I have had a Renzetti Presentation 3000 for 30 years now with exactly zero problems. None. Ever. It has the screw mechanism instead of the cam jaws. This picture is taken from the Renzetti website -
Why aren’t there screw-type jaws made much any more? I also have an HMH with cam-lever jaws and the screw-type is much simpler and easier to use, at least to me. Obviously, I must be alone thinking this way.
Joe
Joe,
I think it’s called “progress”, or “if it ain’t broke, fix it anyway”. I thought long and hard about replacing the jaws on my Traveler with the cams; never did because I couldn’t justify the cost, and don’t think I’ve suffered at all.
Regards,
Scott
Joe,
I have a 3000 and love it. Had a LAW - it used a star wheel, sorta similar. My Matthias is also the screw type tightener.
My traveler screw jaws were small and hard to grab, and I was tickled to get the cam - probably added 5 years to my life.
Vises are so subjective… For decades I used many different vises in many different ways and usually had at least a half-dozen ready for specific functions at any given time. Today almost all of those vises are still here, but boxed and put away, unused for many years.
I gave a youngster a R. Traveler the other day and apologized… My son got a Nor-Vise when he was young enough to get the most from it. I took to the Nor-Vise very begrudgingly. Too many tens of thousands of flies tied on too many vises with preconceptions of where my hands should be left me thinking the vises needed to conform to my “style” and I stuck to it…
After a significant bit of time and struggle it came to me that adaption was going to have to be my game.
Once again, hardheadedness was not a virtue, advantage, or even mild deficit…
Aside from impromptu demonstrations in a local fly shop it has been 8 months since I tied a single fly on a vise other than the Nor-Vise. Recognizing what my son was doing on the Nor-Vise I realized I needed to shut-up and watch. I have not tied a dozen flies on a non-Nor-Vise per year for the last four years.
Regardless the flies one ties there is a very simple set of facts that one must admit to…
All vises that are not true rotary need not apply…
All true-rotary vises that do not spin freely do not need to apply…
There is nothing the Nor-Vise cannot do as well as any other vise…
No other vise does as many functions as well as the Nor-Vise…
I have no problem answering any and every aspect of the above claims.
In the spirit of total transparency and honesty I admit Norm has been extremely generous to the three organizations I have supported; The Alaska Fly Fishers, Casting for Recovery, and Project Healing Waters. He also gave me a Nor-Vise after I told him I was going to buy one. I consider Norm and his wife good friends.
There are three Nor-Vises set-up right now on my tying table and they do everything I need with only the occasional quick change. One does general service and has a large hub from a large-jaw set driving a standard jaw. Another is set up for making brushes with the larger hub and a Nor-Vise table. The third is just for furling; a return-loop eye salmon hook allows me to slide my material in and out when furling various Sulky threads, Flashabou, KrystalFlashes, and other synthetics…
Another Nor-Vise used to be used for the tube-fly conversion but frankly, it was a waste because the swaparoo can be made in less than a minute if you loaf. That vise is now used as my traveling vise and is set up at a local fly shop on Thursday Night Tie-Ins (Mossy’s on Dimond Blvd in Anchorage) and at monthly AFF Tie-ins.
Do not call Norm and ask for the large hub unless you want to be accused of listening to some goof-ball from Alaska… 
art
And back to our regularly scheduled program…
I have four vices, two cam and two with screws. Give me the cam any day. Once the jaws or set, cams just make it easier to tie more flies of the same size.
Hi all,
When I purchased my first Renz. Traveler the jaws came with the screw type jaws. I purchased the larger polished aluminum knob for the back screw thus upgrading a bit but was unable to resolve issue with the smaller forward knob. I also purchased the cam jaws when they came out but I still prefer the screw knobs.
Gerri
Looking at Joe’s photo of his vice the reason for the change seems obvious. The redesign wasn’t done to change the method of operating the jaws. Two plate jaws, as are used on the newer Renzetti models, are simpler to produce and give a greater mechanical advantage over the old type jaws. The change to a lever action is a result of changes made for other reasons. Not a rejection of the screw operation itself. The tooling and production costs of producing the new style jaws will be much less than the old style ones. The housing for the jaws has, effectively, been removed. The new jaws will not take much more producing than just the inner jaws of the old one. Making less components will have cut the cost dramatically.
Cheers,
A.
I have a Renzetti presentation, as shown in the first post, and tied on it for 2-3 years, before retiring it.
For hooks in the standard trout size range the standard set of jaws worked well enough. The midge jaws also performed fine. The heavy jaws, well, not that suited. Larger hooks require a good amount of force (compression marks in the palm of my hand) to hold them securely, and in this case “larger” maxes out with hooks #2.
Okay, I got windy! :oops:
Love your passion, Hap.
Me too, but then, my journey has lead me to the same place, sitting in front of a Nor mostly.
To the OP, I owned a Price Vise back in the early 80s, I believe they are being made again if you’re looking for that kind of vise.
Gerri,
Have you considered replacing that front thumbscrew? You can find larger-headed ones like this from lots of vendors
Still a 6-32 screw and length is the same, 8mm; the head is 2mm wider than the Renzetti so it should be easier to grab, but not interfere with tying.
Regards,
Scott