I've been going back and forth about upgrading my vise and was curious if it's worth spending the money. I currently have a Renzetti Traveler vise that I've had for quite some time and am leaning towards upgrading to a Presentation vise. I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for, but does it apply to tying vises too?
Personally, I feel like a vice fits you. I have fatass hands so I can't even use a rotary because the back end prevents me from accessing the back of the fly. Anyhow, my point is that I like to find a vice that I feel comfortable tying on. It took me 4 vices to find one that I really loved, now I will never tie on a different vice. I am not the kind to want the latest and greatest either because most of the time, the improvements are not significant. You tie great flies and I would only change if you are not happy with what you have.
I hear you on that Pilot!! Like you I got tired of small hooks flying across the room and switched to a Renzetti. I know a lot of people who enjoy tying on a DanVise and may have to check it out.
I absolutely loved my Regal vice (however it wasn't a rotary). I rarely use it anymore due to its propensity to sling small flies out of the jaws. When I first started tying I started with size 12, 14, 16 hooks. As my abilities improved I started getting into smaller flies, especially midges. Found that anything smaller than size 18 was a candidate to fly off across the room as the jaws just didn't hold well enough at that size. Finally after chipping the jaws due to a wayward fly I sent the jaws in to Regal to have them replaced. While the Regal was out of service I purchased a DanVise as a backup. It is a rotary, its' cheap (relatively speaking), and hold flies size 4,6, 8 etc all the way down to size 24, 26 with no problems. I use it far more often than my Regal but I do like the quick opening and closing of the Regal and will use it off and on.
Not really necessary to purchase a high-end vise if you aren't really into the hobby. I've been very happy with the DanVise and would highly recommend looking into one and giving it a try. I do understand however that Regal may now be making a true rotary vise but I just haven't seen the need for it now.
I loved my Danvise too, only gave up on it because I had trouble tightening it down enough that it wouldn't move around while working on it. Might have just been faulty, as I've never heard anyone else mention this.
I owned a danvise and loved it, especially the locking mechanism. That said, The bulk at the back of the flies was too much for me... sweet vice for those who can use it..
I started out on a renzetti traveler about 1995,tied on that one till about 2006,11 years.Bought the 2000 presentation vise ,sold the traveler on ebay.Tied on the presentation till this year when i bought the renzetti master vise,never owned or tied on any other brand.In the 25 or so years of tying on renzetti vises i have not had one single problem,nothing comes close in quality and reliability PERIOD.
I really enjoy my Norvise. The Automatic Bobbin kit really makes this shine and stand out from other systems. You can usually catch them on sale from JSFlyFishing.com around the holidays.
Yes you get what you pay for, but don't forget that sometimes you buy the proverbial shaft when dropping big dollars, especially in outdoor recreation products. Most "flagship" items come with hefty prices with little advantage to the meat found in the middle. $10,000 titanium reel? Really? LMAO
Questions I would ask myself:
What does X offer that will improve my tying ability over my current X?
Do I really "need" the extra option I'm after?
Is the extra money really worth the upgrade I'm after?
If the answer is yes to all three I'd buy the vise.
Expensive vises will not break you of bad tying habits. lol
whats left to contribute? I have put my best flies up, taught plenty of noobs important things, and the "plug" as you put it are to further the future of tying. be honest this place is a ghost town from what is was. guess jumping on folks for nothing is still the way it is around here. peace out
My introduction to fly tying came from LL Bean’s Ultimate Guide to fly fishing along with a Cabela’s fly tying kit. The book, among other things, provided pages of the most popular patterns and the kit included an assortment of material and a basic vise.
On a serious note, go with what feels right in your hands, the jaws are the real deal breaker for me. Brand names aside, what feels right to you within your budget is the perfect vise.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Colorado Fisherman Forum
931.6K posts
21.7K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to fishers, anglers, and enthusiasts in the Colorado area. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, tips, tricks, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!