowing nothing else, I would say that Jimmy Hendricks was doing it all wrong! Or, maybe, I need to practice a lot more!

[rougetrout 0]

I started out when I was 7 tying on my Dad's renzetti master vise. I turned out some real ugly flies which still caught fish. Since I have matured as a flier tyer and a fly fisher I have bought my own master vise and a renzetti saltwater traveler. Both my vises are the screw type jaws which work well but aren't quite as easy to use as a cam. I feel that my speed and efficiency are increased by a rotary vise. but I think the choices are very personal and you won't find a good vise for you until you have worked on many models. try your local fly shop and ask if you can try tying on some of their vises.

[Lance Kekel 0]

 

I started out with my dad's portable desk vise, you know the kind you'd use on a work bench. Then I wore out one of those kit vices, it was made of aluminum and eventuly the hooks grooved the jaws so bad it wouldn't hold anything smaller than a 6. Next was a Thompson A that I used a long time and I still have. Loaned it to a buddy to learn to tie on and now I'm saving it for my daughter to learn on when she's a little older. It's great vise but I really wanted rotary.

 

Right now I'm about 10-11 yrs into using a Renzetti traveler with the thumb screw style jaws. Beyond the fact that I'd prefer that it had a cam jaw I really don't have too many complaints with it. It would be nice if the base was a little bigger/heavier for tying big stuff. Great vise for what is and does.

 

I'm getting into a lot more production tying now and it looks like I'll probably be picking up a Dynaking Baracuda and quite probably a Norvise later this fall. It depends if I can get the weight of the head to rotate a little smoother than I have so far in the stores. I've gotten some tips from guys here to try that I plan to put to the test when I get it. I really like the features in both and love the smootheness of a ball bearing rotary vise.

[graycoughlin 0]

I use an one from Anvil. It has a rotory function but is really pretty simple compared with Renzitti and others. At $99.00 the price is right also.

[BarryTX 0]

If I read all of the thread accurately, I guess I'm the only one here using a Peak vise. I started with an el cheapo tying kit model, had a chance to use a Renzetti Traveller and was quite impressed, started saving for one. Along the way I found the Peak vise, a very solid rotary vise built in Colorado by some engineers who happen to fly fish. They have a machine shop at their business, designed a vise and made a few for themselves, then friends wanted them, etc. so they began selling them. I find it sturdier than a Renzetti but it is also less expensive. I've been very happy with it, have had it about a year and a half I guess. Check them out at www.peakfishing.com if interested.

 

Barry

[Kingfisher 0]

I had at one time received a Renzetti Traveller as my first "premium vise", however was generally unhappy with it because I had to re-set the jaws every time I finished a fly and put a hook (same size and model) in. Additionally, the main stem would constantly swing away from me no matter how hard I screwed the thumb screw in against it. Rather than file a flat spot on the shaft and deal with the jaw issue, I returned it in favor of a full-size 'Cuda. I must say that I love this vise and will likely never own another one.

[fly~by~night 0]

i been using a sunrise ( bottom of barrel) vise. I hate the adjustment for the differnt hook sizes But it holdsem long enough for me to make a rats nest out of thread on

[rscconrad 0]

I use a regal rotary pedestal. I like it well enough.

 

The biggest thing I like about it is that I tend to anchor my palm right on the vice.

 

It rotates, nut does not really spin around.

 

If I ever change it will be to get something I can literally spin around.

 

RObert

[Peddler 0]

I now have the cam jaws for my Renzetti Presentation 4000 and the standard screw-type jaws it came with. I'm glad I didn't pay much for the cams (got 'em from a friend). Maybe I'm just used to the old jaws but I don't see a big deal to shout about between them. The old jaws seem more natural to use and they have that patina that comes from lots of use. I'm going to give the new jaws a fair try but might just have them up for sale soon.

 

One stupid question, how should the lever be set up? I can set them to lock by swinging the lever up under the shaft or down, which seems it would be in the tying space. All pictures I have show the jaws without a hook in them so that's no help at all.

Thanks,

Jack