Regal Traveler Fly Tying Vise Review

The Regal vise is a joy. It is a simple, robust, easy-to-use vise that is fast becoming a popular choice amount fly tiers. This small family-run business knows how to make vises and is on its way to the top. With a pro team and all the Regal vise is one of the USA’s staples in the tying world.

If you are starting out or a seasoned veteran on the vise, we all know the importance of having a good quality vise. The main job of the vise is to hold the hook so we can tie feathers and synthetics onto it; this all needs to happen without slipping or pulling off the hook. The first sign of a poor-quality vise is when the hook starts to slip in the jaws.

Check current prices and reviews on Amazon with this shortcut link 👉 Regal Traveler

Overall Rating Compared to 5 Other Popular Fly Tying Vises

In my comparison the Regal Traveler came in Second Place out of the six fly tying vises tested. (This is purely my opinion using a vise I personally purchased) Check out my Review Summary 👉 HERE

Description of the Regal Traveler Fly Tying Vise

The Regal Traveler vise is a great piece of fly-tying equipment, and I would recommend it to beginners and experienced tyers alike. It has a great finish and functions very well. Where it falls short on the balance of the jaws over the base plate, it makes up for lightness and ease of assembly.

The jaws are a little too far forward over the base plate, thus making it easily tippable when you apply too much tension to the thread, especially on the larger patterns. This can easily be corrected by using the non-tying hand to hold the vise during the tensioning process.

The base plate has a few compartments to hold essentials while tying. I find these compartments very helpful when you are tying in a conveyer belt method of many of the same patterns at once. But each to their own, and I have mates who also use them for other purposes.

The add-on, such as the vice caddie, material clips, waste baskets, and case, are available on their website and can easily be added to your order or later on when you decide you need the extra. I would recommend getting the waste basket soon. This just helps prevent any arguments should you be tying in the family lounge etc. If you follow what I’m saying

What vise came out on top in my review and what vise do I recommend? 👉 Peak Rotary Fly Tying Vise

Pros and Cons of Regal Traveler

Hook Clamping

The Regal is extremely easy to use. The pinch-style jaws are operated by a single lever and just require a little muscle to open. The rest of the vise is very straightforward to use.

The strength of the clamp is measured by a hook bending test that we like to put the vises through to gauge their jaw strength. The regal vise scores very well in this test, as you can see in the later part of the video Regal Vise. The test involves a hook to be clamped in the vise, and the hook point bent downwards. The stronger the vise, the more the hook bends before it slips. What you will notice is the tipping of the vise. This, as mentioned earlier, is because the jaws are set too far out from the base center, and an uneven weight balance is created when you apply pressure to the jaws.

The jaw size is decent, and with a pinch clamp style set of jaws. Is, is the pre-tensioned jaws are opened by a lever and clamp back down on the hook. In my experience, they are great for smaller hooks and clamp relatively well, but they do tend to slip on the larger, thicker hooks.

Base and Weight

Removing the base for the box, you immediately notice the weight and size are on smaller sizes when you compare to the other vices in its price range. The base weight comes in at 1 lb 13oz, with is the lightest weight we have tested. It is important to remember that it has been classed as a traveler’s vise, which could be one of the reasons for the lighter base.

Rotary Function

The Regal is classed as a rotary vice. In my opinion, it isn’t a true rotary. I like to see a rotary jaw that turns on the same axis as the vice head. This way, the thread on the hook shank turns true to the head rotation, making it really easy to feed thread or palmer materials with control. On a rotary, with a slight angle as with the Regal, the rotation will cause the thread feed to be uneven and unsymmetrical.

The rotation is very smooth and can be tensioned and controlled by the large brass screw knob on the underside of the vise head.

Fit and Finish

The Regal has a beautiful finish with brass accents around the base and on the top of the vise head. The base plate has three indent pockets which are very handy for placing hooks, beads, and completed flies in while you are tying a few of the same patterns up. The rest of the vise hasn’t any rough edges or areas that would raise alarms when tying.

Ease of Assembly

The assembly of the Regal vise is one of the easiest vises we have tested and had to assemble if you can even call it that. The vise stem has to be put in the base plate receive and locked in with the big brass screw knob. That’s it!

Guide Pro Tip: Hey, I’ve got a FREE Fly Tying Class. Videos, and written instructions can be found with this shortcut link 👉 How to Tie Flies Step by Step

Extras Included with the Regal Traveler Vise

Nothing is included in the box with the Regal vise. You receive the base plate and the jaws.

One Last Fly

The Regal is a great vise. It is very pleasing to the eye, functions well, and is nice and small to pack up and move with. One thing when you are traveling with your tying gear, is that you may not be with a vehicle on a camping trip, or boat trip so a light and more maneuverable base plate is nice to have, and the Regal is just that.

This vise would definitely be on my radar should I be in the market for a new vise.

Happy Tying

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