I'm looking to upgrade my tying vise. Any suggestions or vises available? I'm a lefty and I am drawn to a rotary vise like the DynaKing, Renzetti, or a Law. Thanks, Mike C.

Good luck on the Law he stopped making them some time back and when one show up for sale its for north of 2500 at least that is what the last one I saw for sale and the biding was not over yet! Dyna King is good I have one for thirty years now, along with an HMH and a Regal! I think you will be happy with any one of these! The regal was my first good vise and I still tie on it, you can't go wrong with one!

I've been to the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset, NJ a few times, and I noticed many of the featured tiers use Regal vises. My unscientific guess is that there are more Regals being used there than any other vise.

I asked one of them what made the Regal vise so popular with these professionals, and his answer was along the lines that they simply work, with "simply" being the operative word. Squeeze lever, insert any size hook, and start tying. No muss, no fuss.

Also, many of these accomplished tiers are very efficient in how they tie (e.g. tying with two pairs of scissors in one hand at all times), and they seem to like resting their off hand on the rectangular platform of the Regal vise, where it is always at the ready to manipulate materials.

With that said, I use an older HMH.

I've got a Renzetti, it's a nice vise.......light and portable too....
I've taken it on many San Juan trips.....

Go zags, Which Renzetti model do you use?

Gonzaga which Renzetti are you using?

Traveler 2200 vise

regal medallion. A bit heavier than the renzetti but bullet proof

I have used all of the listed vices and have several different vices. About five years ago I switched to a Nor-Vise and have not looked back.

I tie almost every day and tie everything from small stuff through saltwater and a lot of full--dress Atlantics and speys.

There is nothing you cannot do on the Nor-Vise and there is a lot you cannot do on each of the other listed vises. Especially on large articulated flies it is a huge speed advantage.

The Regal only allows you to look at the back side, it is not a true rotary vise.

The LFS sells a lot of Regals but they have them ground at the factory with a longitudinal slot in the jaws to hold shanks.

I too have a nor vise.....they are nice....

LFS?

LFS - local fly shop.

According to Regal's website, their latest "Revolution" vise is a true in-line rotary vise.

If you scroll down on the page in the link below, Regal has a video showing the true rotary operation. They note the times in the video where the rotary function is most apparent. I saw this same guy tying yesterday at the Fly Fishing Show in NJ. After attending the show, I need to amend my earlier statement about thinking that Regals were the most prominent vise used by professional tiers. Now I am almost sure that there are more Regals in use than all other vises combined. They are either giving them away to tiers or there must be something good about them.

Regal Revolution

The first time I saw a Nor-Vise in use about 10 or 15 years ago, it just about blew my mind, which is really saying something because we are talking about a vise, for Pete's sake. I thought for sure I needed one, but I mostly tie smallish trout flies, and I've been getting by fine without a rotary vise. Maybe some day....

It took me a while to get used to the Nor-Vise as I had been tying for about 50 years. My son was the motivation for me to stick with it. These days it seems strange tying on anything else.

The Regal Revolution has so much lop-sided mass it requires far more energy to rotate and stop. I use the standard jaw on the Nor-Vise but add the larger hub from the large jaw set. It really works better.

Regal will let anyone on their "pro staff" if they just call them and say they are demonstration tiers and teachers...

Has anyone used the Abel vise?

I have used them quite a bit... Hard to see the difference between all of the better look alikes. The hook slipping you sometimes get with the R Traveler is greatly reduced. It is a very well-made vise.

I have a Renzetti Traveler 2200 - like it enough. Not looking to change anyway.

Have to admit tho - all I tie are glow bugs and the occasional Wooly Booger and some Zonker pike flies. Nothing huge or articulated.

Watching my son (Riley) tying buggers was what put me over the edge and made me get the Nor-Vise. I am no slouch for speed when tying, once was timed on a hundred Adams at 90 seconds per each... but Riley blew me out of the water.

My OCD is not for everyone! The Nor-Vise is the best vise to start on, IMO...

I have been using a Renzetti traveler for over 20 years. Thousands of flies and it still is going strong.
My Regal is over 30 years old and I use it for many larger flies like saltwater and bass or trolling streamers. The only downside to a regal is the soft jaws which means if you tie small flies you better be real careful or you will chip the jaws. I have gone through two sets of jaws and my current ones have a chip.

I have to say, these posts have been awesome. "Thank you" to all who have participated.

A couple years back I was wanting a new one, but could fine nothing manufactured in the US. Has that changed?

Regal Engineering, Orange MA

I got mine because it's what the guys at my LFS used/use and I wanted to be a bad assed fly guy like them.

https://www.renzetti.com/index.php/vises-189/traveler-series are made in the US. I have the traveler and I've been very pleased with it even though I'm not as skilled as many here on actually using the rotary feature!

I've tied thousands of flies over 25 yrs and I wanted my own rotary one day. Your comments have been a great help. I really considered the Traveler (Orvis has them at 168.00), but, ended up with an Abel. It's well made, American, hefty, and easily changed from left to right hand. Plus, the makers, Steve and Gina, we're so accommodating. Please continue the tread - I've learned a lot from your experience and wisdom . . .
Mike

Well, did it work? Are you bad assed?

Hey Sitka, Teal is "bad assed" not me! Maybe I'll be too . . . someday

I guess you cannot be bad-assed until you can tie the Sex Dungeon, the Bitch Creek, and the Hemrhoidal Mouse...

I use a standard Regal for much of my tying. Also have and use the Renzetti Traveller rotary vise, mostly for smaller dry flies. Can't go wrong with either vise.

FWIW I still have, and occ. use my first vise, a Thompson A.
Had it since 1974 when I started tying.

Hey Sitka, how familiar are you with the queen of the waters, golden witch and, of coarse, the Montreal whore?

Very familiar with all of the listed flies, and many, many more... I am far beyond the biggest tying whore you have ever heard of...

No.

Glo bugs mostly.

Honestly - I liked the vice and it works for what I do. I don't fly fish a ton but the guys at the LFS do and they've been garnering more attention from magazines and the like for their smallmouth guiding.