I would like to know who’s using a Nor-Vise and what their thoughts are. I have been thinking about getting one for a while and recently sold some old hobby stuff (model airplanes) and am deciding what to do with the funds. Possibly a Nor-Vise ? . . .
I have watched all the videos on Norm’s website and Youtube. I am interested in hearing from users of the vise . . . I currently tie on a HMH Spartan.
If you are a dealer and sell other vises, and are going to say it’s a bad vise, please don’t bother.
I want to hear good or bad . . . . Just not bad talk from folks that SELL other vises. I would rather hear from users of the product. I should have underlined “dealers” in my first post I guess . . . I have read other boards and found that some of the bad posts were from shop who did not carry the NorVise which in my mind skews the opinion a bit.
My wife uses a Nor-Vise and loves it, though she stuill hasn’t learned to use the vise to it’s full potential. She ties everything from size 22 Tricos to 3/0 full dress salmon flies with it and has no complaints.
I bought the vise used (an older model) and had Norm upgrade the vise. What we got back was a brand new vise with all new components. He really stands by his tools, and is a great guy to deal with.
I can’t offer an opinion of my own as VEE won’t let me tie on her vise.
About seven years ago, I was tying on a DynaKing Baracuda (also a nice vise) and I had an opportunity to pick up a NorVise at a reasonable price, so I thought I’d give it a try. From the moment I tied on the NorVise, I loved it. I ended up selling the DynaKing simply because it was a shame to have such a nice vise going to waste.
My NorVise has made me a much better and faster fly tyer. I use the rotary feature on a regular basis and the automatic bobbins that Norm also sells are fantastic. Whenever I have to tie on another vise or to use non-automatic bobbins, it feels clunky and cumbersome.
When I experienced a slight problem with the jaws and contacted Norm, he immediately sent me a new set of jaws. His service is as terrific as his products.
As you can tell, I am a big NorVise fan and quite frankly, I wouldn’t swap mine for any other vise on the market. Just one man’s opinion.
I borrowed one from a club member to try for a week. Personally, I didn’t care for it, and as I was tying at shows for awhile, it was also cumbersome to tote along. I went back to my Renzetti traveler with cam jaws and am very happy. I should add that I don’t tie flies in any volume, and I can see where the Nor-Vise would excel in this regard.
On the other hand I have a good friend on this board who LOVES his No-Vise and found a way to travel with it without breaking it all down and stowing it. We often tied at the same shows and both liked our decisions.
If I were you, I would try to borrow one for a trial just to make sure you’re going to enjoy it, especially since it’s an investment of significant dollars. I think this is a vise that a fly tier either loves, tolerates or hates it. But that’s the way it is with all vises, which is why there are several successful manufacturers of different style vises.
We used to have one on the counter with the other vises. Guys would come by and ‘fiddle’ with most of them. We replaced the jaws half a dozen times in a year or so from them chipping. Finally took it off the counter.
I too am looking at the nor-vice. I am starting to get into classics and would like to upgrade my vise. But I do say that I love my non-rotary cam vice (I didn’t mention an brand on purpose). The vice is simple, grips well and does a significant size range of hooks, plus the jaws don’t get in my way. Im worried the nor-vice will be cumbersome when trying to hold materials by the fly with my left hand. It looks like the vice could get in the way sometimes.
Well I have a Saltwater Traveler with cam jaw and love it, but I decided to make the jump to a Nor-Vise and it took a little time tying with it to really get use to it, but I do like it a lot.
I even got the Fine Point Conversion because I tier a lot of crappie jig and the tail thing is easier with that. However eventually I got use to the regular jaw and don’t use the Fine Point that much now. I really like using it when tying with dubbing.
Love the speed even jut for wrapping the thread base on the hook. I have not used it to it’s potential yet for sure. All I tell you is that I like it a lot. Only wish the auto bobbins were less costly because I use a lot of different color threads so unless I am fly tying I don’t use it (auto bobbin) that much. Even if I had 3 or 4 of them it would be even better.
For years I have been using the automatic bobbin after a recommendation from Ronn Lucas on a post. Since that time I have been thinking about buying the vise. An opportunity came along some months back and I traded my DK Barracuda for a Nor-Vice with one of the members here on the bb. I have been very pleased with it. It is rock solid and should last a lifetime. My dubbing has greatly improved and so has my tying speed. It has a bit of a learning curve.
my tying table, anyway. Best Fishing Buddy bought it from Norm at a show as a present for my last significant birthday. my tying improved a whole lot; the dubbing is a whole lot easier and faster, and palmering, ribbing and all those other round-the-hook applications are just plain more fun. it’s really neat to zip the thread underbody down a #4 10X hook! just twist the the cylindrical rotating mechanism and let it whirl away.
yep, it’s hard to take on a trip if you’re flying, although there is a nifty travel case with base available. my latest purchase is a used Renzetti to go into the flying/tying bag.
auto bobbins: there is another choice from another sponsor on this board–Farouk Ekich’s really swell universal bobbin. i can’t tie without it! just swap out the thread spool when you change colors or types of thread.
I like mine and Norm is pretty good about replacing incidentals or adjusting the vice as you require. The auto-bobbin is what I love the most though. I’m sending my vice in soon to get it upgraded to the adjustable. I don’t see why the vice is hard to travel with either… I bought the travel case and it fits nicely into it and I just keep it on the travel base at all times anyways.
I even inquired about a parachute post and voila… he makes one that fits right onto the vice now…
I borrowed one for a bit longer than Joe, and had the same experience. Needs too much real estate to tie with, does not travel well, and pretty much requires those goofy (to me) automatic bobbins that I also never really liked. I know quite a few folks who have them but almost never tie on them. I also know a few who love them. I personally think they are best for certain types of flies, but not as versatile as more mainstream vises. YMMV.
Got a nor-vise for my tying table vise, ended up selling my renzetti and my regal.
5 years later still love it, and there is no one that backs their vise like Norm. Have you ever called Regal and had “Mr. Regal” answer.
JC, I can’t even imagine chipping a jaw on these, had a few chips in my regal though.
Versatile - nothing else ties 28 - 9/0 (yes I have) without changing the jaws. Nothing else spins, dubs, wraps tinsel or feathers, switches to a tube fly and back to a salmon fly vise like this one. I’m sure glad it’s not as versatile as the “more standard” vises.
There is a learning curve with the bobbin etc., however once you get the norvise paradigm you won’t go back.
Maybe tying in hand is easier to travel with but not by much.
Something we got from Norm that made traveling with VEE’s Nor-Vise easier are the clamps that allow the vise and bobbin post to be clamped to just about any table edge. Her whole travel kit packs down smaller than mine and she’s very happy with it.
The Nor-Bobbins are one of my favorite tools. Once you get used to the clutch system pulling your thread back, it really speeds tying on just about any vise.
I have a friend who owns a fly shop and had to put the vises in his glass display case because of damage by people using the vises improperly when he could not be there to educate them about the nuances of each vise. Now he takes them out individually, explains how they work, and them lets the prospect tie on them while watching them (Kindergarten). Problems disappeared. Go figure… No more shark hooks in midge jaws.
Norm is one of the nicest guys I ever dealt with! I would do it again for sure. He gave me so much stuff I couldn’t believe it and told me he wanted me tying on his vise and I have not regretted it one bit.
I have the vise, Fine Point Conversion, Clamps for both the vise and post, also a tray or what ever you call what you can tie on other than a table, having a senior moment here. The auto bobbin is good, but can make you mad as heck when you let the thread go back in when you don’t want it to, but I don’t use it near as much as I could. I use regular bobbins for the most part especially when tying jigs. Flies I almost always use the auto bobbin then.
He didn’t know me from Adam except that he could look at my web site and I did send him some crappie jigs.
I got my Norvise when I was really new to flytying. So most of my basic skills were developed while using a Norvise. After a couple of years, I had the opportunity to use a Peak and a Resetti (sp). I couldn’t believe how much easier tying was on my Norvise. I believe if anyone will give it an honest shot, they will be more than pleased with their purchase. I use the regular jars for size 10-8 flies such as Stones, etc. The spinning function puts down thread and dubbing very, very quickly. Since I enjoy tying the smaller flies most I use the smaller jaws for them. There is no need to use the speed wrapping functions on them and the jaws are perfect for the smaller sizes.