This post is not about which brand of vise you use. This post is about which vise do you use and why. Please allow me to share my response:
I have gone back to basics and simplicity. I use to tye on True rotary vises and only use the rotary function to turn the fly to look at the other side. I also hated on one particular rotary vise that I had to make and adjustment to allow a hook to be in a true rotary axis. I also found that my hands were cramped a bit on certain tying aspects of a true rotary vise. So that is the reason I switched over to my Standard HMH vise and have been very happy with it since I did. I like the minimal adjustment needed , Plenty of room for my hands to work and I can still rotate the fly to look at the other side easily like a true rotary. Most important of all is it hold hooks securely.
Now if I didn’t tye saltwater flies, Bass Flies and Salmon flies I would have stayed with my old Thompson Pro II pedestal vise. My vise now that I Own allows me to change the jaws out in 30 seconds to work on the bigger flies or change out the jaws for midges and the standard jaw for normal size flies. I finally found a vise that is right for me.
Please understand that when I talk about my vise it’s because it suites my needs and I am very comfortable with it. So now the question again. So why do you use the vise you do?
I use a Nor-Vise because I tie a ton of articulated flies and flies using brushes. It is impossible to match the speed I get without true-rotary. At first I used some of the many vises I have for special tasks like full-dress Atlantics and such, but I have not tied on a different vise except to demonstrate for years.
I have all of the jaw choices and have not found anything as good as the plain jaws for everything. I do use the over-sized hub from the large jaws just to increase inertia.
I use a J-vise, which I bought 2 years ago after seeing Byron extolling the virtues of his here. I have been very happy with it. It is a true rotary. Before this, I tied for about 15 years on a Renzetti Traveler. The J-vise is much more solid and hold a greater range of hook sizes more securely. I tie everything from 6/0 saltwater flies to 24 midges. I really like the rotary feature for ribbing, dubbing, and winding on other body materials.
Really? I suspect a bit of cognitive dissonance. While the Thompson was a good vise for its day, I could not imagine restricting myself to tying on one today. Of course, some are going to disagree…just as some will always disagree, probably because they have to…
A traditional style vise like the HMH has its place, but if I need minimal, I just use a Regal. Still prefer a true rotary with a cam jaws for most tying, but it mostly boils down to whatever is on the desk at the time.
I’m a huge fan of the Nor-Vise. From the first fly I tied on it, it seemed to work perfectly for my style of tying. I find that I tie faster, especially when wrapping the body of the flies and it makes it very easy to check what the back side of the fly looks like. I tied on both a Regal and a Renzetti before the Nor-Vise but sold both after I got the Nor-Vise several years back.
I love the idea that my Regal is ready to tie any size fly I want as I pass by. Maybe I’m ADD, but find myself tying one or two flies at a time a lot, and don’t have to adjust it. Do have a Traveler, too, and use it when I am going to tie flies that lend themselves to the rotary.
I tie on a Regal. I tied for many years with a Regal Inex modified to a base and just a year ago moved to a Medalion with SS jaws which are perfect for 95% of all my current trout tying. But if I am aiming to tie a lot of saltwater or bassbugs I break out the Inex again for the notched standard jaws for the larger hooks. The Regal requires no adjustment, and the hand placement and feel is 2nd nature to me now. I can’t get myself to leave the simplicity and ease of tying with one. No parts to loosen or adjust. Just squeeze, release and tie. I doubt I will buy another vise in my lifetime. Maybe a 2nd head with standard jaws for the medalion, so I can stop confiscating my sons vise.
I tie everything from #22 Pseudo’s for trout to 6/0 musky flies. I’ve vacillated between a few diff. vises off an’ on. Being a former tool designer (eye’s roll…big deal…) I have this thing about tools!!
I have an HMH and use the midge jaws for really small flies. I bought a Regal with the new stainless steel jaws for medium sized (#16-#20) flies b/c it’s open/close and complete ease and that’s really all I need. And I have a Snowbee-Waldron for the big stuff.
Don’t ask me why, I don’t really “need” three vises but as mentioned it’s part of my vice-thingy with tooling. And I’m afraid that if it changes it’s gonna get worse!!!
Why? I’d love to give you some technically driven tying answer, but that simply wouldn’t be true.
I tie a mix of Saltwater, Steelhead and Trout files. But that’s not really the reason I tie on the vise I use, any number of vises will do those things well.
Maybe its because when I started looking for a new vise I asked Cal ( Bird ) how he liked his, he had nothing but great things to say about it and recommended I try one out. But that’s not the real reason I tie on this specific vise.
It’s because a dear friend and client of mine presented it to me a couple of days after he overheard what Cal said to me. So I’ve been tying on it since.
It’s coming up on 25 years since then and I still think of them both when I sit down to tie.
It’s an early Dyna-King Professional and I’m riding this baby into the sunset.
Had to giggle a bit at wondering why you have three vises and were a tool designer… I have at least three different brands that I have at least three vises from and many others… Mostly I have been giving the better ones to kids lately just because I will never use them again.
I tie mostly on a Renzetti Traveler 2000. Prior to my purchase, I tied on a DanVise for many years, but wanted to upgrade to something that was still true rotary and could hold tiny hooks (the DanVise could make a #22 hook shoot across the room at supersonic speeds).
I still use the DanVise for very big flies.
A few years ago, I received a Marco Polo tying system as a gift. I use the vise when I travel and when tying on scud-type hooks.
I use a Regal regular size vise does everything I need large and small size hooks. Besides my fingers start to hurt after holding hooks for a couple of hours!
There are two vises that I use a Nor-vise and a DynaKing Voyager II. For most of my tying at home I use the Nor-Vise. The speed in which rotary tying can be had is head and shoulders above all other rotary vises I have used and owned. I like that I can go from stationary tying to rotary with just a movement of the locking/spinning hub.
For fishing and camping trips I use the DynaKing Voyager II. It’s small enough to travel with yet heavy enough to keep the vise in place for flies requiring a lot of thread torque. It’s also bullet-proof and should last many life times. I had a DynaKing Baracuda for years, but I never really could get fully comfortable with the tying angle. The Voyager’ tying angle is very comfortable to me.
I understand the two vise scenario one for home and the second for travel/camping/stream side tying. I have an HMH Spartan Orvis edition for my travel vise. Now here is my question:
Why do others tye on a few different vises at home?
is it because you can and love different vises?
Is it because one vise just doesn’t do it all for you?
Is it because you feel one vise handles tying a specific fly better than the other.
Is it because you like to collect vises? I know some people do.
I am not bashing or throwing out an opinion. I am just honestly and respectfully asking why so I can see the need for and understand multiple vises to tye on at home
Font,
I am one you refer to, and all of the above are true:
I collect vises because I like the different features of each.
I enjoy tying on different vises from time to time.
90% of my tying is done on a Jvice though. I believe it is the best fly tying vise ever designed and made.
Font, speaking only for myself, some of us are just scatter-brained and either can’t decide on using just the one vise for a favored fly type or just have this want to have a few nice tools around and switch it up. Either that or as I mentioned before, some flies are more enjoyable to tie on a particular vise - e.g. tiny flies on the midge jaws - or the fun of playing with diff. toys.
It’s part of the enjoyment of the game, much the same as bamboo rods. Variation. I fit all the above categories - 'specially the bamboo thingy - and most notably the scatter-brained one!
