Looking for gear for a beginner

[seanengman]

I am just checking to see if anybody has any gear that they would like to sell to a beginner. I kinda want a little rotary kit, but I'm not too picky on what it is, but I'm not gonna drop 200 on a vise if I don't know whether I would like it or not. Thank y' all.

Sean

[Flyn'dutchman]

Buy the best you can right now. If you don't like it you can always get close to what you paid for it. If you do like it you will be spending for the better vice soon anyway and have a piece of junk you can't get rid of. Buy a Renzetti Traveler or a Peak or a Dyna King or even one of the upper line Griffins. My vote goes to the Traveler though. A lot of guys are unhappy with Renzetti for some of their recent actions on trying to protect their patent on the rotary name. I love mine. I started with a cheaper non-rotary model for $100. Now there is no-way to recoup the $100. Makes the better rotary seem cheap in the long run. Enjoy. It can be an addiction, the vice and tools are only a small part of the package.

[MrP]

Flyn'Dutchman is right; buy the best you can afford right now. Maybe consider paying a little more than you were originally hoping. He's also right, that in time, the "vise and the tools" are only a small part of the "vice". All of the brands he mentioned are good ones. In tying with others guys and in teaching fly tying I have had a chance to try a good many different vises. The Renzitti Traveler is an excellent recommendation for under $200. I would suggest also the HMH Spartan at $159; it's a great value.

You may try fly tying and find you don't like it. I doubt it but you never know. It is every bit as likely that you will find it very captivating. Should you not like it, when it comes to selling fly fishing gear, fly tying tools, and tying materials, eBay is an excellent measure of what price you might expect to sell or buy something. As the seller, even if something is NIB (new in box) you can rarely expect to get a full retail price for an item. When an item is slightly used but still looks brand new a buyer will expect to pay even less.

There are of course many factors influencing what you might be able to sell your used vise for. Those things would include but are not limited to, how many others are available at the time you are selling, how often this item comes up for sale, if the item has some collector's value, and if the item is no longer produced.

As a VERY GENERAL rule of thumb you might expect to get two thirds of what you paid for your tackle or your vise if it is in very good shape and slightly used--maybe more, maybe less. That's not to say your vise won't sell; at the right price almost anything will sell on eBay. If you are feeling tentative about the possibility of not enjoying fly tying then try purchasing some used tools on eBay. In the end, fly tying is so satisfying I think you'll be glad you got started. Good luck.

[Dirk Pitt]

Gotta agree with Dutchman, I love my Renzetti traveler, best 170 you could spend. I started with the cheap little vices, but they just piss you off! Buddy just got a Peak, and likes it, he is a total beginner, and he agrees that it was money well spent. Buy decent scissors as well, and a couple of good bobbins, the more you spend on bobbins, the better, cheap ones will drag on the label for the thread and will tighten against the thread.

[seanengman]

right on y'all. thanks a bunch.
Sean

[Grey-Sedge]

Well, maybe you don't want to hear from me on this but I gotta throw my two cents worth in. I bought a thompson model A in 68 ( the best around then) and am still tying on it. I recently (3 years) got a traveler, with the cam jaws, and like it but don't see great advantage over the old model A. I've tried some others, all the new trends, but if you get a solid vise to start with, you won't be disappointed. Just make sure it does the job of holding the hook and you will be happy. I figure the $12 for the model A has been amortised over the last 35 years. Get a good one and don't wince over the price, you will be happy. Also remember you will be tying 24s and 6/0s so try to get one that will cover most of the range. The rotorary feature is nice, but it is over rated. If you can afford it, great but don't dispair! Just make sure it holds the hook so it doesn't pop out mid fly tying.

[Daryle Holmstrom]

Danvise is more in your budget and a great vise.

Daryle