I was at the local flyfishers club fly tie night . No one seemed to have a brand of dubbing that they felt comfortable with a lot of them said they used to be able to get good wax but not recently . One fellow uses toilet bowl wax and swears by it . I just want a good wax . I have access to some bees wax , is it ok ?
Gnu Bee Flyer,
Rather than try and give a direct answer, can I ask you which problem you are trying to solve? This will determine the properties of the wax you are looking for. One size does not fit all.
Some tiers like to use wax, others (and I am among them) hardly, or never, touch the stuff. In my case, touch dubbing is the only time when I use any wax in my tying. For this purpose I require a rather tacky wax, but one which only thinly coats the thread.
Overton’s Wonder Wax is the stuff of legends. Off the market now some 15 or even 20 years, its passing generally lamented and the last remaining tubes hoarded. Other brands have stepped into the spot left vacant. Of those I like the tacky version marketed by Betts, and consider Al Beatty’s tacky wax a close second.
Overton wax is expected back on the market any day now, and its return is an event I will watch with interest. Will the legend take on a second lease of life, or have the meories been overtaken by time. We’ll see 
Cheers,
Hans W
=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier
On this side of the pond I use COBBLERS WAX , just pull the tying silk through it a couple of times and the silk is coated. By pulling the silk through the friction will melt the wax.
Brian
Overton’s IS the stuff and it seems to last for ever at least with me. I use it all the time and I swear the tube I have is over 20 years old and I guarantte it is less than 25% consumed.
I had good luck before with the type of wax they used to use to do layout work in the newspaper business. It was used to stick down cut out articles on to the layout template. The stuff is very soft and tacky but I venture impossible to find but maybe still hanging around at smaller rag sheets.
Also Feather Craft
[url=http://www.feather-craft.com/index.html:6a2a1]http://www.feather-craft.com/index.html[/url:6a2a1]
has a product called FC Furrule Wax which is really for graphite rod furrules but is very similar to the old newspaper wax. If you don’t like it for fly tying use it on your rod furrules, it works terrific. You’ll never again have a joint come loose.
You might want to try cross country ski wax. The wax in the red container is very tacky if you want that type of wax. Cheers!
Brian,
Cobbler’s wax is generally a hard wax, very low in tackyness. Nice enough to stain silk thread, and offer a measure of protection to silk decay over use, but for example next to useless for touch dubbing.
I think we still are in need some more information on what is looked for in the original posting.
Cheers,
Hans W
=== You have a friend in Low Places ===
http://www.danica.com/flytier
here’s my simple answer from another newbie tyer:
Wapsi Premium Dubbing Wax. Supersticky Formula. Orange Tube. Works for me.
Carmex lip balm.
I made some using proportions listed somewhere else on this site(in Marvin Nolte’s contribution to Trucos de Montaje). But as I said in another post, I think this is evidence of a serious sickness.
Buy your own, save yourself.
[This message has been edited by flyangler (edited 11 March 2005).]
I kinda like bowstring wax. Cheaper than any dubbing wax on the market, too (not that you run out of wax very often).
Dennis
Like Hans I hardly ever use it unless I am doing touch dubbing or working with rabbit fur in a dubbing loop. When I do need wax I use Loon High Tack Swax Dubbing Wax. Just my 2 cents worth to this post.
Warren
Thanks for all your help . I was having a hard time getting dubbing right . One of the guys from the club sat down with me and showed me how easy it can be with a little practice . I am much better at it now . We didn’t use wax and I seemed to do all right .
Guess I’ll experiment a bit with some of your waxing suggestions .
Go to the hardware store and purchase a wax ring used for installing bathroom water closets. This will keep you and your friends supplied with a lifetime supply of the best dubbing wax available. The 53 year-old St. Paul Fly Tiers and Fisherman’s Club has been using this for as long as anyone can remember.
[This message has been edited by stpaulflytier (edited 16 March 2005).]
RW here,
I’ll go with the Wapsi Super Stick in the orange tube too.
RW
“We fish for pleasure; I for mine, you for yours.” -James Leisenring on fishing the wet fly-
Try using what Mother Nature gave you- saliva! Works well, doesn?t stain thread and is plentiful. Wax is only holds the dubbing during the tying process after that it?s the wrapping of the material and thread that hold it to the hook.
Eric.
Do you lick the thread or the fur? 
Instead of wax, I use a little Mucelin when I dub my dry flies. It is better than licking my fingers and adds a little floatant while I am tying my flies.
Bamboozle,
It depends on the fur!! some taste better than others. LOL!
I’m a fan of the Loon Outdoors Swax. If you’re going to try it be careful though. It comes in “low tack” and “high tack” formulas. I much prefer the low tack version as the high tack will bond anything (including my fingers!) to the thread.
Thanx for the info Hans et al. I was able to find a tube of the Overton’s Wonder Wax on ebay last night, part of a set of stuff. $7 USD a good price for a tube 3/4 full?