McPhail is a really great tier and teacher. Been watching his videos for several years. Really admire his skills.
Interestingly, he posted on Facebook that he will now be tying with a Regal vise in his demo’s.
He ordinarily ties on a LAW vise. He said he thought he should tie on a vise which is available to most tiers.
Sorta interesting decision, I thought.
I guess it is because the LAW takes away from the tying techniques he presents as he reports that the most often asked question is “What vise is that?”… …
Interesting to me because of all the vises better than Regal to choose from. In my opinion the Regals would not come close to being selected.
There are very few vices I have not owned (LAW being one of them) and far fewer I have not tied on. I still own a fair assortment of brands and models.
I don’t think he was choosing the “best” vise. Just one most were familiar with and would concentrate more on the fly than the vise. I think that was the point of his switch.
Wow, that is very surprising to me… I have been following Davie on YouTube for years. At one time he and I discussed vises and he encouraged me to buy a LAW vise and I am happy that I did… To each his own, things change… Davie is the best fly tier I know of…
Agree Doug, he is the best.
Again, it is not because he prefers the Regal over his LAW, it is just that he found its use and somewhat unfamiliarity amongst viewers distracted their attention, plus the fact folks can’t buy one…except a used one.
His actual words:
“Hi Everyone,This is the vise I’m going to be using for now as I feel I should be tying with a vise that you can buy rather than one you can’t as it’s one of the most asked questions I get here and on youtube is “what vise do you use?”… As I use a Law Vise which is no longer being made then it is only fair that I use something tyers can buy and the Regal I feel is one of the good vise’s available that I have recommended to many tyers…
All the very best Davie…”
I tend to agree with Billy. I also wonder why it is people ask, “What vice is that?” Quite often, I suspect, it is that they think that by getting the same tools they can magically acquire the same skills. It truth it makes little difference. If you are looking at the vice when watching a demonstration or video, you are looking at the wrong thing. Teaching fly tying has taught me that observation isn’t a common skill.
When I teach a course, using vices I provide, no two vices are the same. This is deliberate, done to give the students experience of different vices, at each class everyone uses a different vice (including me). The least they learn from this is that they don’t like a particular vice. It helps them make an informed decision when they buy their own.
Charlie Jardene made a similar post recently, though he settled on the Petitjean vice.
I watch a lot of Davie’s fly tying videos and until this post, I never knew he was using a LAW vise! I guess I was concentrating on the tying part of the video and not the vise. The only tools I try to observe is the hand tools and just watch to see how someone else is using them. I have picked up several tips on the use of the hand tools on videos but I never worried about what vise the tyer was using since all it was doing was holding the hook.
I doubt it. I take him at his word.
He’s above that.
Interesting note: Blue Ribbon Flies have used a Regal in the shop for many years. Jacklin also uses a Regal.
I think a number of production tiers use Regals. It was my first "good " vise about 30 or so years ago. The original heavy bronze based model.
I spent my first 23 yrs of tying with the Regal INEX on the right. Bought and sold most of the others during that period as well looking for an upgrade. And on my 50th birthday I finally did upgrade to the Regal on the left. The same one in Mr. McPhail’s video. The SS Medallion was the only vise that I considered to be a better vise.
Davie is doing a good thing. He is showing that you don’t need premium equipment to do a good job.
Too many of us are caught up in, “A ford is a good car but a BMW is better.” even though it doesn’t make you a better driver. I’d like to see some tying videos where the vise was an old Thompson.
