Expensive tying tools...

The thread about Dental Loupes brought this to mind.

How many of you have an 'expensive' tool, something that isn't designed for fly tying, but that you've appropriated for your tying use?

I have a jeweler's tool that a friend gave me. It's a hot 'wand' that has a variable heat control box. It's intended use is in the carving of wax 'masters' for casting gold and silver. I use it for burning holes into deer hair bugs for eyes, triming stray fibers, putting bends in legs, etc.. A soldering gun or wood burner would work for this, but it's such a cool tool and the variable heat feature means I don't overheat things when I use it. A 'new' one is several hundred dollars.

Anyone else use anything unusual and expensive for fly tying?

Buddy

Mr. Buddy, I did woodcarvings for years and I have a device I used for burning hair and feather details in wood. I bought mine about 30 years ago and only paid $75 for it. Never had the faintest idea I would one day use it to aid me in fly tying. Like you said it has a reostat, to control temp and it works really well. mathcarver

I have two arterial clamps that I use for hackle pliers. It is the same instrument that The Dette's have used for years. They cost anywhere from $35- to$$$$

All my flytying scissors and tweezers, hemostats are made in Sweden or west Germany purchased from medical instrument distributors .

I have a 'Switch-Blade' barber's scissors, that have replaceable razor sharp blades 55mm blades. The blades ends are rounded, so the barber will not accidently poke the customer in the ear or eyes. Unlike the normal fly tying scissors, there is no gap where the blades edges meet when removing tag ends from the fly pattern. I was given the scissors by my barber (Mike) and I use them anytime I need a clean cut, with no tags left hanging on the pattern. In Minnesota they have stores that only sell to licensed Barbers and Cosmotoligists, and there are some that are open to the public. Last time I checked the replacement blades were $15, and buy scissors w/ blades was $60. ~Parnelli

i'd say it's a relative thing. to someone on a fixed income a 12 buck pair of scissors is expensive.

Wes, you are so right about that.

I have a Foredom rotary tool that I use exclusively for my powered dubbing twister. Original price of the tool is $300. That being said, I picked up the Foredom tool for a few bucks off of Craig's list so I don't feel like I wasted a ton of money just to add power to my dubbing brush twister.

Jim Smith