Griffin odyssey spider

[country52]

Has anyone tried this vise? If so, how do you like it?

 

[gfen]

I do.

It is a very nice vise that will do whatever you ask of it. I eventually augmented it with a Regal simply because I am so astoundingly lazy that adjusting the screws wore me out.

That said, I still own it and use it when my other vise won't hold the larger hook sizes.

 

[country52]

Thanks for the input. I'm looking to upgrade to a rotary vise for around $150 or less.

 

[dsmith1427]

I tie with an odyssey spider vice. I like it. I don't spend hours at the vice but it does everything I need. My ties range from hook sizes from 6 to 20. Most of my ties are in the 12 to 26 range.

Don

 

[DGC]

Very good vise jaws for trout size flies and the 2 knob adustment is a proven effective way to get good and tight on a hook. The array of delrin washers and rubber o-rings on the Odyssey can be a PITA to work with to set up for the feel you want if you really want to give the full rotary aspect a workout. The other thing that makes the Odyssey less solid feeling is the construction of the angle on the arm, which is via thumbscrew and sliding shim/bracket.

If regular use of true rotary is what you seek, spend up for the Renzetti Traveler and justify the 100 percent price increase by amortization over the years. I have to say, however, that the latest version of the Traveler has a cheap look to it vs previous editions.

I tie regularly on the Odyssey, but don't need full rotary, so that full rotation feel and consistency is not that important to me. I just like to turn it a bit to see the bottom of the fly or the other side, or to help wrap something that wold otherwise be awkward on a fixed head vise. Just that little bit of ability to turn is important to me, something I am reminded of every time I tie at a family member or friend's vise that is fixed position. If fixed position seems ok to you, the Odyssey's vise head appears to be the same as the one on the $40 Griffin 1a.

Speculative history. The Renzetti Traveler was a 2 knob adjustment vise when it came out, and the Odyssey was almost certainly Griffin's answer at half the price We are talking 15 plus years ago.

 

[afishinado]

Gfen & DGC own and use the vise, and gave solid advice.

The [d]old[/d] new Renzetti Traveler 2000 is close to your price range of $150.

The 2000 is new....actually old...lol. It is not anodized like the original Traveler.

I own the original Traveler that used screw adjustments and have tied on it for close to 20 years.

Check it out: Traveler

 

[PennKev]

I just go one of these vises. Nothing fancy but it works well. I'm accustomed to jaws that close with a lever/cam assembly, but the thumbscrew system on this vise works very well. Yes it takes a little more time (a few seconds) to mount a hook in the jaws, but once the jaws are tightened the hook is not moving. The jaws sem to do a pretty good job with small hooks. My previous vises have been embarrassingly old Thompson's and similar vises. I've also tied on Renzetti's and the Spider is no Renzetti, but it is great for the money.

Kev

 

[gfen]

PennKev wrote:
I've also tied on Renzetti's and the Spider is no Renzetti, but it is great for the money.

This is the best way to put it; if you're happy spending $150 or slightly above, the Renzetti is the answer. If you simply want a vise that will do the work and at the lowest price, I don't think you could go wrong with the Spider.

I add that when I first got it, I found the O ring on the jaws to provide tension to be offputting, it just seemed cheap. In hindsight, I realized that if it ever broke anywhere that I might've taken the vise (trip, etc) that I could walk into any hardware section of a store and have it up and running for under fitty cents. That has an appeal that fancier vises with all sorts of fiddly bits may not have.

The whole thing still reminds me of my first metal pipe with the bits its constructed out of, but there's not a whole lot that can go wrong on it. Six years later, the jaws are unchipped and ungrooved from plenty of abuse, as well.