What Vise do you use?

[SDHflyfisher 0]

i just got the griffin odysee cam vice and so far i love even tied a 32 midge on it without a problem

[Guest]

I recently bought a Dyna King Barracuda. I tie lots of saltwater flies . I own a Griffin Oddysey Cam and like it for small hooks. But it did not seem to hold the bigger hooks as well as I would like. The Barracuda grabs and holds.

 

 

[vices 0]

I bought my vice back when I was about 13... theres no name on it But its black and gold, weighted base and an I initialed in the center of its platform... Anyone have an idea what it is?.. i remember saving up for it.. with lawn cutting money, it ran me 60$back then and i have yet to buy a new one...

[GunnerDonn 0]

I began using several Herters vices in the early to mid fifties and found them satisfactory but wore out cams and jaws. I graduated to the Thompson model A and found it to be a very good all around vice for the price. I have tied on just about every kind and style of vice and they all have their good points and drawbacks, depending on your use. About ten years ago I was introduced to rotary tying and I have found a whole new love for fly tying after so many years on stationary vices. I have the Renzetti Traveler, Saltwater Traveler and Master series and enjoy each one of them. I use them in my tying classes and find I can do so much more on these vices with so much more fun and satisfaction than with any other vice on the market.

[Guest]

Considering we can vote once only, I own:

One Thompson "A" (started on this, early Sixties)

One Thompson "Ultra" (continued on this, Sixties 'til...)

One Regal pedestal (received as gift in late '90's, rarely use)

Two Apex Anvil (today's regular choice)

 

Would love to own a Dynaking but can't substantiate purchase.

 

Vices- yours sounds like a Regal pedestal model; costs about $185 average price in today's dollars.

[Guest]

I have the HMH spartan . It is a great vice for my needs I rarely tie anytrhing smaller thatn a 6 so the magnum jawa are all that I use HTe only problem that I have with it is Nomatter how tight I i make the rotary nut it will come loose by turning the vice counterclockwise

I had a Griffin odyssey with the screw head and hated it

I also have a griffin model A htat I saved and my daughter uses

[Serial Fish Killer 0]

I have two vises. One is a Griffen A2 for traveling and the other is a hybrid Griffen A3 for home use. The hybrid is like Sippy Sarah & John have in a way. I didn't have much money at the time and bought an A3. Since I could run a mill and a lathe, I turned it into a manual rotary vise with two precision industrial needle bearings for smooth rotation and added a small aircraft aluminum machine knob to spin it with. I polished the shafts so they spin with a light touch of the fingers like a Renzetti or other expensive vises do. I designed and built a custom base, integrated lamp & magnifying lens, parachute rigging, tool racks and lots more. Yes, I am an engineer, I did it right. This past year I bought an old sewing machine and some pulleys ($25) and have rigged it to spin flies with a variable speed foot pedal. This works great for easy flies like wooley buggers and salmon flies and is like an automatic Nor-Vise in many ways. I use a Nor-vise bobbin to keep the thread looking good & tight. I made the vise able to switch from electric to manual by throwing a lever so I can tie trout flies because the automated version is too hard to control on sizes 18 and smaller. My fingers just can't keep up! My modified A3 weighs over 15 pounds and you can lean on even the heaviest kevlar thread and the vise never even budges. I like being able to spin salmon & steelhead flies with the electric motor now that I am used to it. I also like the flexibility of being able to quickly convert to manual and have an outstanding manual vise for the purty trout flies when I tie them too. I have about $200 in the original vise and materials and I don't count the time machining the rest because it was just play time at work. For me it's the vise of a lifetime and I wouldn't trade it for the most expensive store bought vise. Why do I like my vise? Because it's an original and I made it what it is.

[appalachian angler (tn.) 0]

I bought a Regal rotary with the heavy bronze base as a step up from my THompson model A. I like the lever action jaws the the fact that this vice seemed so solid. For my needs it works with flies down to 22(wouldn't mind having a set of midge jaws though). I do tie quite a few patterns that could be done in more of a "rotary" style so maybe a dynaking in the future if I could ever get over the cost!

 

A.A.

[Guest]

SFK,

 

That sounds very interesting, you wouldn't happen to have a pic of that set up would ya? I would love to see that!

[pongo 0]

Using the Renzetti traveller at the moment, and still not sure. Was using the Dyna King Squire for a few years, and was happy, till I buggered the jaws. Too big a hook, too much tension....

One thing, they are very well engineered, and a joy to use.

Started tying commercially, and the Renzetti was okay. Oh, and two other vises. First one is the LAW Vise. None of you guys will have heard of this guy? Lawrence Waldron. A first rate engineer here in the UK, and makes the best vises. Damned expensive. The other, which is fantastic in the cabin, or by the stream, or in a hotel room, is the C&F Marco Polo travelling kit. Again expensive, but a pleasure to use.

The Renzetti is going, in place of an HMH. So if anyone out there wants to swap, just let me know.

[jekeller 0]

i use a renzetti 4000 presentation. it works pretty well except for the cheesy o ring thingee and the fact that the jaw retaining screw is forever loosening. renzetti says they can fix it but the danged thing is useful and so've never sent it to them. since i now have no right hand i tie lefthanded on a righthanded vise but i've never understood why renzetti has right and left handed models and no body else does? any ideas? this peak vise sounds interesting but i've never seen one.

[mmarkey 0]

I use the DanVise. It is a true rotary vise and very economical, cost about $70 and exceptionally durable, although it looks a little odd. It has smooth jaws that are cam operated and spring actuated and high quality steel. Most of the vise is made of Delrin a high tech plastic. I've been using it for about 2 years now still works very smoothly and still holds hooks well without slippage and with no damage to the jaws and I've used it to tie flies as small as 26 and as large as 2. I like it a lot. The only drawbacks to me is the space between the vice body and the jaws can sometimes interfere a little, and the vise pedistal shaft is an oddball metric size and most tying accessories will not fit on it. Not a real problem. Maybe I've adapted.

 

Today I saw a website offering the DanVise in machined alluminum in colors for about $200 I think. Nice but Why???

 

Mike Markey

[GlobalFisher 0]

I am using a Griffin vise right now, but I have been through about 4 vises total.

[Thibodeau 0]

I started with the vise that came in a kit, then bought one on line at cabela's that broke twice on me. They sent me another one and it broke too, Stupid Cam Vises.

Now I have a Thompson's Cobra vise and it F@$#ing ass.

[Thibodeau 0]

Thompson's Cobra Vise. I went through three vises before I bought this one. It works exceptionally well.