Do Any of You Tie With a Xuron Vise

[billems]

For some reason, I've always wanted to own a Zuron Vise. Do any of you tie using a Xuron? Or do you have one lying around you never use? What can I say? I like old weird stuff, like bamboo fly rods.

[DrLogik]

billems,

I have one! Great vise! I don't actually use it much though. My main vise is a Dyna-King Pro. I also have the Xuron pre-curser a Thomas Vise. It was sold by Harry Darbee back in the day and called the Darbee Vise also. Same long slender curving stem. I treasure both.

I did snag the Thomas vise from the auction site probably 15 to 20 years ago. Nobody was bidding on it so I bid and got it for $20 bucks (I think).

It's a fun vise to tie on for sure. Simple, holds the hook well and there's room under the jaws to wrap thread pretty easily. The slender jaws are a nice design feature. They provide better access to the rear of the fly. Quite frankly though, a Thomas vise would be a real find but a Xuron may be easier to find. Check the auction site, you just never know.

A short history of this vise from the now defunct St. Simon Outfitters web site:

This style vise has a storied past that many are not aware of. Steenrod was taught by Theodore Gordon, whom he guided for frequently. Steenrod was the only person Theodore Gordan taught how to tie flies and was a driving force in the "Catskill" style fly.

Originally designed and made in the 1930's by A. H. Thomas, a New York tackle merchant, who sold it as the Thomas vise through the mail with other items he made including the "Johnson Spoon" and "Minnie the Swimmer".

Harry Darbee helped Thomas redesign the vise and used and sold the new model until Thomas' death. Darbee then found a maker of beer machinery and talked him into making a batch to fill the demand.

Jimmy Deren of the famed fly shop "Anglers Roost", in Manhatten, also sold the vise, then known as the "Darbee" vise and the "Anglers Roost" vise.

In 1978 Charles Phelps of Bethel, CT. and his brother Peter while attempting to repair one of the old vises decided to commence design and manufacture an improved version. Charles was a partner with Xuron Corporation of Danbury, CT. Machining of parts was jobbed out with assembly done at Xuron. The redesigned and renamed "Xuron Vise" was distributed by the brothers until the early 80's when Peter went out on his own starting Phelps Flies Company. As part of an informal settlement with Xuron, Peter was given all rights to the vise.

In 1983 Phelps files merged with the Bedford Sportsman in Bedford Hills, N.Y.

Peter's untimely death in 1990 left the manufacturing and distribution of the vise in limbo until 1998 when the Bedford Sportsman South on St Simons Island, GA. started to again manufacture and sell the "Phelps Xuron Vise".

Here's an older thread on same that may help:
viewtopic.php?t=112471

St. Simon Outfitters in Hilton Head, SC is where I got my Xuron many years ago. They were previously the Bedford Sportsman South. I think they are out of business now though.

Xuron is on the back row on the right. The Thomas vise is front row, clamped on the table in the middle:



Closer look at the Xuron:



Harry Darbee on his "Darbee Vise".



Roy Steenrod showing young kids how to tie a fly on a Thomas vise:

[bluesjay]

Hi Guys, I have a couple Thomas vises. They are not exactly the same. I mostly tie on one, but I have a lot of vises.

Jay Edwards

[SgtMajUSMC]

Yes, I do. I go back and forth between tying on my old Thompson A vise from 1980 or so, a mid-1990's HMH, and the Xuron that I purchased from Capt. Larry Kennedy at The Bedford Sportsman in St. Simon's Island, Ga. around 15 years ago.

It's a great vise. Roomy. The pedestal base is heavy. It holds a wide range of hooks, and the jaws are very fine. It's a classic! It is similar to the one above the photo of Harry Darbee, with black jaws and pedestal base.

Honestly, they all are good vises...they all hold the hook well, and I wouldn't be ashamed at all if the only one that I had to use was the Thompson.

[MGrallert]

A friend of mine has one. He worked for the Bedford Sportsman while peter phelps had a shop on the cellar. Cool vise. This is a good thread and got me remembering a pair of nippers I had. Xuron nippers with an inset fixed needle on the back end. It was snatched in some tall grass and bush gone forever. I'd love to fine another. If I recall those nippers were made in Saco Me.

[DrLogik]

McGrallert,

Xuron nippers on my vest! They are still available but usually only in the model that has the knot tool. I have the model with the hook hone and retractable needle. Google "Sport Tools nippers" and you should find them.

They are the best nippers ever made in my opinion. I have the expensive Abel nippers and they don't work as well. Plus, the Xuron nippers can be sharpened at home if you have a fine ceramic stone.

Feathercraft sells them:
https://www.feather-craft.com/sport-tools-clip-and-knot

[MGrallert]

McGrallert,

Xuron nippers on my vest! They are still available but usually only in the model that has the knot tool. I have the model with the hook hone and retractable needle. Google "Sport Tools nippers" and you should find them.

They are the best nippers ever made in my opinion. I have the expensive Abel nippers and they don't work as well. Plus, the Xuron nippers can be sharpened at home if you have a fine ceramic stone.

Feathercraft sells them:
https://www.feather-craft.com/sport-tools-clip-and-knot

Thanks for this. They are very good nippers. I'll have a look.

[BigTJ]

I had those nippers but I kept getting poked by that needle so I ditched them. The needle won’t stay docked.

[MGrallert]

On the pair I had the needle was fixed and recessed opposite the nippers. So simple and effective. No gizmos no bling Just a simple functional tool.

[Silver Doctor]

I also have one and I really like it. Sharpened it once in 10 years. The needle is nicely hidden.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Just flipped onto this reading.. I was 6 years old when this ad in Fly Tyer Volume 2 Issue 3 came out :

Always liked the strong and sleek look, but I have yet to cross paths with one.

[Cross Creek]

I’ve tied almost everything on mine, that I got from the St Simon’s Island shop, for many years. I also have a Renzetti Presentation 3000, reserved for the really tiny stuff. I prefer the Xuron for anything #16 and larger, but it will handle down to #24 if you angle it almost vertical. I’m no production tier, for sure, so I remove the rod/lever after tightening to hook to give myself one less thing to hang up on. It does screw into four different positions, though, so it can be moved to the least obstructive one after adjusting for a particular hook size. I also replaced the set screw at the base of the jaws with a nylon one to allow easier rotation.

They come up for sale once in a while. I’d grab another, but I can’t see it being damaged by any catastrophe that I’d likely survive. “Bombproof” was coined to describe this vise

Btw, what’s with the blue and black postimage ad banner covering the quick reply box? It’s really annoying and covers up a good bit of text as you’re typing.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

I wonder if its Post Image's way of making you stay logged in so that box will go away. Because I do not see it.
UGH. They all figure out how to manipulate the program into more than just PHOTOS somehow.

[Flyman615]

I happened across the Xuron vise years ago and have tied with it (pedestal version) ever since.
It's a simple and yet great design!

Scott

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Better logo and the new Presentation base : in the same magazine issue just a few pages later, how odd :

[billems]

Just flipped onto this reading.. I was 6 years old when this ad in Fly Tyer Volume 2 Issue 3 came out :

Always liked the strong and sleek look, but I have yet to cross paths with one.

Yeah, and E.E. Benoist of Nachez, Mississippi endorses it, it's gotta be for me!

[billems]

Well, if any of you know where I can get one in good shape, send a pm.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

You could post a wanted ad in this forum classifieds... it works for many people in this very situation.

More people look there every day than at Old Faithful.

[ttroutt]

I've had this yard sale find hanging around for the past 15 years or thereabouts, am I correct in assuming that it is a Xuron knockoff based on Brian's ad?

Jim

[narcodog]

I've had this yard sale find hanging around for the past 15 years or thereabouts, am I correct in assuming that it is a Xuron knockoff based on Brian's ad?

Jim

To me it looks more like a Thomas.