Renzetti Traveler Fly Tying Vise Review

The Renzetti brand has been around for over fifty years and, as such, is one of the leading boutiques fly tying vise and tools manufacturers in the USA. Starting out of a single-car garage, this family, the Renzetti’s, had a vision and goal to make what they deemed a true rotary vise, and born was the first Renzetti rotary.

Some years later, Orvis became the first to stock of these amazing vises. The growth and demand for these quality vises increased, and the business boomed.

Enter the Renzetti Traveler vise, a true rotary vise that is light and easy to move with but has all the built-in features that make a Renzetti a Renzetti.

If you are starting 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 👉 Renzetti Traveler

Overall Rating Compared to 6 Other Popular Fly Tying Vises

In my comparison the Renzetti Traveler came in Fourth 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 Renzetti Traveler Fly Tying Vise

The Renzetti is a very cool-looking vise and showcases what a great functional vise should look like. From the earliest models to current ones, they all have the true Renzetti rotary function and incredible hook-holding ability.

The more modern models, such as the Renzetti Traveler 2200 series, come out with an anodized finish and really catches the eye. A larger black powder-coated pedestal base (5” x 5”) with a 7″ stem or a black powder-coated C-clamp with an 8” stem is what’s on offer in terms of securing the cam clamp jaws in position. The pedestal base comes standard with the vise, and the C=clamp is an additional purchase.

Many additional tools can be added to the vise, so it is up to the angler what they want from the vise. It is important to note the bobbin cradle comes in the box, which is a welcome addition. The cradle is very helpful when palmering a dubbing brush or something along those lines, and you need to keep the tying thread and bobbin out of the way.

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

Pros and Cons of Renzetti Traveler

Hook Clamping

Ease of use- super easy to use, just clamp the hook in. The usual way is to tension the jaws just until they touch the hook. Then clamp them down with the cam lever, and that should suffice. You can clamp them slightly harder if you wish, but Im always aware of how much tension is on the hook and jaw.

Strength of clamp- the cam-style clamp is one of the strongest in the business and will hold  most hooks under tension. I obviously don’t like to push the boundaries and damage the vise, but they are extremely strong and can hold anything from a size #4/0 to a #26. What is nice is that Renzetti makes a midge jaw for the small stuff and a saltwater jaw for the larger hooks, so there is other options for you which is a great thought by Renzetti

Jaw size- the standard cam jaw set that comes with the vise will get most of the general tying done. Most hook sizes will work, but for the very small stuff downwards from a #size, 26 things can get a little tricky. The most important thing is to not clamp the small hooks too close to the tip of the vise, and the tip of the jaws is likely to chip. If you regularly tie flies in this size, you may want to get the midge jaw. They also make a new ‘Game Changer Jaw’ that allows you to tie that pattern more effectively.

Base and Weight

The pedestal base is by no means the heaviest base we have tested in this series, but it gets the job done just fine. It weighted in at 2 lbs. 12 oz. Considering it is a traveler’s vise and you don’t want to have much extra weight if you are hiking into a fishing ground or something like that.

The base has two or three small indents allowing you to put your beads, hooks, or whatever else you need when tying. I personally love using these for a productive conveyer belt method of tying.

Rotary Function

The rotary functions on the Renzetti traveler and all other Renzetti’s are superb. It has a smooth, tensioned rotation that can be made by the rotation lever you screw in upon assembly.

Fit and Finish

The look of this vise says it all. Simply designed with massive functionality. What more do you want? The Renzetti boasts a hardened stainless steel cam jaw, anodized pedestal base (later versions), and an array of add-on s that one can purchase separately.

Ease of Assembly

The Renzetti Traveler, like all other Renzetti’s, is very simple to set up. It’s not the easiest when compared to the other vises in our review, but it isn’t difficult.

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 Renzetti Traveler Vise

The bobbin cradle is the only item that comes with the vise in the box. As mentioned earlier, there are numerous extras that can be added to your vise. These are all purchased separately and as you need them.

One Last Fly

Is Renzetti the right vise for you? Well, there are two things you need to look at, price and usage. The Renzetti comes in at $350, which, granted, is at the beginning of the upper price range for vises, but this is where the next question comes in. How much are you actually going to be tying? One to ten flies a month, ten to twenty, etc.?

I recommend if you are going to be trying more than ten a month that, you go for the Renzetti. It will last, and you will have it for many years to come.

Happy Tying!

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