can this vise tie down to size 26, the website mentions size 20 on one of their models. I am using a Renzetti traveler currently and 26’s are no problem, i am just very intrigued with their jaw system and the 7 pound base. I made a fixture to raise my vise 4 inches and the base sits in a pocket to keep from moving around under thread torque. It will have to be good for now, i just am eyeballing the Regal
I’m not a long-time tyer, but I have tied on several popular vises, and nothing, for ME, comes close to the ease of use of a Regal vise.
Squeeze the lever, insert hook, release lever, start wrapping!
If you’re gonna be tying mostly small, small flies, get the Regal w/ midge jaws. Yes, the midge jaws will hold rock-steady, size 26’s and smaller.
Merry Christmas!
I’ve tied on a Regal since they came out in the early 80’s in sizes all the way down to a 28 and up to a 4/0— I like it and I’ll never get another vise.
I was taking a picture of a fly and the hook snapped out and chipped the jaws (the first time)–the replacement, newer, jaws are smaller than the originals that came with the original vise.
I too am intrigued by the regal, I have a problem with the price they charge for there base, someone suggested the bigfoot base as a replacement. It might help your traveler stay in place
Eric
Check it out on Ebay
“BIGFOOT” VISE BASE BY “TERRA” FLY TYING FISHING FLIES Item number: 330261877847
I had a Regal. Now have a Renzetti Traveler. Stick with the Renzetti.
I tie 26,28& 30’s and all have chipped the midge jaw’s on both of my regals and now they want 40 bucks for a replacement jaw, I would go with another vise if you are going to tie small flies
G
would that be because the tension is set too tight on the jaws? are they adjustable? My Renzetti tend’s to wobble in the “rotating” part where it attaches to the shaft. Now this is about 6 years old, but still when you pay the kind of money that good stuff costs , it should work perfectly. These companies thankfully , are not building rockets. the equipment is simple in design and should work flawless. I really wish i had my own lathe and some other tools in the garage.
I tie on a Regal that has the midge head. You can tie a TMC 518 size 32 by setting the jaws to a vertical position. The jaws are too big for the old Mustad 277 jewel hooks though, since the jaw tips have the curvature at the ends where they meet. I’ve been tying streamers in hook sizes 2 and 4 lately with them and experience no holding trouble what so ever. I’ve tied all kinds of deer hair bugs in these sizes as well. I always use the back part of the jaws to crush the barbs down on my fishing flies. I’ve never had the jaws chip or spit out a hook no matter how small it was. As others have stated, you can always make something to either add more weight to the base or keep it from moving around if you don’t feel like spending extra money for the bronze version.
Merry Christmas,
Mark
I tie on both a Regal and a Renzetti Master depending on the fly. I have never had any problems with either vice.
To prevent chipping the jaws on the Regal you need to keep at least 1x the diameter of the hook wire back from the edge of the jaws. There needs to be that tiny bit of empty space between the hook wire and the edge of the jaws.
The Regal is superior to the Renxetti for tying egg patterns, rubber spiders, big deer hair bugs or any other fly you need space under the jaws. The Renzetti is the best for floss, chinnell, tinsel bodies, any palmered fly, reinforced peafowel herl etc.,etc.
fishbum
This sounds like a simple adjustment would solve your problem.
Regal jaws have no adjustment - what you get is what you get. Have you seen the Regals with the stainless jaws? I’ve tied on one, and the jaws are much “pointier” than the other Regal jaws, even the midge jaws. Tiny hooks should be no problem. From what I’ve heard, the stainless version jaws don’t chip…
i have a roughly 20 year old traveler that doesn’t wobble a bit. maybe all yours needs is an adjustment
Maybe 20 years ago Renzetti made a decent vise, but now they have a tendency to fall apart?
I really am interested in the ‘wobble’ of that vise and how you deal with it. Perhaps call Mrs. Renzetti and ask her? Or Ray too. 
flybugpa - here’s another option for you:
Bring your vise to the Tulpehocken Creek. I’ll adjust it so it doesn’t wobble. If the adjustment doesn’t fix the wobble, I’ll buy you lunch. If it does fix the wobble, we fish the Tully and I’ll buy you lunch.:mrgreen:
My apologies to all the Renzetti fans out there, but I’ve never liked the Traveler precisely because the rotary mechanism seemed a bit on the weak side to me. Having said that, I’ve used a Regal for many years with no problems whatsoever, have never chipped a jaw, spat a hook, or had any other untoward occurrences with this fine vise. I do take care how I position my smaller hooks in the jaws, and am careful about releasing the jaws so that the hook doesn’t shift position before the jaws close. As stated earlier in this thread, for smaller hooks position jaws in a near vertical orientation.
Enough was enough, I took the whole thing in the rotating section apart, found a disfunctional “plastic, poly whatevermaterial” washer cleaned it up all the way with 1000 grit sandpaper, lubed everything with super lube grease reassembled, adjusted , works fine now, no more wobble. in the last couple months i think i have overhauled everything that moves in my house.
Commercial tying does that to a vice. Sometimes you just have to stop and perform some maintainece on your tools.
fishbum