Friday Night Flies – STONFO Transformer Vise Product Demo

Friday Night Flies – STONFO Transformer Vise Product Demo.There are many vises on the market today and it can be challenging and overwhelming trying to settle on your next big purchase. Your vise is the heart and sole of your bench, its an extension of your body and needs to feel great in your hands. There is no final or absolute answer to what is the best vise because every tyer is unique. But… there are a few vises out there that are heads above average. STONFO’s Transformer Vise is one of these elite vises. Friday Night Flies tyer Bolder, demonstrates the transforming capabilities of this vise up close in this video.

Key Features of the Transformer Vise

The most unique feature of the Transformer Vise is the interchangeable heads. Included in the purchase of this product you receive 3  heads which all have their place on your bench. There is a true in-line rotary head, a streamer fly head, and versatile tube fly head. All of these vise heads are easily swapped in and out using a coupling, much like changing the tools on a compressor hose. They are precision machined and glide in with ease. This feature makes this vise stand out from the rest. Your get 3 distinct vises in one.

Stonfo’s Transformer Vise Head Attachments

True In-Line Rotary Head

This vise head will be your most used attachment for basic tying needs. The jaws have great hook holding power and comfortably fit hooks from size 20 drys to size 4 streamers and by no means is it tapped out on either end of the scale. The jaws also feature a nice taper to a fine point making tying those smaller flies easy and comfortable. It is a cam-over system which I’m a big fan of. The locking arm is one of the easiest mechanisms I have used. It doesn’t feel like your over torquing the vise to lock in the hooks. There are a few other details that have been well thought out. The spring material clip can be moved to two different positions on the arm. It is free to move in close or away from the jaws. Its can also be removed using its set screw. One of my favorite features is the thread holder located on the arm of this head. I’m a huge fan of dubbing loops and when I saw this I was sold on the vise. Just like the spring material clip, this feature can be unscrewed and moved or removed for your comfort while tying.

Stonfo’s Transformer Vises Inline Rotary Head with FNF’s GB-Brown and silver Caddis Pupa.

Streamer Head

The streamer head is a straight forward beefy set of jaws. Its a streamer tyer’s dream. Again, these jaws operate using a cam-over system which tucks up to lay flush with the arm. Ingenious! This gives the tyer a fully accessible tying platform free of mechanisms catching materials. Its streamline construction fits so comfortably in your hand. This set of jaws will also accept the spring material clip. Now I don’t tye very many huge hooked flies but I did have a 4/0 lying around and without a doubt these jaws held it in tight. We here at Friday Night Flies are big streamer fans and I already see a huge number of Moto Minnows coming off this set of jaws.

Stonfo’s Transformer Vises Streamer Fly Head Attachment with FNF’s Mack Daddy Minnow.

Tube Fly Head

For myself, this transforming tube fly head is the best on the market. Included with this head are 3 different tips. 2 different sized straight pin tips and 1 tapered pin tip with 3 different sized tapered pins. This allows you to tye with any type of tube system available. No longer do you need to purchase a specific manufactures tube fly attachment system. The straight pin tips screw out towards the tube locking it in place eliminating the tube spinning. I know too well the frustration of trying to lock down materials and that tube giving out on the pin. Painful! For those of you who prefer the simple tapered pin for the common plastic tubes available, a quick tip change and your off to the races. The 3 sized pin given with the system will fit all your tubes. There is a more divers set of pin available for purchase through STONFO. I picked up a set of these myseslf and it allowed for a more custom fit on my tubes. The tube fly head is also able to receive the spring material clip as well as the thread holder.

Stonfo’s Transformer Vises Tube Fly Head with one of Bolder’s tube flies.

Rotary System

The rotary mechanics are sealed in a sleek designed mount. It operates smoothly without any friction. The tension is easily controlled with the tension knob. The rotating arm is the perfect size and comes complete with arm extension which most vises sell separately. Nice touch STONFO!

Base Pedestal and Accessories

This pedestal is larger than most out there giving you lots of stability. It also has some tyer’s comforts built in. There are 2 wells for holding materials such as hooks and beads. The integrated tool bar along the backside of the pedestal offers a great place to put your frequently used items. As with most vises on the market today, there are your standard vise accessories available. A bobbin/post clip comes with your vise and its easy to change between the applications using the set screws. I have my eye on a few more of the accessories available through STONFO.

STONFO is a Italian fly tying and fly fishing tool manufacturer so they might not be seen through your local shops, yet. They are worth checking out and I think they have some unique products available. My first impressions are that they produce a high quality product. We will see if this vise can hold up to the rigors of FNF and a fishing guide tying all day every day;)

Love the Tug!
*Bolder*