I am still using a vise I bought for 15 bucks at Merrick Tackle, when I was 15 years old. It has served me well for over 35 years. The reason I like it is that it can open and take a shark hook if I wanted to.

I am not a fly tyer. I tie lots of hooks but don't make a lot of fancy sw flys. I actually buy those. What I need is a vise that can take a big hook...like 7/0+. Mostly I make bucktails and tie bucktail and hackles to 3/0-7/0 siwash styles or 2/0-4/0 trebles for plugs.

What do you pros like? I heard the renzetti(sp?) is good but will that tie a big hook? Oh I need it to clamp on to a bench.

I would have put this over in the fly area but that area seems pretty dead these days.


thanks in advance.
jim

Dyna-King is my choice. Looked all over before I purchased it. Barracuda model. I tie five hundred or more teasers alone evry year, that doesn't include my own flies for flyfishing.

I like the Dyna King too especially for big hooks. Quickly followed by a Regal with the Saltwater Jaw.

I like Renzetti as well but not as much when a LOT of big hooks are going in those jaws. It can hold them it just doesn't seem to have the longevity the above vises do in severe service, which is exactly what hooks like that are for most vices.

Beyond that weld a pair of vice grips to a c-clamp. I'm only sort of joking about that. Vice grips easily handle even the biggest hooks.

Lefty Kreh wrote a chapter on saltwater flys in a book in the 70s about flytying, at that time he recommended welding a pair of vise grips to a rod on a clamp. Betcha it still works. And the price is right.
You might want to grind the teeth off somewhat though.

Renzetti's are good. Look at the Traveler series, which are less expensive than the Master series. Dyna-King vices are also very good. Their Trekker vise is comparable to the Traveler. Both brands will handle pretty big hooks.

Apex Anvil is my current weapon

I have been using the Apex vice for a few years. Holds everything I have tried from teasers to siwash to 5 ounce bucktail jigs. It comes with a base and a clamp. I think I paid about $60+ for it.
http://www.guideflyfishing.co.uk/Accessories/Anvil_Apex_Vice.html

http://www.guideflyfishing.co.uk/Images/Accessories/Apex%20Vice.gif

I have been using a pair of vise grips with a 3/8" rod welded to the side of the pliers. It interchanges with the standard fly clamp or base and can hold a 5 ounce canal special bucktail with a huge wire hook without movement and no fatigue. Beats the heck out of trying to force a humongus hook into a vise that was designed for fly tying.

Cheap and effective!:cheers2:

I think I am ready to move up from the homegrown vice grips...although I can see how that would work. I think I can spring a few bucks for a decent vice. Like I said, the one I have now is as simple as they get, it is almost like a vice grip but it is clumsy. After watching Lefty tie his deceiver on Latpews new DVD, I said...Damn! I gotta get me one of those.

If you do have the money, a good vise is worth the investment. Especially a rotary. I bought a Dyna-King Barracuda some years ago and it's worth every penny I spent.

I like the renzetti master been using mine for about 5 years , I tie mostly bucktails siwash in 1/0 to7/0 and trebles in 1/0 to 5/0 holds them fine. it comes in a clamp on model or a pedestal model.

I have a coupe vises. I have a Renzetti Saltwater Traveler that is a great vise like everyone has mentioned. I also have a Griffen Mongoose that I use for most of my tying. It is much cheaper and a really great vise for the cost. I had a Griffen Odyssey that I gave to my brother that he now likes a lot.

Any of these vises will handle the hook sizes you tie. I would definitely recommend a clamp on style instead of the base style. With the bigger bucktails I find the base style vise will shift around.

Charlie

As you know Smokey and I do lots of jigs. I use a Thompson Vision Vise. Its fairly inexpensive and comes with interchangeable jaws to accept small or big hooks. I tie Smilin Bills with an 8/0 34184 Hook with no problem. It is also the prettiest fly tying vise I have ever seen.

I built this last year out of titanium, I had it at plugfest. I used the Renzetti saltwater jaws for it. I took the best things I could find out of the Traveler and the Master vise they make and put them into one. The master vise they sell is $650.00. I said I can do just as good and only have to buy the jaws. The darn jaws are $90, not cheap. Renzetti doesn't make anything cheap. Thing is awesome if I may say so as I was using a $15 vise before and it was a royal PIA.
I am now in the midst of making 3 more, but out of stainless, as titanium is too expensive. Pretty much same exact vise. I had to spend $300 just for the jaws and of course materials and labor, but I work cheap.
My plan is to donate one to the site for an auction and probably trying to sell the other 2 eventually, although they may already be gone. I am no fly tyer by any stretch but IMO can't go wrong with the Renzetti product, but you need deep pockets. I really like the saltwater cam jaws as they will hold an 8/0 hook no problem down to a 4 . I mostly do tails for my plugs so I wanted a jaw that would hold the larger hooks. P.

If you make one, I'll buy it and buy my own jaws.

Bill

Still usine a Thompson "A" I bought in 1970. I tie primarily tail hooks for plugs and I can get a 6/0 Siwash in the jaws.

Like Piemma, I'm still using an old, cheap Thompson A vice. It's vesatile an clamps to just about anything. I think mine is 30 years old.

It sounds like the one you have, does the job, why change.

Paul That is awesome.It looks just like my saltwater renzetti.
I love my vice.good for small stuff and it hold my 5 oz jigs with 10/0 hooks.