I wondered what tools (apart from Vice, Hackle Pliers and scissors) you could never do without??
I am a tool’aholic. I love to buy loads and loads of gadgets which all seem a good idea at the time but never get used. I suppose I do occasionally use a whip finish tool, but even that hardly ever gets used nowadays much…
What do you like to use and why???
Bobbin threader. Saves alot of creative language when changing thread.
TxBuddha,
Hey,if you ever misplace your threader, just suck it up.
Allan
PS - bent and crimped 10 - 15 pound test works too.
The first thing I do after putting the hook in the vice is to crush the barb down with needle nose pliers.
Next, with some hooks, I sharpen the point with a stone, file, or dremel tool.
I also seem to use a razor blade quite a bit.
“Normal” tools other than a vice, bobbin, and scissors are rarely used.
Heat shrink tubing. I use it to push back anything but dry fly hackle when finishing a head. You can also use it with bead heads, does great on a prince nymph. It comes in many sizes. Very useful.
Keep tyin,
Bob Scheidt
In order of importance-
*Double-edged razor- for cutting and shaping materials
*Sharp bodkin- for adjusting materials on the fly and splitting thread and other materials
*Pliers- for crimping barbs
Bobbin- for holding and dispensing thread
Vise- for holding hooks
Scissors- for cutting materials (can also be used as a bodkin if the tip is fine enough
Hackle pliers- for holding hackle stems, ribs, etc.
Everything else is just icing on the cake to me, and I don’t have much need for it. Everything with an * is necessary.
[This message has been edited by OkieBass133 (edited 30 October 2005).]
I was going to mention my Sawzall, but then I realized you were asking about tying tools. Sawzall no good there 
Duct Tape, for picking up anything that drops on the floor.
Toothpicks! Handy for getting a wee drop
of head cement or epoxy in just the right
spot. Warm regards, Jim
Tweezers!
My Laptrap…A fly tying apron that has a raised edge that keeps things I drop from falling on the floor. Since I use very fine pointed tweezers a lot it has saved quite a few pairs as once dropped, and they always seem to fall points first, and the points are bent it seems impossible to get them back straight and aligned again. Also if I have just spent a good amount of time heat crimping and treating a mosquito leg or some other ‘realistic’ part of the anatomy I don’t have to search for it on the floor.
Oh and I forgot the family cat…
She finds every shred of excess material I drop on the floor!
[This message has been edited by TxBuddha (edited 30 October 2005).]
A razor blade for the one’s that are not good enough even for My box,mostly from trying to tie too late at night
G
One tool I have bought and have never regretted it were two cauterisers. As recommended by Oliver Edwards. I have one fully charged for removing excess material and one half charged for bending rubber legs… now that is one tool I could never be without any more!!
Quite probably my most important tool is a good bobbin. I can hold hooks with a C-clamp or ViseGrip, or with my fingers. For thread control, I need the precision of a good bobbin. I’ve tried the notch cut in the rim of a spool, doesn’t work well for me, I don’t have the coordination for it. Give me a C-clamp, a needlenose ViseGrip, and a good bobbin, and I’ll pretty much tie anything you want.
For nice bushy looking Nymphs. A tooth brush
and a cloths peg or two for holding bits and pieces out of the way of the action zone. Jax
I donot know if this qualifies as a tying tool but my magnifier lamp. The eyes are not as the use to be!!
Bill
My magnification viser with twin beams on them !!! Helps me tie more intricate 32’s !!!
I also use a bobbin threader on each change of thread. A pin or sewing needle also comes in handy for various things such as picking out hackles and for tying foam bodies as a support.
Dr Bob
What about a gallows for spinners and posts?
I made a midge vice out of a $10.00 cam vise and shaped the jaws with files to my liking. A 35 mm film case filled with steelwool, just punch the bodkin through the top to clean it.
I feel more like I do now than I did when I got here!
Cactus AKA “Lucky Dog (Pirate Name)”