View Full Version : Vise
I've got an inexpensive vise that's great for larger hooks. It's round head makes it useless for smaller hooks. I don't see the need and can't afford an expensive vise. Is a Thompson vise better for small (#18's and down) hooks? Any other recommendations? I found a midge vise head that fits in the jaws of any lever-type vise. Any experience with these? It tightenes with a knurled ring, and this looks to be a difficult way to tighten. It's only $6, though.
Loren
I've got one of those clamp-in midge heads you're talking about, which I use with my thirty-five year old Thompson "A". It's a cheap little thing, but it works fine. I've tied down to size 26 with it with no problem. I recommend it.
Milton
Tier of tiny bug babies
That add-on sounds interesting but you can get midge jaws for the Thompson for about $15. I can tie down to #20 with the standard jaws, though the midge jaws would be a lot easier.
You guys have talked me into a Thompson. I see these in only one catalog and not all models are listed.
Where can I get one?
Loren
Steve Hudson
10-30-98, 11:07 PM
Loren,
I've been in love with my Thompson for years. It was a gift of my wife's grandmother and it's tied many thousands of flies. I did eventually get the midge jaws, and also a set of big jaws for big bugs.
The model I have is a clamp-on, which works fine where there's a clampable table. However, when I take the vise with me on business trips (which happens many times each month) I often find that the motel and hotel tables are not clamp-base friendly. Thus, I'd add one more recommendation: get the pedestal model base. It'll cost a little more but will prove much more convenient.
Enjoy that fly tying! It opens up a whole new aspect of fly fishing, and there's nothing like catching fish on flies you've tied yourself.
By the way, as you get started, I'll be glad to help you build up a stock of usable materials. P****along an address and I'll put some in the mail to you.
Tight lines,
Steve
Talk to me, someone, about rotary vises, bobin rests, etc. These things start at $75 and go to $500. How are they used? Do these features earn the extra cost?
Loren
A rotary vise lets you wrap materials onto the hook much quicker (chenille, hackle, wire, lead). Lets you see the fly from all angles.
A bobbin rest keeps the bobbin out of the way.
If you are still looking for a vise, I would seriously consider the Renzetti Traveler ($130). Full rotary vise and it includes a bobbin rest. I've tied 10 to 26 without any problems. The only thing I would change is to make the pedestal base a little bit heavier (or you can get the C-clamp).
NetBoy
To all of you experienced fly tiers, would you recommend a beginner to invest in the more expensive rotary vise or a cheaper vise? thanks,
ALG
As to the rotary vises, there are several good ones that don't cost a lot. I've heard good things(and bad, depending on who) about the Renzetti Traveler, Griffin Odyssey and the DanVise (Danica). They range from $135 to $75 in order. Personally I've got a DanVise on order, but I use the old reliable Thompson A now and will NOT throw it away.
Big mistake if you don't go with the Renzetti Traveler now, as I couldn't agree more with the above suggestions. If you get another vise now, you will just end up buying the Renzetti. So decide how serious you are and if you are serious, step up to the plate and buy a Renzetti. I'd get the c-clamp. The jaws on the Renzetti are incredible and the rotary and bobbin rest features are superb.
ALG -- In response to your question. I would NOT recommend that a beginner invest even $75 for a rotary vise. I've been tying flies for nigh on 40 years and I'm still using a standard. While I recognize the convenience a rotary offers, I first think a beginner needs to find out whether he or she really is going to enjoy tye flying. I see no point in investing a great deal of money in expensive equipment and then find out that you really don't like it. I've got a Thompson and half a dozen others ranging from cheap and useless to inexpensive and acceptable. Thompon makes an inexpensive, decent vise which will last a lifetime if you're so inclined.
You can always move up to the more expensive rotaries later. I've kinda looked at rotaries as a tool of the professional or semi-professional tie flyer who is tying large quantities for sale or to give to friends. For the most part, I tie to keep myself in flies and a stardard vise works perfectly fine for me. And while there's some merit to the comment that you should go ahead and get a Renzetti now because you're gonna do it later anyway, that approach certainly has not applied to me and probably won't unless I get into some really high volume tying and I don't anticipate that.
I just ordered my daughter a tying kit from Cabela's which includes a vise and other tools. It was $59.95 and includes an instruction book. I don't anticipate really high quality from this kit, but it will be good enough to get her started and see if she's gonna like it enough to keep up with it. If she doesn't, it's a minimal, practical investment and she can probably sell the tools if it doesn't work out. If she does like it, we'll continuously upgrade until she's got a full assortment of quality materials and tools.
IMHO
P.S. Birddog -- I like the idea of the kit you've put together but it was a little pricey for me as a gift to a young person who I'm not sure will stay with it. However, I already had it on order when you posted and I might have considered it from the perspective that if she doesn't like it, I'll confiscate her matierals. I've bought stuff at Unicoi and I've always been satisfied with both price and quality
As indicated earlier, the Cabela's Deluxe Flytying kit I ordered for my daughter arrived last Friday and here's a review.
Materials were quite good -- much better than I expected and well worth the $29.95 they would have cost if ordered separately. They were of good quality and included a good variety.
The vise was impressive. A clamp-on lever action made in China, it included three jaws for assorted hook sizes and parts were well machined. Don't know what it would have cost if purchased separately, but I'd estimate around $25.
Other tools were VERY disappointing. They were made in india and included scissors, hackle pliers, bobbin and whip finisher. Hackle pliers were so small as to be practically unusable; scissors were cheap and though untested, I'll bet they won't cut in tight spaces.
Liesner's book on flytying was mediocher. Contained no color pictures of patterns. Drawings were rudimentary but instructions were clear. Don't remember the separate price for the book but if it was more than $10.00, it was overpriced.
Entire kit was $59.95 and i believe the value was there. Materials could be purchased separately for $29.95 and coupled with the vise, I felt I got a decent value for what I paid. I'll let her borrow some of my books or buy her a better one so she can start building her own library. Same with the other tools. For Christmas, I'll get her the little portable kit I've mentioned before and throw the rest of the stuff away.
Note that this was Cabela's deluxe kit. Wonder what the standard kit was like for $10.00 less?
HNeal,
Hope you have better luck with your Danvise than I did with mine. I had problems using it because it was so bulky. I think that bulk comes from the fact that the vise is overbuilt--it has to be since it is constructed almost entirely of plastic. The only metal parts on the thing are the jaws and the post. In short order, even these parts failed--the metal on the jaws chipped out while I was clamping down on a #16 hook.
Maybe I just got a bad one. I ended up sending it back and got a Griffen.
I think that it's just important to be able to see all sides of the fly. Rotary vises allow this, but so do a lot of other less expensive vises (like the Griffen). Unless you become very adept at using a rotary vise, I doubt that you will tie much faster with it than a conventional vise.
I've been tying for a long time with a cheap vise and while I would love to have a Renzetti (if money were no object) I feel that extra $100 price difference would be better spent on materials and hooks. I do not ever plan on tying presentation flies and "close" seems to be good enough for the trout. Please don't get me wrong i'm not going to just haphazzardly wrap stuff on a hook and toss it at a fish but if it dosen't look exactly like the book that's ok with me if it's ok with the fish.
vBulletin® v3.7.2, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.