Universal No 1 vise

[Gene L 0]

I bought a vintage fly tying kit on eBay, primarily for the vise, which is a Universal 1.  I've got a No 2.  The No 1 is a different ballgame entirely, and in its way, much neater than a No 2, but I have difficulty camming down the cam to lock the hook in.  But the rotating head is much better.  You can lock down the hook by closing the cam with force, which the instructions advise you not to do. But it looks great and is worth collecting.

As for the kit, it's a Universal product as well, and like the vise, hasn't been used.  All the separate packages are in cellophane that's been unopened.  Although kits have a reputation for being useless, this kit isn't.  It has everything from the vise to hackle pliers.  The address on the packets is without a zip-code, which I think indicates it was prior to the zip code, which was in 1963. When exactly, I don't know, but the cellophane kinda dates it as well.

I can't over emphasize the quality of the kit, which includes a decent neck, matched duck quills, hooks, yean, silk thread (4 0) a bobbin holder, similar to a S&M, a number of cards with wire on them.  Unlike later kits, virtually everything in the kit is usable, wire, quills, small bits of hair. 

I jumped on this at Only $32 for the whole thing, including the vise. I figure I got a bargain.  I bought the kit for the vise and while I certainly don't need the components, but will probably use them at some point for nostalgia reasons. The "book" of instructions that came with the kit is 3 mimeographed pages explaining how to use the vise to advantage. I now have the No 1 as well as the No 2.  Universal I read produced 4 vises, one of which is a non-rotating vise draw collet vise.  The other (No 3?) rotates and I haven't seen one of these.  While the No 2 isn't as free-rotating as the No 1, it's still a rotary vise and locks down securely to any size hook.  Access to the back of the hook with both examples is problematical,  but good for streamers.

[niveker 0]

Nice find @Gene L, I saw that listing, looks like its in great good condition.  

I picked up one on Craigslist a few months ago, haven't really used it much yet, but its clamped on the edge of my tying desk. 

I keep my eyes peeled for the other models.   

[Mars Rover 0]

I have the Universal Rotary #1 and #2 vises and enjoy using them. There's some good Universal information on the document in the link below. Good luck finding a no. 3 vise. I think I've heard that they only made about 100 of them. Very cool vise with a unique jaw closing system. I've only ever seen one, decades ago. I know it was near the Ken Lockwood Gorge in NJ so it could have been Shannon's fly shop in Califon but not sure. It was always set up on a tying bench there. You'll know it and remember if you ever see one because it's pretty weird.

http://www.mtfa-springfield.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Universal-Rotary-Fly-Tying-Vises.pdf