Which Vise?

[Plain Old Jim]

Yeah, I think a lotta good vices out there. Someone said you can tie a good fly on a pair of vice grips. Yes, but that is not what I want. And it is certainly not what I want to tie on for the next 20 years. I had seen some negative comments, saw some vices in use I was surely not impressed with....and not totally liking my current vice. Seems like the Traveler gets the most good comments...as well as the Peak, and a few others. Just want a vice to hold a hook, let me put my clumsy hands down on the shank to tie in material, and rotate in a good way to wrap material and inspect....uh...with a material clip and a bobbin support. Think all the good ones in the Renzetti style will do the trick. I appreciatge the people taking the time out to bother to send a comment or advice. It's great and more valuable info than a lot of experienced people may think. To one sitting alone in his room wit no one to talk to.....the info is very very valuable. Just FYI to all who take the time to post.

[ducksterman]

Hey Jim,
My memory may be wrong but it seems to me when I read about the Peak there was a limitation to hook sizes it would hold so they were talking about two sets of jaws...check it out I could be wrong.

I have watched Al Beatty's DVD [or video] on the Danvise and I don't think adjusting for hook size could be any more simple.

To me it's hard to beat for the price and functionality but it's not elegant...sooooo

I haven't had any problems w/ sizes #2-#24 w/ the peak's standard jaws. I suppose I could have tried to lock into a 1/0 or 2/0 salmon hook, but then I'd have been forced to tie something on it and remain burnt out on those type of flies.

that said, after a couple hundred flies tied on the peak I took it off the bench and have reverted to the renzetti traveler again. as I mentioned in that other thread, I'm just more comfortable w/ it, though that's no doubt the result of many years tying w/ it.

I think that ultimately, the deciding factor when you're considering a vise is your budget. if I wanted to drop $300 on a vise, I'd buy a dyna-king barracuda, if I wanted to drop $600, the renzetti presentation. $700 or whatever it runs, I'd be looking at the law. I'm not prepared to spend that much money on a vise and am more than happy w/ what I have. that of course may change this time next year.

I do know that I'll probably be tying flies for the rest of my life, when you consider that, even $700 is a rather small investment.

goodness gracious, I'm rambling. better shut up here and move on to my question...

mgj

I have one of those odyssey spider vises from griffin. Cost about 75 bucks at bass pro down here in ft. lauderdale. Works great. It's a c clamp with that wonderful rotary feature. I think it makes palmering and wrapping stuff a lot easier.

I think vises are kinda like fly rods, each to his own.

[This message has been edited by LedWater (edited 25 February 2005).]

[Plain Old Jim]

Well I found Beatty's website thanks to you all. Also found the review on Fly Fisherman. The Peak is a really clean sweet looking vise. But.....I saw Al Beatty tying on a Danvise, and it comes with a 12 minute video on how to adjust and use it. I believe it's the only vise he ties on and sells.....but that is just a guess. He also has several videos on tying....one on tying with a rotary! With a professional like him and his associates tying on a Dan Vise....videos using THAT VISE, under $100....I going to get a Dan Vise. The men who got one for $49 got a real steal. I tried to look at the vise from Australia....couldn't get to the web site. A solid looking piece of steel...but probably quite spendy. Thanks to all....and to all a good nite.

[Plain Old Jim]

Well men, you too JC....<just kiddin'> A little humor there. I know, as W.C. Fields said...."Very little humor"

I lied. I said I would get a Danvise. I want pedestal, for $80 u get c-clamp. For $150 u get pedestal, a wood work station that the vice mounts in and thus is the pedestal and 7 tools. I already have a wooden work station and the tools. I would be paying an extra $70 just to get a pedestal! And some review said it makes noise when it rotates. My biggest decision was Peak or MT Mongoose. I like boaf. I like the sleek clean idea/look of the Peak and if I coulda gotten near one to see how it fit my hands I would go with a Peak. But it showed no material clip or bobbin support. Web site said $129.95 bare bones. The Mongoose MT comes with C-Clamp AND pedestal...which I like and know cause I have the Patriot. Also looks like material clip is adjustable, jaw heigth is adjustable, and comes with FOAM LINED PLASTIC CARRYING CASE, BOTH MOUNTS, BOBBIN, BOBBIN SUPPORT, MATERIAL CLIP, AND HACKLE GAUGE! The Peak web site showed $129.95 without any of these, and a $200 price gave you an extra set of jaws. I would still have to engineer, design, and make or buy the material clip and bobbin support. The Mongoose gives me great flexibility as is, even more so since I have the Patriot. Interchangeable parts. The MT Mongoose will become my premanent vice on my fly tying desk. The patriot will go into the carrying case as my traveling vice. Mongoose MT won't look as simplified as the Peak but when all the settings are set to fit me...it should be the same...sit down, clamp in a hook and tie. Just won't look the same. (I sent an e-mail to Griffin asking if they had a conversion kit to convert Patriot to a Mongoose but never heard from them) Hard choice though. If I am not happy, my next choice will be the Peak. Wish I knew the price of the Dingo but couldn't get to their web site. Listed as a high end vice so probably out of my price range anyway, but what a good looking piece of work. Thanks to all for you advice and comments. It was tremendously helpful. Gave me lots of ideas and places to research. Oh, got the MT Mongoose from flytiers.com for $157.50 and no tax and free shipping. I think I got a lot for my dollar and what I wanted. One can never have too many bobbins, I have no hackle gauge, and I wanted true rotary, functional material clip, bobbin support in a pedestal. It make not look as sweet and clean as the Peak but I think it will do the job and comes with all the things I wanted. I don't have to modify and add accessories. Again, thanks to all. Well done.

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Plain old Jim, I'm Plain...and I'm old.