720 vise

[ducksterman]

Anyone have any experience with this vise....720 Vise?

http://www.fly-wheel.net/

[bdesavage]

Played with one at the Fly Tying Expo in Holt, Mi in Dec09. Was unimpressed with it and felt it was over priced.

[Normand]

in 29 years of tying flies i have never needed a gallows tool for tying any fly and wont start now.

i also am comfortable about winding hackle around a parachute the old fashion way.

this gimmick is not for me

[freddyg]

I saw Vincent Su, the designer of the 720 vise, give a fly tying demonstration on 3/6/10. I thought the vise was really nice and did make tying easier. I was testing the newer version of the vise and it seemed to be of high quality and a good value for the price. If I could tie like Norman I would stick with the way I was doing it. For someone having trouble this vise could possibly help. If you get a chance to see Su tie I think you would really enjoy it. He ties mainly small flies, with absolutely no commercial for the vise. If you want to learn more about it you need to ask him after the tying demonstration. freddyg

[Ray Kunz]

I see no reason to rotate the vise assembly that way. The only advantage is in winding a parachute hackle.
Even then you would not be tying a fly, you'd only be holding the hackle pliers while the turntable tied the fly.

[Jayatwork]

And to think all this time I've been tying parachutes by mounting my vise in the center of a merry-go-round and rotating myself around it.

Seriously it seems like a solution in search of a problem. I think most people would be a lot happier if they just learned to tie parachutes the old fashioned way.

[NJTroutbum]

I don't see myself buying a vise based on it's "parachute" function. Any more than I see myself buying a rotary vise for a function that I have been doing fine with on a stationary Regal for years. I don't require a rotary function to palmer hackle or wind ribbing personally.

That being said, I watched the demo video and it looks to be a slick little vise. I say "little", but the whole thing when put together wouldn't allow my rolltop bench to close. I would have to break it down each day.

I have exactly 6 flies (all Hares Ear) in all my boxes that are parachute patterns, and they have all been there for about 2 years now. I can tie them....but I just don't fish them. But if I did mainly fish parachutes.....and tied alot of them, I reckon that vise would catch my eye. It looks well made. I glanced over one at the fly show....seemed solid enough.

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi Duckster,

As someone who started with a vise that was designed only for right-handed tiers and couldn't be changed for lefties like me, I suspect that 720 degrees may be a few too many degrees for me to deal with. In fact, I have found that 360 degrees is too much for me most of the time. I generally lock down the rotation feature on my Renzetti Travler and leave it locked. Don't get me wrong, I like the Renzetti but functionally I could just as easily be using my old Herter's knock-off of the classic Thompson A vise. I don't know where I heard it but the comment about "most vises being over-engineered and over-priced" comes to mind when I look at the 720 fly vise. Just my opinion! 8T

[Buddy Sanders]

It's a nice tool.

For someone that wanted to take the time to explore what it can do, and after watching video it's clear that the potential of this axis of rotation is still mainly untapped, it would be a cool vise to play around with.

We tend to get two basic schools of thought here (of course with all kinds of shading). Those that want to jump onto whichever new thing comes along, and those that want to stick to what they know. Both can be passionate about whatever new product or technique comes along.

Neither is wrong or right. There are as many ways to tie a fly as there are fly tyers. The vise is just a tool, it's the tyer that ultilizes it. The versatility and ultility of that tool is not so much based on it's design as much as it is on the tyers ability to use it.

Inovation happens, even in the hallowed and tradtion bound world of fly fishing and tying. Mr. Su found a need for a vise that did a certain thing well and designed one to fit his requirements. Like many people that invent something, he wants to share it, maybe make some money from it, and it's not surprising that he's passionate about it. If he wasn't, the vise wouldn't be there at all.

For those that like nice tools, I'd not be too quick to dismiss the concept of the 720. It will have some applications that aren't obvious at first glance. For those that don't use a rotary vise, or haven't decided to learn to use the ones they have, this vise won't do anything that your stationary vise can't do.

I do have some questions about the vise itself, stability issues with the table and strength of the 'gallows' tool mainly. I doubt I could spin deer hair with it unless I could bolt it down. I wonder how much tension that wire gallows arm can take (not for tying parachutes, but for other applications).

I'll certainly play with one as soon as I see one. Not 'sold' yet, but certainly interested in the concept.

Buddy

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi Buddy,

You've summed up the 720 question very nicely as you often do with complex issues raised in this forum. I strongly agree with you that neither the Thompson Model A groups nor the "we need a vise that rotates 1440 degrees group" is completely correct. When extreme positions are taken by two sides, the truth usually falls somewhere in the middle. The place where I disagree with your post and only with the genuine respect is your statement that one side or the other lets their passions rule and belittles those who take the other view.

When I answer a question of this type, I am discussing only my own experience and my own needs. I honestly don't expect to change anyone's mind or even sway them slightly from their chosen course of action. I understand those who take pride in tying with the same vise for fifty years and those who proudly and excitedly unwrap a new $600 vise. Quite honestly, I would have a hard time working up the energy to become angry about your choice or anyone's choice of bourbon, dogs, fly rods, vises or vices. I know we have an occasional fanatic but thankfully on FAOL they are few and far between. I detect very little hostility in most responses about equipment issues. Take care friend and tight lines. 8T