Vise Question and opinions sought

I am new to the tying art and this forum but I am already having allot of fun. I am about to purchase a new vise. I bought and like my HMH Spartan vise but after watching allot of true rotary tying videos I believe I really would be even happier with a true rotary vise. I am also an RV'g fan so I want something durable but portable and within reason as far as price goes.
I have four vises I am strongly considering. They are the Peak Rotary, Griffin Blackfoot, Renzetti Traveler and the Danvise. The first three are all within $50 of each other. The Danvise is about 1/2 the price of the Peak and Griffin and about 60% less that the Renzetti Traveler. Everything I have read about all of them is pretty good. My current 1st pick is the Peak. Then it is more or less a tie and that is where everyone's opinion and experiences can help me. I would like pro's and cons on each and your recommendations.
I am keeping the HMH but I feel I will do the majority of my tying on one of the above.

Thanks
Bob

i like the danvise, it is a true rotary and you can't beat the price. Comes with IMO the best c-clamp ever made for a vise. it comes with a material clip, and bobbin holder/rest. the vise is made to hold a wide range of hooks, and you can buy bigger jaws for those huge saltwater flies. the vice is made of delrin a type of plastic. don't be fooled by this though, it is a very durable vise. yes it is ugly. there isn't much space to work with directly behind the hook either, but this can be eliminated if u want. u can buy an extension for the vise which gives u more room to work with. they did have a problem when this vice first came out with the jaws chipping and breaking, but they fixed that. i have had mine for about a year now. any questions feel free to shoot me a PM

BTW welcome to FAOL
WWFF-Matt

My investment in my Danvise is $85.00 including the jaw extension. I have tied on hooks fro #2 down to #20 with ease (well, ease is a subjective thing ;) ) and have had no problems whatsoever in three and a helf years of use. The only reason I have not tied with smaller hooks is my poor vision with that small of a hook. Yes, they are ugly, not elegant in any way, but they fulfill their role extremely well. THe appearance of a vise has no relation to its utility. I bought a Renzetti Traveler and sold it. The Danvise, in my opinion, is a superior vise (with the extension).

I went through the same dilemma last year. I ended up with the Peak with some of the upgrades (brass screws, handle). I flat-out love it. I've tied everything from size 20 midges through 2 steelhead flies without any problems. The standard jaws are fine for all of it. I'm no production tier, but I've spent some time with it and am happy with my choice.

I recommend PEAK VISE. Well made and comes with a large stable base. I believe Cabela's now is distributor.

In fact both Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops carry the Peak. Cabelas also has the Danvise and the Griffin, DanaKing and Renzetti vises. I am heavily leaning towards the Peak and the Danvise is right behind it.
Will probably decide this weekend.

Thanks for the feedback fellas
Bob

I have tied with all three of the vises that you are considering. I was about to purchase the Peak Vise but, fortunately, I had the opportunity to tie on a friends Nor-Vise. It was truely a pleasure to tie flies at this vise. It is a true in-line rotary vise and accompanied with the Nor-bobbin cannot be beat in my humble opinion. I went back one day recently to tie on the Peak vise and was so disappointed after doing so that I will never tie on any vise from now on other than the Nor-Vise. You will hear that the Nor-Vise has more of a learning curve than other vises but it is well worth the effort when hackling or dubbing your flies. The Nor-Vise can be easily broken down and placed in the Travel Case that Norm Norlander sales making transport from you RV to home easy. Check out http://www.nor-vise.com to see Norm demonstrate the functionality of his vise and see for yourself. The Nor-Vise is worth every penny. I found and purchased mine from someone on another forum.

I'm sorry if I confused the issue for you but I don't want you to make the same mistake I felt I have made by purchasing so many different vises and then finding out about the Nor-vise. I hope this helps.
Thanks,
Terry

I vote for the Renzetti. Well made and will last a life time. I tie on two vices. Most stuff on a Renzetti Master and a ton of stuff on a Regal. Some things the Regal does much better than any rotary made. (think egg patterns and rubber spiders)

fishbum

I'll add another vote for the Danvise. For the $$ I don't think you can beat it. Plus Al B's contributions to the forum make it a bonus.

Mike

Between my son and I we have Renzetti, Griffin, and the Nor-Vise. All three are good vises and the first two were all we used until observing the Nor-Vise at a show. This is one of the best fly tying vises we have seen in action. It takes some getting use to but it is worth the money. I don't think any tyer that has one would regret getting it.

Jeff

I would second and third the vote for the danvise .. love it just need to find a source for the jaw extentions ..

The Renzetti Traveller is the only vise in your list that is in the same league as your HMH in terms of quality. The others are only relevant if you are very sensitive to price.

I love my DanVise & they are very well thought of by those far more knowledgeable than I. Check out vise reviews here.....
http://www.flyfishohio.com/Vise%20Revie ... ot-Out.htm

Another great thing is you can get yours from a great FAOL sponsor, BT Fly Fishing Products. Al & Gretchen will fix you right up!
Mike

I have to go with the dan vise as well. For the money you can't beat it. My friend has a peak and I tied on it. It was ok but the danvise once again took it out in all departments. The post on here that talked about tying on a rotery and make sure that is what you want was well put. I use the rotery feature a lot so take that into consideration also. Just my .02 cents

I bought a Peak about three years ago and absoulutely love the vise. In spite of opinions to the contrary previously posted a highly recommend it. It is a well made, nice handling solid vise to tie on. I would advise you get the pedestal model. I have both the c-clamp and the pedestal and never use the c-clamp. I take it on trips and it packs nicely and the versitility and steadiness of the pedistal are a big plus. I also find the white surface particularly nice for finding things you lay down on it.

If price were the only factor and money was tight I believe you could be happy with the dan vise. May hold very positive opinions about it and I'm sure it is s fine vise as well but having go through the same process as you all I can say is when it came down to it I bought the Peak. Good luck with your decision. Happy tying.

I've got a Griffin Montana Mongoose vise, and I've never regretted it. It works great!

Semper Fi!

I believe the final concensus is that once you learn to tie with one decent vice it is hard to move to another. I personally feel all of these vices are good tools and I love my Traveler (Renzetti). To make the best decision though, I think you need to go to a place that has all of them, or at least a few of them, near you and see if you can purchase, try for a day or two, and swap until you decide which fits your tying style best. Of course, when doing that insure that the shop you are working with knows they are earning your trust and business not only for the vice but for many items you will likely be purchasing in the coming years.
Good luck,
Daren

Quote:

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I love my DanVise & they are very well thought of by those far more knowledgeable than I. Check out vise reviews here.....
http://www.flyfishohio.com/Vise%20Revie ... ot-Out.htm

Another great thing is you can get yours from a great FAOL sponsor, BT Fly Fishing Products. Al & Gretchen will fix you right up!
Mike

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Mike posted a great link to reviews on vises...THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO START - has a number of reviews on a wide range of vises so there is a "recommended" vise for just about any price range.

One suggestion - get a rotary vise if you can...once you tie with one - you will find it hard tying on anything else...

Personally - I use a Renzeti Traveller and wondered why I waited so long to get one.

rmccord:

Listen to Mr. Sullivan and try one first; any brand to see if you like the hand position and REALLY need the "true rotary" function. I know more people who own one just so they can look at the other side of a fly. They NEVER really use or need the rotary function. The non-wrapping hand position is awkward too on a rotary. Even after 5 years of using one; I STILL prefer the way my hand USED to sit on my old non-rotary vise.

I use a rotary and do the rotary thing a lot but NOT for every tying task. For wrapping chenille and ribbing bodies it really shines but having the hook exactly centered isn't as critical as the vise manufacturers make it sound. Many vises have to ability to rotate the fly; albeit not on a true center-line axis.

BUT...

...if you think that "true rotary" is mission critical to your fly tying success and impossible to live without; pop a curved shank hook into a rotary vise; it wobbles just like a regular hook does in a non-rotary vise. If you can tie curved shank flies on a rotary vise; you can tie regular hooks on a non-rotary vice.

I'm not knocking the concept but some feel they are the natural progression from a regular vise; sort of like moving from spin-fishing to fly fishing. I say; if you like spin fishing; stay where you are.

In other words; rotary vises aren't for everybody.

I just want to comment that this Post is OUTSTANDING!!
Doug

tie a fly on your vise. Go to a fly shop and tie the same fly on all the vices they have there. What I prefer (Danvise over the Renzetti Traveler) is my opinion based on how and what I tie, how I hold my free hand and my tying hand. Have fun, too.

btw, sometimes I tie on one of those cheap things that comes in a kit. I tie on it at the coffee shop. Guess what? My flies are just fine - I adapt to the vise. No vise can overcome my tying flaws, but perhaps a certain vise complements my and your tying styles.

I have a half dozen vises (Danvise, two Renzettis, two Dyna-Kings, and an Orvis Baetis Premium) and have tied on all of them. I now tie only on the Renzettis -- a Traveler on the road, a Presentation 4000 at home. The Danvise was just too cheaply made for me and I found it awkward to use. I'd strongly encourage you to learn on a rotary vise and think the Renzetti Traveler is the best starter rotary vise out there.

you test drive the car you want to buy, then do the same with the vise you want to tie with. I have and use the dyna king squire it has served me well for many years and thousands of flies. Its not the fanciest vice in the world but rock soild for what i do and it wont break the bank.

I've owned Both Griffen and Dyna king and many other lesser vises over the years...I have NOT owned...But am looking to...A vise that is sold by Hook & Hackle that is rotary and styled like the older Renzetties...I think that or a new Renzetti traveler would be the way to go for the money....Alot of good advise in this thread!!!
Oh...And I'd take the Griffen over the DK of those two...I've used a friends Danvise and for my tastes in a vise....I found it just to limited in working space behind the hook to be of use in many of my tying procedures...Again, Solely my own opinion!

Bill's hit on a key point. I have fairly large hands, and find that working space, especially behind the hook, is a key factor in determining whether a vise "fits" for me. Probably my best quality vise, at least in terms of materials, workmanship, and sturdiness is a Dyna-King Sidewinder. But that vise has a big mechanism behind the hook that really limits how I can use it and where I can position my hands when tying. So, it now sits in a box, brought out only on those occasions when I have really big saltwater flies to tie and need jaws of steel and a really sturdy base for tying.

Check out the Dingo from down under. It's easy from here. You are already on the website.
Go to the FAOL home page
In the search box type Dingo Review and hit enter
Click on the number 1 topic that comes up and you can read the review of the Dingo Vise by Denny Conrad
Gemrod

another article you might find informative

http://hipwader.com/2004/peak-rotary-vise-review

arend003,
for the extension try ebay. just type in "Danvise"

If this hasn't already been said, you should also think about a vise in terms of what you're most likely to be tying and your style of tying. All vises will hold a hook to tie feathers on them. The main question is do you feel comfortable with what you are using if for? Therefore, as previously mentioned, you should tie a few flies on several different vises to get a feel for them. I began my tying on a cheap beginner vise with a head that didn't move. I reached a point when I realized my vise was preventing me from tying how I wanted, and what I wanted to tie, to my own satisfaction. That's when I knew I needed something different to suit my needs. If you're a veteran tyer then you probably have a good idea of what you need.
I hope this makes sense for you.

Checkout the Norvise while you are at it. I don't own or use one, but have watched tyers do some amazing things with this vise. Its rotary speed is second to none due to the centerline axis. Other rotary vices are not made to spin fast due to the offset position of the arm which will cause a wobble.