Whip Finishers

[Johnwvan 0]

Is the Griffin rotary whip finisher as good as the Matarelli rotary

whip finisher? They look exactly alike. Why is the Matarelli more?

Name?---John

[whatfly 0]

Is the Griffin rotary whip finisher as good as the Matarelli rotary

whip finisher? They look exactly alike. Why is the Matarelli more?

Name?---John

Shouldn't be. The Matarelli ones cost more because of the name. As long at it is the right proportions and spins properly, it'll work fine.

[oldtrout58 0]

I recommend the Materelli whip finisher above all others. It's the original whip finisher and, in my opinion, the best.

[Runarsson 0]

When I use the whip-finisher I use a cheap Matarelli knock-off. I can't imagine in what way the original would be better.

 

Mostly use my fingers together with the closed scissors though since I never seem to find the tools on my bench right away. Instead of the top hook on the whip-finisher I use the closed blades on the scissors. But as I almost always have the scissors hidden in my palm while tying I don't have to look for them on the bench, so this way still remains the fastest and least aggrevating one. (Doesn't spin as fast as the Matarelli type... but always "handy". )

[utyer 0]

First of all Griffin sells several different whip finishers, and there is one that is more like the Thompson and several like the Matarelli. I have a Matarelli, and one Asian "knock off." The knock off works fine. The Griffin finishers will all work just fine. Many of the Matarelli copies that I have seen have just slightly smaller brass tubes, and smaller brass bering beads. Some also don't have as nicely tapered tips as the Matarelli. The Griffin with the redwood handle appears to have a tapered tip, the other one pictured dosen't appear to be tapered at the tip. Not sure that it makes any difference.

[perchjerker 0]

Not sure that it makes any difference.

 

Ditto this comment.

 

One additional bit of advice based both on personal tying experience, and from helping teach beginners how to tie: BY ALL MEANS; get the large one, as opposed to the smaller one. There is absolutely nothing that can be done with the smaller one that can't be done with the larger one. To the contrary, there are things that CAN be done with the larger one that CANNOT be done with the smaller one; and the price is the same for the Matarelli.

 

I tie from #26 to 2/0, the latter being both deer hair and balsa bodied bass bugs, and in the case of the balsa bugs, the tailing is tied on after the body has been hook-mounted and painted. I can whip finish the tie on the big bugs with the large Matarelli, but it is impossible to do with the small one (incidentally, I have both).

 

Frank

[troutguy 0]

Why not practice doing without? I hold tension with left hand and wrap with a twist of the right. Hold the smallloop with your scissors at the final pull through.

[whatfly 0]

Why not practice doing without? I hold tension with left hand and wrap with a twist of the right. Hold the smallloop with your scissors at the final pull through.

While I agree everyone should know how to whip finish without a tool, because you never know when you'll forget the tool on the bench, or lose it, or you have to whip finish where the tool can't go, a good Matarelli-style whip finisher is still the best solution in the majority of situations, in my opinion. YMMV.

[sandflyx 0]

I recommend the Materelli whip finisher above all others. It's the original whip finisher and, in my opinion, the best.

 

wrong the thompson style was the first mass produced one, there were others that didn't make over the years but thompson is consired the first..does dry flies better than materelli...

[oldtrout58 0]

I recommend the Materelli whip finisher above all others. It's the original whip finisher and, in my opinion, the best.

 

wrong the thompson style was the first mass produced one, there were others that didn't make over the years but thompson is consired the first..does dry flies better than materelli...

 

 

You're correct about the Thompsom predating the Materelli, my bad.

[tidewaterfly 0]

While I agree everyone should know how to whip finish without a tool, because you never know when you'll forget the tool on the bench, or lose it, or you have to whip finish where the tool can't go, a good Matarelli-style whip finisher is still the best solution in the majority of situations, in my opinion. YMMV.

 

OK, so if you learn to do a whip finish without the tool, then what would be the advantage to having the tool?

 

I've got 2 whip finish tools I never could get the hang of using, so I learned to whip finish with just my fingers. Can't say I've seen where I've needed a tool since, except perhaps a bodkin used to pull smaller size thread tight without the thread twisting.

[Gene L 0]

The advantage is a tool is a bit more precise and makes a neater head...generally. For small flies, it's more important. Not much of a challenge to use a Materelli whip finsh tool. I haven't tried the other types. I generally use my fingers but when I'm tying small, I like a tool.

[FrequentTyer 0]

The advantage is a tool is a bit more precise and makes a neater head...generally. For small flies, it's more important. Not much of a challenge to use a Materelli whip finsh tool. I haven't tried the other types. I generally use my fingers but when I'm tying small, I like a tool.

Yes, and if your hands get at all rough you wind up shredding the thread. I use a cheap no-name non-rotating whip finisher that came with the first box of fly tying stuff I ever had. It works fine and I have never seen a reason to upgrade.

[phg 0]

The real reason is speed. When tying a dozen flies an hour, seconds count. Still, most of us tie for pleasure or fun. Personally, I don't even own a whip finisher. I also can still see well enough to make a neat head with 8/0 thread on a size 20 fly....

[Gene L 0]

I'm no speed tier, but it takes me longer to finger-whip a fly for me than to pick up the tool and knock it out.

 

My eyes aren't great (I'm 67) and so I use magnifying reading glasses to tie. Works like a charm.