Great Vise being Discontinued!

[TyroneFly]

Abel has discontinued it luggage, vise and rods. Made in America has gotten very expensive and cost passed on to the consumer went above the price point most people were willing to spend even for quality. Abel is currently focused on their core business, reels.

I have been a huge fan of Abel ever since I spoke with Jeff Patterson many years ago and found him to be a stand up guy selling great quality products. He has alway answered my emails and has from time to time sent me some free reel handles. I wish the new owners all the best and hope they continue to make some of the finest reels made.

[bowfin47]

I've been tying on this vise for three years. It's a very nice vise, but it is (was) priced out of the reach of most tyers.

Now, I don't make the big shows on the East or West Coast, but I don't think I've ever seen one of these vises in use at a FFF show or a club event, except by the late Michael Verduin.

Seeing new, unused, signed, "first run" vises from 1998 currently being sold on Ebay, really makes one wonder just how many were sold?

I guess if no one purchases your product, you too would drop it from your catalog.

Bowfin47

[Fontinalis]

The Abel Vise could not compete with Renzetti and Dyna King. I have tied in numerous shows and been up and down the East coast and have never see one in use. The vise is eye candy, but for some reason it is not a favorite. I will not say if the vise is good, bad, poor or great. I never used one. I own a Renzetti Master vise which is a high end and my friends have this vise as well or another great vise the Dyna King Baracuda. It just makes me wonder if there were quality issues with the vise or people thought it was over priced because it was an Abel. I don't know the Answer. This might be a Good question for the board.

Why did you buy the vise you did?

Did you ever consider an Abel?


Fontinalis

[FK]

I visited the FF show at Marlboro, MA one Saturday,,,,three Abel vises in use.

Note: I also have the Renzetti Master vise as my favorite.

Regards,
FK

[flymaker2]

....The vise is eye candy, but for some reason it is not a favorite. I will not say if the vise is good, bad, poor or great. I never used one.... It just makes me wonder if there were quality issues with the vise or people thought it was over priced because it was an Abel. I don't know the Answer. This might be a Good question for the board. Why did you buy the vise youdid? ........ Fontinalis

Great questions/comments. I too was satisfied with my vises(Dynakings) and thought the Abel was bling to the max. Never would stop at the Abel booth at the shows to check it out. Pretty jewel though. Then at one show there was this thin, rough looking fellow standing by the vise and he asked if I had ever seen this vise. So I reluctantly let him demo it for me. It was an amzing tool with features not apparent at a glance! He pretty much sold me on it and I nearly completely disassembled the vise checking it out. Really a neat;albeit a super expensive tying tool. I wanted one bad. Then I realized that the guy giving me the demo was a very ill Steve Abel. I had not even recognozed him.He sold the company right after that show.

So when I saw the Abel web site sale going on-I jumped on it.

Who else has one on FAOL?

[Fontinalis]

FK:

All I can say is live and learn. I have seen these vises at a show and of course in catalogs. I have never seen any one tying with it. You and I both have the last vise we will ever need. I will not give up my Master for nothing. Handles my classic wet flies and of course Salmon flies extremely well. One heck of a vise. Is the Abel vise that good or comparable to the Master. Again, my question is really why didn't that vise catch on if it really was that good?

Fontinalis

[FK]

My understanding of the Abel vise is that it is a copy of the Renzetti.

The story is that Steve Abel requested a license to copy the Renzetti Masters and Andy Renzetti politely refused.

Abel then designed the present model and offered it to his high end clients. I belive the introduction price was approx. $500.

To me for functionality, the Renzetti Masters, DynaKing Baracudda and Abel are very similar.

I purchased my Renzetti Masters long prior to the introduction of Baracudda and Abel,,,,absolutely no reason to change.

The only fly tying vise that still calls me is the LAW from the UK.

Regards,
FK