Originally Posted by
AlanB
Hap, Love that tool, how much are they, and do they come with the three saddles? The best material for a burnisher is haematite, The one I had was the tool used for laying gold leaf (I used to do some fairly serious calligraphy). Unfortunately mine was stolen years ago with a large number of pens etc. Now I use the ceramic tube of one of my bobbin holders.
Having watched Paul Little lay his floss bodies, as close to perfection as you will find, all he does is what Hans has described, with incredible attention to the details. He would have no problem spending 3 or 4 hours getting it right in his eyes. Even to the point where he will use extra floss so that the parts of it he handles do not end up wound onto the fly. I've even been present when he and other classic salmon fly tiers have had an in depth discussion of the best kind of gloves to wear when handling floss. More trouble than I'd go to but the results are amazing.
Cheers,
C.