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If so, how do you like it?
I tie probably 10-20 trout flies per week (and some smaller steelhead flies in season), and it seems the rotary functionality in the Regal Revolution is sufficient -- that a "true rotary" (a la Renzetti) isn't really needed when I tie. I'm thinking I'd rather trade off the "true rotary" functionality for a more solid set of jaws like the Regals have.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
I’m not sure what you mean by “true rotary”, but as far as my definition goes the Revolution is a true rotary vise. Are you sure you’re not referring to the “Medallion”; which has a head that does rotate, but certainly wouldn’t be considered a full true rotary vise?
I have 2 vises currently, a Regal Medallion, and a Dyna King Trekker. I’m honestly a bit torn on which one I like best: for most of the trout flies I tie, I don’t really use the full rotary style much. There certainly are times, for some patterns, where rotary tying works very well; but I hardly think any recreational tier “needs” it. Honestly, my favorite quality of the Trekker is the open access behind the hook, especially for larger streamers and such. The main thing I love about the Regal vises is the speed and ease of mounting a wide range of hook sizes. If I’m going to be tying up a diverse group of flies in one sitting, I really prefer the Regal jaw system.
Thanks, Jason. What I meant by the rotary comment was that, in doing a bunch of research, it seems like people are using the phrase "true rotary" to refer to vises like the Renzetti Traveler (or your Trekker), where the fly always spins on the same axis as the the back of the vise and remains fairly stationary (no wobble), making it easy to wind things onto the hook. The Regal Revolution is similar, but if you tilt the head up, and keep the fly horizontal, it will no longer spin on the same axis as the vise. If you never tilt the head, then it'll be like a "true rotary" (so-called), like the Trekker.
Regardless, it does seem to have "enough" of a rotary aspect to it for what I envision tying.
I've thought about the Regal Medallion, too, but rotating that requires you to grab, twist, let go and then repeat. Just a little more work. But with a real, smooth mechanical rotary it's easier to, for example, evenly apply/cure UV-cured resin as you're rotating. Also to wind fragile hackle. I'm sold on the Regal jaw system, just deciding whether to pay the extra $150 to upgrade to a Revolution. These days I'm tying probably 10-15 flies per week, sometimes less.
Here's a quick Revolution video: https://youtu.be/V9MejlggXmY
I ended up splurging on a new one and will post once I start using it. Can't wait.