I have a new vice.

The routine that follows is exciting despite being so familiar: You sneak it into the house. You hide it. You try to conceal trace of the payment. And, once confronted, you downplay its impact on your life.

“No, really, nothing will change, dear. We’ll. Be. Fiiine.” This, of course, is what you say right after or just before you disappear for a few hours to feed the need.

A Renzetti Traveler 2200. My new vice.

My new vise — a Renzetti Traveler 2200 — is a thing to behold. Not quite as beautiful as either their Master series or their Presentation series, but then I got mine for a few hundred dollars cheaper. There are some vises that are more elegant looking – the HMH vises, for their simplicity, the Xuron vises for their curves — but this is a vise that, like a used hardcover, had kind of a worn comfort. I sat down with it for the first time and it just felt right. That, of course, is part of the story.

Why I bought the vise is a lesson in the power of a trusted recommendation. I learned to tie, and have been tying lately, on either stationary or on (not true) rotary vises. Recently, as I’ve started tying more, I began to become frustrated with the limitations of not being able to examine both sides of the fly without standing up, hunching over the fly, blocking the light, and cursing the position I’m in. And so I began looking at true rotary vises. Enter the trusted recommendation.

A tyer I know, who once tied commercially, sung its praises and let me try his. I looked at a few others — Dyna-King, HMH, and others — but none were recommended as strongly, or as quickly. And my Regal, which I like, simply wasn’t what I wanted. On the Renzetti, I was sold.

My only hesitation was cost. New vises are expensive. Renzetti’s retail for $160 to nearly $400. Dynakings and others can go for much more. In short, I’m unwilling to pay that much for something that I can get for much less without compromising on quality. Give the unknown history of a graphite rod, say, I would be unwillig to buy one off ebay. But a vise? They’re built to be strong. Nothing wrong buying second hand here. Call me a Yankee, but that’s what I believe.

And so I turned to eBay. I waited and watched and, at a dinner party one night, snuck a glance under the table at my watched items, placed a bid, and by desert I had a Renzetti for under $120. I cracked another beer to celebrate.

One thing I was uncertain about was whether it’s stem would fit into the base of my Thompson vise. I don’t know if stem size is standardized (if anyone does know, please leave a comment) but I do know that i fit perfectly. The weighting and stabilization have been fine but for once when I was tying a large saltwater flatwing and really cranked down on the thread; the vise tipped slightly, but I have to think that, under that pressure, many would wobble.

So far, I’m loving it. And I would recommend it to you.

Anyone else use Renzetti’s? Anyone else love them? Any eBay angling critics or Renzetti detractors out there? Share your thoughts!