Tying Vises

[GaryP]

There are so many Vises to chose from out there. I am curious what are the pro's and cons for each vise. I have a vise now and I think it is time to upgrade since I will be keeping up with fly tying and won't drop out of it. I have the cabella's Vise and It works ok but I have run into the problem that the vise won't hold small hooks. It is kind of hard to tie a size 16 ehc or dry fly and I would like to upgrade to be able to tie smaller flies. I seem to tie better tying smaller flies. Go figure ...

Any help would be greatly apreaciated.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Dyna King of Santa Rosa, CA seems to be the most popular high quality vise on the West Coast.

Most all come in pedestal or clamp models.

The 'Kingfisher' is their least expensive but has the same high quality as the rest of them.

The 'Barracuda' full rotary seems to be the "big dog" in these parts.

http://www.dyna-king.com/

http://www.dyna-king.com/images/products/vises/kingduoscanB.jpg Kingfisher = $135



http://www.dyna-king.com/images/products/vises/Trekker1.jpg Barracuda Junior Trekker = $229

[k.hanley]

Say Hey Gary,
It's pretty hard to beat the performance (and price) of Renzetti's Traveller. I've been using one ever since they were first offered. I also love working on the Renzetti 4000 if you want to invest a bit more (very tough, well constructed, lots of space around the jaws). I use both for saltwater and freshwater designed hooks (all sizes).
Cheers, Ken

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Renzetti in Florida is the other brand of really great vises.

We carry most all of them in stock too.

http://www.renzetti.com/home.php

The 'Presentation 2000' @ $260 is their newest vises.

Most all models come in pedestal or clamp.

[Jay Murakoshi]

I've been using two different vises for two different applications. I tie on the Renzetti Master vise and the Norlander vise. The Norlander vise is a full rotating vise. It takes some getting use to but your tying will definitly go faster once you master all the techniques. The Renzetti Master has a comfortable feel to it when you tie.

I will be tying on both vises on Oct 6th at shop. I might even have a new Norlander vise by then.

Jay

[Hairstacker]

Well, as far as pros and cons, you should first weigh whether you want a "true" rotary vise or just a regular rotary vise. In this regard, note the design differences of the two vises Bill just posted a picture of. The Kingfisher is a regular rotary that allows the jaws to rotate but the hook shank will not remain in the same plane as it's rotated. In contrast, look at the bent-arm of the Barracuda Junior Trekker -- that bent-arm allows the hook shank to remain perfectly horizontal as the fly is rotated, which is often referred to as "true" rotary. This permits application of certain materials like chenille, dubbing, ribbing, etc., while rotating the hook instead of wrapping around thread. Some believe this is easier and allows more accurate placement.

On the other hand, many started on a straight-armed vise like the Kingfisher and like the way you can lay your left hand comfortably on the straight-arm while placing materials. I fall in this camp and use an HMH Standard Bench vise that I like very much for all of my fly tying needs.

Aside from rotary, since you indicated an interest in tying small flies, you'll want to examine the jaws and immediately surrounding area of the vise for good access to smaller hooks. Some manufacturers also offer optional "midge" jaws specially designed for small hooks -- the HMH and Regal are two such manufacturers that I know of.

You'll also want to consider whether you want a clamp or pedestal to hold the vise stem. I prefer a pedestal myself, as I like the easy portability aspect and haven't had any problems with stability, even though I like to spin and stack deer hair, among other flies.

In the end, there are other minor considerations as well but when you're talking about the quality of a Barracuda, Renzetti, Griffin, HMH, etc., I think it comes down to personal preference. It would obviously be best if you could try several out at a club fly tying meeting or at friends' houses to find out what appeals to you. You should also check out the large vise shootout in the fly tying section of www.flyfisherman.com, as well as a prominent poll/thread on www.flytyingforum.com, where 662 folks (as of this morning) have indicated the vise they use and many of whom have posted comments, positive and negative, with regard to the vises they have tried and/or use. You'll find the thread posted near the top of "The Fly Tying Bench" section.

Good luck! Buying a fly tying vise is kind of like buying a fly rod -- for some, it becomes a quest that results in buying several before they settle (at least for a while :) ) on one they really like.