Good price?

Hello all,
I'm de-lurking here for a moment to ask a very basic question. I'm
really just a beginner at tying, and the vise I use came in one of those
kits. (My wife actually bought the kit; she's since lost interest and I
acquired another hobby I didn't need.)

Anyway, I saw Thompson "A" and "Pro" vises on clearance this week. They
were marked at about $28.00, if I remember correctly. There was also one
with a pedestal (Pro II?) at $38, or was it $48?

I mentioned to my wife that I thought of buying one, and she says I'm an
idiot for not doing so. She thinks I should get the pedestal model,
though, which I really didn't look at. I think for our basic tying, the
C-clamp would be fine.

I've been tying mainly streamers and terrestrials so far, with the
occasional attempt at spinning deer hair thrown in. (Spinning is
definitely a problem with the cheap vise we have.) I won't rule out
tying some dry flies eventually, though.

So, are these good prices? Would I be making a mistake buying any of
them?

And no, I won't tell you where I saw them until I've had a chance to buy
one!

-Randy
--
Randy R. Griffin
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

"Randy Griffin" wrote in message
...
Anyway, I saw Thompson "A" and "Pro" vises on clearance this week. They
were marked at about $28.00, if I remember correctly. There was also one
with a pedestal (Pro II?) at $38, or was it $48?

That's a good price.

Pedestal vs. clamp is all up to you. I like both. I would get the clamp
model and add a pedestal (or vice versa).

Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

Like the Pflueger Medallist fly reel (I am an old fan of these), the
Thompson A vise (I am an old fan of these too) was the big deal many years
ago. Today both the Medallist fly reel and the Thompson A or Pro vise are
not built like they use to be 30 to 40 years ago.

Our gray haired veteran fly tying instructor told me that the new Thompson A
or Pro vise no longer hold a hook well. The fact is they don't use the same
metal they uses 30 or 40 years ago when they were made famous. We still
carry them but the low end Griffin vises @ ~$35US (made in the USA) are a
better value.

If you can find an old Medallist reel or old Thompson vise that has not been
used up, it is a good thing. It is the new stuff that is now not a good
thing. If the Thompson A vise or Pflueger Medallist fly reel where the same
quality as they were 40 years ago, they would have to be over $100, not $35.

Don't buy vises made in Indian either. They are worse than the new Thompson
A or Pro. It is all about the metal they use.

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Randy Griffin" wrote in message
...

Hello all,
I'm de-lurking here for a moment to ask a very basic question. I'm
really just a beginner at tying, and the vise I use came in one of those
kits. (My wife actually bought the kit; she's since lost interest and I
acquired another hobby I didn't need.)

Anyway, I saw Thompson "A" and "Pro" vises on clearance this week. They
were marked at about $28.00, if I remember correctly. There was also one
with a pedestal (Pro II?) at $38, or was it $48?

I mentioned to my wife that I thought of buying one, and she says I'm an
idiot for not doing so. She thinks I should get the pedestal model,
though, which I really didn't look at. I think for our basic tying, the
C-clamp would be fine.

I've been tying mainly streamers and terrestrials so far, with the
occasional attempt at spinning deer hair thrown in. (Spinning is
definitely a problem with the cheap vise we have.) I won't rule out
tying some dry flies eventually, though.

So, are these good prices? Would I be making a mistake buying any of
them?

And no, I won't tell you where I saw them until I've had a chance to buy
one!

-Randy
--
Randy R. Griffin
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

Bill,
What you say is true about most things made overseas these days. I am
fortunate enough to have a vintage Thompson Vise and Some Medallist Reels.
I found some good things at the flea market. I bought a very old reel for
$5 that had a sticky bunch of line on it. The line turned out to be silk
and after cleaning and treating it was like new. I love to use it on an old
bamboo rod I got at the flea market for $12. There is nothing quite like
fishing up a trout stream with bamboo and silk. It is magical and really
takes me back.
Ernie

"Bill Kiene" wrote in message
. ..
Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

Like the Pflueger Medallist fly reel (I am an old fan of these), the
Thompson A vise (I am an old fan of these too) was the big deal many years
ago. Today both the Medallist fly reel and the Thompson A or Pro vise are
not built like they use to be 30 to 40 years ago.

Our gray haired veteran fly tying instructor told me that the new Thompson
A
or Pro vise no longer hold a hook well. The fact is they don't use the
same
metal they uses 30 or 40 years ago when they were made famous. We still
carry them but the low end Griffin vises @ ~$35US (made in the USA) are a
better value.

If you can find an old Medallist reel or old Thompson vise that has not
been
used up, it is a good thing. It is the new stuff that is now not a good
thing. If the Thompson A vise or Pflueger Medallist fly reel where the
same
quality as they were 40 years ago, they would have to be over $100, not
$35.

Don't buy vises made in Indian either. They are worse than the new
Thompson
A or Pro. It is all about the metal they use.

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Bill Kiene" wrote
Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

Like the Pflueger Medallist fly reel (I am an old fan of these), the
Thompson A vise (I am an old fan of these too) was the big deal many years
ago. Today both the Medallist fly reel and the Thompson A or Pro vise are
not built like they use to be 30 to 40 years ago.

Our gray haired veteran fly tying instructor told me that the new Thompson
A
or Pro vise no longer hold a hook well. The fact is they don't use the
same
metal they uses 30 or 40 years ago when they were made famous. We still
carry them but the low end Griffin vises @ ~$35US (made in the USA) are a
better value.

If you can find an old Medallist reel or old Thompson vise that has not
been
used up, it is a good thing. It is the new stuff that is now not a good
thing. If the Thompson A vise or Pflueger Medallist fly reel where the
same
quality as they were 40 years ago, they would have to be over $100, not
$35.

Don't buy vises made in Indian either. They are worse than the new
Thompson
A or Pro. It is all about the metal they use.

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

I agree whole heartedly... A good vice usually costs a little bit and the
best vices I have used have all been American made. The Thompson isn't what
it it once was. It was the pro's choice and the introduction of the Regal is
what killed it off I believe... The Inidian ones have all been crap after a
couple of months tying, at the most. Not all overseas products are crap...
Loop reels, BMW cars, English reels etc... but in this case you are spot on.
--
Clark Reid
http://www.dryflynz.com
Umpqua Designer Flytier

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003 17:34:33 GMT, "Bill Kiene" wrote:

Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com


Jeez, my old (20 years+) $14 Indian manufactured Sunrise A vise was still
holding hooks just fine last time I used it.

I replaced it with a better vise, mainly for more room to work on small flies,
but it was always a functional tool.

g.c.

Bill, and everyone,
Thanks for the advice. I just checked back to see if anyone had replied
yet, and I'm amazed at the responses already.

I appreciate the heads-up on the foreign-made angle. I'm currently in
the aluminum die casting business, and we're fighting off foreign
competition, of course. Mainly China. But try to convince a buyer that
the quality will be a problem - aluminum is aluminum, right?

Anyway, several of these vises were in (what appeared to be) older
cardboard boxes, while some were in plastic shells. I wonder what the
chances of finding a "made in the USA" label on any of them is? Now I
have to stop back just to satisfy my curiosity.

-Randy

Bill Kiene wrote:

Boy, I know this will stir up some stuff............

Like the Pflueger Medallist fly reel (I am an old fan of these), the
Thompson A vise (I am an old fan of these too) was the big deal many years
ago. Today both the Medallist fly reel and the Thompson A or Pro vise are
not built like they use to be 30 to 40 years ago.

Our gray haired veteran fly tying instructor told me that the new Thompson A
or Pro vise no longer hold a hook well. The fact is they don't use the same
metal they uses 30 or 40 years ago when they were made famous. We still
carry them but the low end Griffin vises @ ~$35US (made in the USA) are a
better value.

If you can find an old Medallist reel or old Thompson vise that has not been
used up, it is a good thing. It is the new stuff that is now not a good
thing. If the Thompson A vise or Pflueger Medallist fly reel where the same
quality as they were 40 years ago, they would have to be over $100, not $35.

Don't buy vises made in Indian either. They are worse than the new Thompson
A or Pro. It is all about the metal they use.

I am always interested in what low end (under $50US) vises actually hold a
hook and hold up too. What do you think?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA
www.kiene.com

"Randy Griffin" wrote in message
...

Hello all,
I'm de-lurking here for a moment to ask a very basic question. I'm
really just a beginner at tying, and the vise I use came in one of those
kits. (My wife actually bought the kit; she's since lost interest and I
acquired another hobby I didn't need.)

Anyway, I saw Thompson "A" and "Pro" vises on clearance this week. They
were marked at about $28.00, if I remember correctly. There was also one
with a pedestal (Pro II?) at $38, or was it $48?

I mentioned to my wife that I thought of buying one, and she says I'm an
idiot for not doing so. She thinks I should get the pedestal model,
though, which I really didn't look at. I think for our basic tying, the
C-clamp would be fine.

I've been tying mainly streamers and terrestrials so far, with the
occasional attempt at spinning deer hair thrown in. (Spinning is
definitely a problem with the cheap vise we have.) I won't rule out
tying some dry flies eventually, though.

So, are these good prices? Would I be making a mistake buying any of
them?

And no, I won't tell you where I saw them until I've had a chance to buy
one!

-Randy
--
Randy R. Griffin
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

--
Randy R. Griffin
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 07:52:00 +1200, "Clark Reid"
wrote:
[snipped]
Not all overseas products are crap...
Loop reels, BMW cars, English reels etc... but in this case you are spot on.

I believe you should take BMW cars off your short list...

/daytripper (the new ones sure look like crap! ;-)

Hey Randy! Long time since we've heard from you. What have you been up to?
How's Plymouth? I haven't been up there for a while. Have you had the chance
to fish the Milwaukee river at Fredonia this year? Is the job situation
picking up? If I remember correctly, you were about to get laid off. Hope
everything is better.

If you can afford it now, go with a better (meaning higher priced) vise.
You'll be a lot happier in the long run. I had a cheap vise that I paid
about $30 for, made I don't care to know where, and I became very
frustrated with it very fast. Then I spent about $125 and bought a Regal.
Nice vise for tying bigger flies (and I do believe you like fishing for
bass.) Then I decided that I should give a rotary vise a try and spent about
$150 for a Renzetti. Both are nice vises, and I will probably never be
disappointed in the money spent on them. I guess you really do get what you
pay for.

dparadise


"Randy Griffin" wrote in message
...
Bill, and everyone,
Thanks for the advice. I just checked back to see if anyone had replied
yet, and I'm amazed at the responses already.

I appreciate the heads-up on the foreign-made angle. I'm currently in
the aluminum die casting business, and we're fighting off foreign
competition, of course. Mainly China. But try to convince a buyer that
the quality will be a problem - aluminum is aluminum, right?

Anyway, several of these vises were in (what appeared to be) older
cardboard boxes, while some were in plastic shells. I wonder what the
chances of finding a "made in the USA" label on any of them is? Now I
have to stop back just to satisfy my curiosity.

-Randy

Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

Don!
Changed your "handle" I see. Didn't realize that was you. I've been
working at Stroh Die Casting in Wauwatosa Since November. Still live in
Plymouth; my younger daughter's a senior and we'd like to see her
graduate from PHS. The older daughter's at UW-Oshkosh.

It's a long commute, and money's still tight, so the hobbies suffer.
Haven't done much fishing again this year. What I have done is mainly
bluegills & crappies, since that keeps my wife entertained. The
occasional bass is welcome, of course.

I may slip out by myself tomorrow morning, but probably won't go far as
I'll only have a couple of hours. Rivers still seem a little low around
here, even with the recent rain. What's your experience been this year?

-Randy

Hooked wrote:

Hey Randy! Long time since we've heard from you. What have you been up to?
How's Plymouth? I haven't been up there for a while. Have you had the chance
to fish the Milwaukee river at Fredonia this year? Is the job situation
picking up? If I remember correctly, you were about to get laid off. Hope
everything is better.

If you can afford it now, go with a better (meaning higher priced) vise.
You'll be a lot happier in the long run. I had a cheap vise that I paid
about $30 for, made I don't care to know where, and I became very
frustrated with it very fast. Then I spent about $125 and bought a Regal.
Nice vise for tying bigger flies (and I do believe you like fishing for
bass.) Then I decided that I should give a rotary vise a try and spent about
$150 for a Renzetti. Both are nice vises, and I will probably never be
disappointed in the money spent on them. I guess you really do get what you
pay for.

dparadise

"Randy Griffin" wrote in message
...
Bill, and everyone,
Thanks for the advice. I just checked back to see if anyone had replied
yet, and I'm amazed at the responses already.

I appreciate the heads-up on the foreign-made angle. I'm currently in
the aluminum die casting business, and we're fighting off foreign
competition, of course. Mainly China. But try to convince a buyer that
the quality will be a problem - aluminum is aluminum, right?

Anyway, several of these vises were in (what appeared to be) older
cardboard boxes, while some were in plastic shells. I wonder what the
chances of finding a "made in the USA" label on any of them is? Now I
have to stop back just to satisfy my curiosity.

-Randy

Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org

--
Randy R. Griffin
Sheboygan Astronomical Society
http://www.ShebAstro.org