What vise do you use?

guttrap

guttrap

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May 24, 2007
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51
I just picked up an Anvil Apex last night I tied up a few soft hackles and so far so good. I'm wondering about your perferences in vises.
 
This upcoming winter I want to get a nice rotary vise, not sure of the brand yet, but I've used one that a friend has and they are so nice/convienent to use. Right now i still use the clamp-style vise that came with my starter kit I got about 10 or so years ago. It is probably a $5-10 vise but it has produced easily over 1000 flies. Hopefully in the next couple of years, whenever I finally buy a house I can also get a nice bench too and maybe devote an entire room to my fishing and hunting passions.
 
I upgraded to a Dyna King Barracuda Jr. this year when my clamp vise broke after about 10 years of use. I can't say that it has made me any better of a tyer but I still really like it a lot. Most likely the fact that I enjoy tying with it and therefore do it more often, has more to do with it than the actual vise itself. I generally am pretty cheap when it comes to those things, but sometimes we just have to spoil ourselves.
 
I've got the old black cheapie that comes with most starter kits. It don't use the clamp, but instead the weighted stand. I can't say I have any complaints, but I just picked up a pack of size 26 midge hooks... We'll see :-?
 
I use a Renzetti Traveller (although I have no idea how to spell the name). It is a "true" rotary and holds an amazing range of fly hooks. It's on the inexpensive side for a rotary vice.

My second choice would be a good ole Thompson "A" that come in the starter kits. They are surprisingly good vices, cheap and they rotate the fly (although they are not a true rotary)
 
I tied with an anvil apex for years and loved it. Then just this last year I switched to a Griffin Mongoose ( gotten on discount from a friend in the trade), which is a true rotary and I love it more. But the apex is a fine vise.
Coughlin
 
I have a Renzetti Traveler rotary vise too, and I like it very much. They go for about $150. That's not so much for a vise of it's quality, IMHO, but $ is always relative, depending on what you want to spend.
 
Renzetti Traveller--I really like it. It holds different sizes of hooks well--from small, fine trout hooks to large, heavy bass hooks. And the rotary feature--real nice.
 
Another vote for the Renzetti Traveler vise. I've had it for 15 years now and have tied thousands of flies with it - from bass bugs to midges. I would recommned anyone starting to tie seriously to get a rotary vise, and the RT is one of the best.

Coughlin - finally got comfortable with your rotary? I bet you won't go back to your fixed positon vise.
 
I think you guys have sold me on which rotary vise to get. The two I was kind of leaning towards was the Renzetti Traveler and the Peak Rotary, which looks and seems similar plus they sell them at Cabelas and Bass Pro for about $30 less then the Renzetti. From your comments I think the extra $30 might be worth it!
 
REGAL THE BULLDOG OF BENCH VICES
 
Griffin Oddysey Spider for me, although I've probably tied more on the old "starter clamp" than on it. Not a bad vice for a decent price. BTW INF4EVA, what does the "INF" in your name stand for?

Boyer
 
Matt,
I think his name is Infantry Forever? I could be wrong, my wife says I usually am! :-D

JH
 
I might have to invest in the renzetti for a graduation present for myself next year...
 
Renzetti Traveller: I have had the vise for years and have tied thousands of flies with it. It is truely versatile in the sizes of hooks it will accomodate. I have tied 3/0 to 26s. It is adjustable and the only thing that I replaced is the O ring.

To me it is relatively expensive but well worth the investment.
 
Afish,
lol...nice of you to remember my putzing around. Yes, I am really comfortable with it now. Can't imagine tying without it. It's not so much that it's faster, though it is; it's the precision that works so well. Everything is just cleaner. I tie to enjoy and catch fish rather than for the art of it, but since I've been on the Mongoose, there's a crispness to my flies that I hadn't gotten close to before.
Coughlin
 
Gads! I'm darn glad I re-read the feed topic, on this forum!! I'd have SWORN, you'd asked "What Vices do you guys have?" Scared me to death...............didn't know if I'd have room to list them all!?! Started out with "whiskey, gambling and women", then while re-reading, figured out you meant "FLY TYING VISES"!?!
Anyway, I've been tying for somewhere around 30 years and have gone through a few dozen models of vises, in that time. I've used a Regal, and to me........... still the best built vise for the buck on the market............ for about 15 of those years and still use it for larger flies, like bucks and streamers. But, your choice of vise, really caught my eye, because I've been using an Anvil Apex now for small work, (16 to 26's), for three years and after a little "self modification", I love it!
The self modifications, I refer to is my adapting the Anvil to a setup of Dyna King swivel arms and brackets..making the vise do just about anything I want and need for it to do!
It's a great little vise, for the money and hard to beat for its light weight and packability.
 
I have been using the Apex Anvil for about 4 yrs ,I also have a Rensetti Traveler but like the Apex better
 
My bride bought me a Griffin Mongoose Christmas before last after conspiring with a good friend as to what sort of vise I might like. It replaced a $50 1970's vintage Orvis cam vise that I held together with pins from a Thompson A.

The Mongoose is a wonderful vise, but I don't use the rotary feature and probably never will. I'm simply too set in my ways and don't believe it makes that much of a difference anyway.

I do use the little springy materials clip that came with it though. It works a little better than the 2 ballpoint pen springs I had connected and was using for this purpose before...
 
Rleep,
Certainly won't argue with a man set in his ways, as I have my own :-D but you might be favorably impressed by the precision you can get using the rotary feature, especially on flies with spiral wraps.
Coughlin
 
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