i have one that came with my fly tyin kit. but i have upgraded to the danvise. i wont be abll to use till after my b-day. i got the danvise of of eveilbay for 75.00 shiped to the door,
I have to agree with Mike F: the DanVise is the best bang-for-the-buck. I bought one back in '08 (I think), and, although I KNOW there are better vises, I don't feel the need to get one. I've tied as small as #14 (about as small as I can see w/o the magnifier) and as large as 1/0 (largest I expect to ever need), and the DanVise handles them all. For the price, I have yet to find another (new) vise to compare.
I've tied on a Dyna-king for 30 years, it will hold any size of hook, it has been a good work horse vise for me, I tie upwards of 5000+ flies a year, and have for 20 years or more, so for what it is worth :)
I have an older model Regent vise (similar to the one Greg shows) and have had it for about 15 years. I have never had a problem with it. I haven't ever used a rotary type vise, so I don't really know if I am missing anything. Of course I had a tube TV with no cable until everything went digital. Did you know there are channels with no commercials now? Whodathunkit?
I think the key points for a good vise are:
1. Securly holds whatever hook sizes the user will EVER possibly use.
2. Has easy to operate thumb screws, levers or whatever so that getting hooks in and flies out is easy.
3. Has some sort of rock solid base; either a table edge clamp or pedistal (I have both) that doesn't slip up or down, or flop off in your lap when you exert a little down pressure (or a lot for that matter).
4. Has enough up and down adjustment so the user can raise or lower the jaws to a comfortable working height; and it stays there.
5. Fits within the budgetary constraints of the user (this is a little subjective; I know). More expensive vises are not always better, as said by other folks here.
All that being said, my first tying vise was a pair of small vise-grips welded to a piece of re-bar and stuck into a hole that was drilled in a chunk of 4X4. My Dad helped me make it when I was a kid 35 years ago. I still have it. It still works.
Times change I guess. Maybe I should look into the rotary vises to go along with my new flat screen TV and cable. Next thing you know they will come up with a new fangled material to make flyrods out of and then bamboo ones will get really expensive... Naw! Some things are just too ridiculous to believe.