This last December I treated myself to a Renzetti Master M6014 Vise. I exercised some self control, and despite my excitement, I tested the vise extensively and waited several weeks to write this review for all of you.
This is the type of vise that I would imagine most tyers are upgrading to. Like I said above, this is generally regarded as the ceiling in terms of vise tiers, and it should be the last vise that you need to buy. I upgraded to this vise from a Renzetti Traveler. The Traveler was a great vise to me, it was lightweight, had great jaws, was made well, and was portable for when I am tying outside of my home. This does not mean by any means that if you are a beginner and love buying the best of the best to avoid the Master, this would make a fantastic first vise, and you’d never have to upgrade it. I was looking to upgrade to something a little nicer. Initially, I was looking for a heavier weight vise that would live most of its days on my desk. The traveler was great for when I was on the go, but with a dedicated tying desk at home, something much more burly seemed appealing. I debated getting a Presentation, but did not want to feel the urge to upgrade a few years down the road.
I decided to purchase the Master M6014 in Olive. This vise came stock with a crank arm, hinged stem, material spring, bobbin rest, and the streamer base. The base was a must for me as I had a streamer base on my Traveler. The larger base, is crucial for me as it gives the vise a much larger platform, thus greatly reducing its ability to get knocked around and shift. The assembly was simple and intuitive, and only took a few minutes. With the vise assembled on my desk, I knew exactly why I decided to go this route. There was not much of a learning curve as I was already coming from a Renzetti rotary style vise, within the first two flies I felt right at home. After a few trips with it back and forth from my desk to the shop, and to several tying nights at falling sky, I am impressed with its packability. It certainly is not as compact as the Traveler, as its construction is much more robust. The hinged shaft makes packing it into my Fishpond Tailwater Bag much easier. The vise tied small nymphs down to #20 with ease and articulated trout spey streamers like nothing. The material clamp really was helpful for articulated flies and extra materials as it can be pivoted to where you need it. I also tied up a batch of saltwater flies and the strong jaws kept even 6/o saltwater hooks in place. Owning a vise of this caliber will not instantly make you a better tyer, but it will inspire you to take more pride in what you are tying up
Like I said above, the Streamer Base is crucial for me. With the larger base, the Master virtually cannot be knocked over. This was the case with my traveler as well, and the presentations that I have put my hands on. Another attractive feature is that all of these fantastic vises are manufactured here in the USA. The smaller, family owned company has not gotten too big and is easily reached of you have any issues. The built in material clamp is able to be pivoted which is different from all of their other vises. The stock Jaws are fantastic and can accommodate flies sizing: #28 to 10/0. I did add a 6 inch Renzetti Tool Bar, this bar is machined and it sits right on the shaft. I bought olive to match my vise and it looks awesome. The bar stores several tools at once while complimenting my vise nicely. This can be especially helpful on complex patterns where you use multiple tools/ bobbins. Just like the bobbin rest, this bar can be swing out of your way, generally you wont even know it is there. Renzetti did come out with a new product called a Flybar, which goes onto the bobbin rest. The Flybar is a slotted foam cylinder that runs over the bobbin rest’s shaft. This is great for production tying, or giving a spot for your flies to hang, dry, or both. I have not tried it on my new setup yet, but I have been temped to take one home several times.
As I said above, owning a vise like this will inadvertently make you a better tyer. You will feel a subconscious push to tie better while using this tool. This vise would make an epic first vise, if you’re willing to shell out the money on your first one. More commonly, this vise is for the accomplished tyer that has been thinking about an upgrade. Versatile, elegant, and hand made here in the USA, you cant do much better for a high end vise. I truly believe that the Renzetti Master Vise is the epitome of high end vises. While you may not need this vise to tie beautiful flies, I highly recommend that you convince yourself otherwise. I did and do not regret it at all; in fact, I highly encourage it. This work of art has enriched my nightly tying experience. For someone who ties a lot and is considering upgrading, this is a no brainer. Feel free to call or email us with questions, or swing by the shop and check one out for yourself.
-Simon
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