My HMH Standard Vise Review

Since getting the tying room unpacked and putting everything back into place I have had the pleasure of setting my vise up and using the new granite base that I bought for it. The vise is beautiful and I love the granite for looks and truly better than the pedestal in my humble opinion that came with the vise. Now I use to tye on a Renzetti master and hated having to always align the axis when going from size 16 hooks to saltwater and then to size 8 and so on. I also disliked that I had to put the Clouser minnow attachment on just to tye this fly. What I also found is that I never used the true rotary portion of the vise for tying flies. I used it for just being able to turn the fly to look at the other side. Now I had encountered a few other issues with the vise. So one day I pulled out my old Thompson Pro II pedestal vise that I use to tye and loved it. The trouble was not being able to tye Saltwater and Bass flies on it. It was great for trout flies.

So after numerous months of trying this and that I had seen the HMH Standard vise and just love the fact of simplistic and easy to use with minimal to no adjustments at all. So after giving it a try in person I bought it and never regretted it. Here is what I have found.

1) Jaws require no tweaking when going from one hook to another of the same size.
2) Small tweaking of jaws needed when going lets say a size 14 to a size 8. After that it acts like line 1 above.
3) This vise can tye all flies that the Renzetti or Dynaking Barracuda can. For most Trout flies I use the standard jaws. When tying tiny midges I change the jaws out in about 30 seconds or less and have a nicer access for these smaller hook sizes. For Salmon, Bass and saltwater flies I change out the jaws again in 30 seconds or less. This vise is extremely versatile and easy to use
4) I have the option to turn the fly and look at the other side when I want at any time or not at all if I want it to be that way.
5) Great hook holding power
6) nice material clip that is out of the way and handy when needed
7) I can angle the head up and down in my position I want to tye in very quickly like a Regal
8) Plenty of room for my hands. Now this was another selling point for me on a vise like this, because I did feel a little cramped on most of the rotoary vises that I did look at.
9) The vise is well built and it shows.
10) if one wants you can have a bobbin rest and or also add a back profile plate for it. It also has an additional option that you can purchase if you need the vise to be able to tye tube flies.

I do highly recommend this vise for all to take a look at and try. Now please understand that this vise and opinion are mine and others may love a Renzetti or a Dynaking or a Peak or Regal and so on. What I am saying is this vise is right for me and am NOT putting other vises down. I also used Renzetti to compare it to because I tyed quite a few years on a Renzetti vise. There are a lot of good vises on the market and this after searching and trying was the right one for me.

Completely agree with all you wrote. I either have or have extensively used all of the vises you mentioned: Renzetti, HMH, Thompson, as well as others and found that excellent quality and ease of use far outweighs the need for bells and whistles that you can really do without. I will say however, that you can tie very large flies on the Thompson if you get a set of magnum jaws.

Good to hear you're tying again.

Regards.

Allan

+2 on the HMH vises. Pure quality in every way and extremely "tier friendly..."

Jerry, aka hairwing530

I tie on a HMH Spartan and Fontinalis' review above is spot on. I have the C-clamp version and love it. I've had it for 14 years. For bigger hooks, size 6 and up, it is better to change to the Magnum jaws, but that is about it. Changing the jaws is a breeze too.

Alberto

Hi,
You mentioned having a granite base for your vise and I am wondering how you attached the vise to the base. Is it permanently attached? Several years ago I was trying to figure out how to accomplish creating a granite base and still maintain the aspect of using the vise in a c-clamp mode when needed. Since I am not a mechanical whiz kid and my husband is NOT mechanically gifted or even moderately inclined either, I set aside my visions of that project. I realize that the collar(???) which is around the stem at the base is not going to hold the vise stem securely and steadily without some sort of adhesive or screw or something. Would you please consider sharing how you made your base and maybe include a few photos or SBS instructions for us visual learners?? Thanks.
Gerri

Hi gerri:

Yes I have a beautiful granite base for my vise that I recently purchased. I love it. I did not build it and did not have the time to. I wanted something to make my tying area nicer on my eyes. That granite base for my vise was the solution. I bought my granite base for my vise at:

http://www.flyfishingcrazy.com/product/GF

Sorry no details on construction since I did not build it but at least some pictures for you to look at and a place where you could purchase one if you like.

Have a granite quarry up the road and they do all kinds of stuff with polishing and carving. Might have to stop in and ask them how it could be done without splitting the piece, it would have to be polished up first. They also have a bin out front of the factory that has pieces but it's really rough stuff!!

Would have to find a stem holder!!

Does your stem look threaded or does it look glued??

Might be a fun way to spend some winter hours!

Is the HMH vise a true rotary?

Ray,

Neither the standard nor the spartan are true rotary.

Alberto

Hi Ray:

You can turn the fly fully in 360 degree rotation. It is not a true rotary like a Peak, Renzetti or Dynaking Barracuda.

Fatman:

To answer your question both.