PEAK Rotary Vise: Is It Right For You?

The Peak Rotary Vise is one of the more popular vises we sell at our shop. We'll unbox and put together a brand new one, talk about the features, and cover some pros & cons.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:28 Overview
01:50 Unboxing & Assembly
04:06 Features
06:27 Pros & Cons
11:23 Wrap Up
Peak Rotary Vise: thenorthernangler.com/product...
Peak Rotary D-Arm: thenorthernangler.com/product...
Peak Brass Riser: thenorthernangler.com/product...
Peak Tool Caddy: thenorthernangler.com/product...
Peak Midge Jaws: thenorthernangler.com/product...
What do you think, would you tie on a peak? Have more questions or want to share your experience with the Peak Rotary Vise? Let us know down below in the comments!
If you're looking to tie smaller flies with your Peak Vise, make sure you check out the Midge Jaws (link above) that are easy to swap in for those tiny bugs!
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[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Hey all, just want to mention that if you're looking to tie smaller flies, Peak does make a great Midge Jaw that can be easily swapped out for. We made a conscious decision to focus on the stock vise as the vast majority of tyers will not be purchasing an additional head right out of the gate. Many of our loyal viewers have pointed out that I should have mentioned the different heads in the pros/accessories section and they are absolutely right. Check out the link in the description for more info on this great accessory!

[@oak8728]

For dubbing spinner users, put a soft tip on the handle. When it falls it chips the powder coat, I learned that quickly and added a small 1/4in rubber foot to my spinner. Also love my peak pedestal.

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

@@oak8728 Thanks for sharing the tip!

[@JoelSzymczyk]

I've tied on a Peak for probably 16 years now (??) Their C-Clamp was and maybe still is the best there ever was. Can't say how many tens of thousands of flies I've tied on it, standard jaws, from #22 to probably 4/0, handles a wide range of wire diameters really well.

[@mikelundrigan2285]

Where I am and the flys I tie, this is an excellent vice, imo!

[@jaguarxk8t80]

I have this vise and I love it

[@Gbow17]

Just bought one of these. Came packed in like a gray foam. No peanuts. Thanks for your help.

[@mistermatsuda]

The "tarnish" in other items such as knives and watches are considered "patina". It shows that it's been well used and an example of character.

[@arliecrumpler3213]

I've been tying on the Peak stationary vise. Just ordered their rotary vise. Getting excited, supposed to be here Friday.

[@fisher-of-men1547]

Good Morning !! I happen to be a long time Peak vise owner/tyer. I live in Ada, MI & I have been to your shop numerous times when I am in the Traverse City area. You guys run an Awesome shop & I have watched many of your videos, including the guest tyer ones !! I started tying on a non-rotary vise many years ago & it did not take long to decide I needed a rotary vise. I did a lot of research beforehand on vises & compared several manufacturers before settling on the Peak. My Peak does not have the nut adjustment to tighten the jaws as the one you displayed, mine has a knurled ring, which does not move around, or loosen up when I am tying. I'm glad you took the time to give the pros & cons as that will help those looking for a great vise decide if the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to the Peak. I have a small fly tying / fly fishing/tying instruction business ( it's not my sole source of income, as I retired in June 2020 ) myself & I tie at several shows during the year, but not in 2020. I don't have a website, but I get asked that question a lot at shows. I'd be happy to send you some pics of my flies, if that's ok, I would just need an email address. Thanks again for running a Great fly shop !! David M. Clunk, Fisher-of-Men Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Instruction, Ada, Michigan

[@yvonpoitras916]

I have a Peak now for 3 years i tie commercially and no problem what so ever with this vise, its a real good vise for the price ... I got the D Arm and the Profile plate and the brass screw for the rotary tension I think that should be standard with this vise.. But to me after tying thousands of flies each year and no issues its a go to Buy vise in my opinion ...

[@davedcobern319]

Great review!!! Thank you for keeping it real !!!!

[@arliecrumpler3213]

Great review! Ordered mine today. Supposed to be here Friday...

[@j.w.crawford_554]

Thank you for an awesome video!

[@smctrout4423]

I own the C-clamp version of the Peak Rotary Vise. I purchased the Terra Vise Extender. Peak makes a Lap Extension, which serves the same function. The Terra Extender only costs about $15.00. Either extender allows you to "bring the vise to you" by elevating (or lowering) the vise and moving it closer to, or farther from the edge of your tying table so that you don't have to bend over the vise. A vise extender makes fly tying much more comfortable.

[@rogersopkowiak3050]

Love this vise.

[@jamesyates5191]

Thanks Matt for a great unbiased review. I am seriously considering this vise. BTW I grew up in Traverse City as a youngster through teenager fly fishing and hunting. Glad to hear there is still great fly fishing there. I now reside near the top end of the Rogue river in Oregon. Tight lines.

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

James, thanks for watching and the comments!

[@dm9103]

I really like this vise. I mostly tie steelhead and musky flies. I really like beefy the no frills design and that solid base. Great vise for traveling as you don't have to worry about finding solid table to mount the c clamp, just grab it, set it and go.

[@smctrout4423]

I started tying on a Thompson A vise, then I got the Peak Rotary Vise. All three jaws (midge, standard, saltwater) for the Peak Vise hold hooks very well. It's a great vise for the money.

[@markromzick4367]

I use a Peak and I like it. You mention the issue of tying small flies. I bought Peak's midge jaws and they work fine. Much smaller than the standard jaws. Of course, one has to change out the jaws. I just make it a point to tie many small flies when I change to the midge jaws. Overall, I find the Peak vise to be a very good value for the money. Keep up the great videos. Mark Romzick, Atlanta, GA

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Mark, thats a great point. Like many vises on the market you can choose to purchase jaw sets for specific jobs. I wanted to really focus on the stock vise in this video but Peak does a great job offering lots of options to their customers with add-ons and accessories. Thanks for watching!

[@kevinjozwiak5696]

Ditto. The midge jaws are great!

[@jimbolt5170]

Thanks for doing a very thorough review. Well done! I appreciate your honesty in covering both the pros and the cons. In the video it looked like there is another threaded hole between the rotary tension adjustment screw and the rotary handle. Do you have any idea why it’s there? Thanks again.

[@roysmith1149]

I own a peak vise myself and made my own d-arm from ace hardware. The problem with it being out of balance using the rotary handle is simple. Just put the handle opposite of what the jaws are. It helped me tremendously.

[@marlonf.naranjo6102]

I was thinking of doing the same thing. What parts did you buy at Ace? Is it cheaper to make your own? Thanks

[@roysmith1149]

@@marlonf.naranjo6102 I think mine came to $5-8 bucks. But you could get away with it being cheaper because I used a 2 in. stainless allen screw with a ball point pen body for the handle. You could stack washers to help even further with balancing

[@jonahex8463]

Great video review.👍🏻😊

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Thank you!

[@Brian-fu9um]

I bought this vise about a year ago. I am really happy with it and agree with both the pros and cons mentioned. If you buy this vise, I strongly recommend getting the D-arm - otherwise, the rotary function is not so good - IMHO the D-arm should be standard and not sold as an extra. The heavy base and locking cam are real plusses !! Two other things : (1) as received, my kit was missing the thumscrew for the bobbin cradle. (2) it needs a materials clip. \Brian :-)

[@simonsmith8966]

I use mine for larger flies also, pike and sea water, and find it useful to use one of the three unused stem holes to fix it to my tying bench with a wood screw (No 8 x 11/2 inch).

[@denniszdrojkowski2858]

Should also mention to purchase the brass adjustment screws for the rotary & bobbin holder, the plastic tends to wear out. The D handle is a must for good rotary use.

[@richardgroff3005]

You should add the midge jaws for the smaller hooks

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Hey Richard, Thanks so much for watching. I absolutely agree that the Midge Jaws solve the small hooks issue and a great value which is why they are mentioned in the description and comments.

[@leonardwells9613]

Great fair review, I would also like to see some higher end vise reviews for as you well know, all vises are NOT created equal and reviews for these vises are rare

[@joeg5414]

I got one recently and no peanuts, just big foam pieces 😂 price is up to about $185 everywhere I looked though. I live 45 min from the San Juan tailwater so tie some size 22 and smaller...although I try to avoid it lol. Maybe I should get the midge jaws🤔so far I'm happy though with the standard jaws... huge improvement from what I had before which was prone to firing them across the room.

[@Machster10]

The Peak holds hooks solidly, no slipping.

[@imaxfli]

Mine doesn't have that big adjustment nut, it is round and smaller and smooth. 15 years and my brass hasn't tarnished. You can get a "midge jaw" and you should have showed the ad-on that smoothed the rotation.....

[@smctrout4423]

Peak makes midge and saltwater jaws in addition to the standard jaws that come with the vise. If memory serves, Peak recommends using the midge jaws for hooks 16 and smaller.

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Thanks for watching! You're right, the additional jaws are great as I mentioned in the top comment and linked in the description.

[@jimcall2429]

I have this vise and love it but he never brought up that they make a midge head real easy to change

[@EricReichbaum]

I've had my Peak vise for 15 years or so, and the brass hasn't tarnished or developed a patina at all. I will say the one downside is that even size 14 and 16 hooks have started to slip if I pull too hard with the bobbin...

[@maximmogilevets4158]

Спасибо! Будем покупать!

[@Jay-xc5uf]

I'm sure it if you gave me one I wouldnt have any complaints it would definitely be an upgrade from my super AA non rotary vice

[@keales9564]

Is the pedestal base better than the clamp?

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Great question, pedestal bases are the most popular for their flexibility in placement but clamps are always going to be more sturdy. I own both and use the pedestals 90% of the time but grab the clamps when I need to use lots of thread tension (spinning deer hair or big pike/musky flies). Hope this helps!

[@marcg.9899]

How much are you selling this vice for? Also, I will be trying bass flies and smaller surf flies. Can it handle say 3/0 or 4/0?

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

We sell this vise at whatever Peak decides the MSRP is going to be. Unfortunately, the price of everything has been fluctuating. Be sure to check out our links in the description for current pricing information. I'd check out the LIRS from Peak if you need to tie on seriously large hooks. Thanks for watching!

[@BVDsGoneFishing]

What happed to the price in 2 years. They are over $200 now.

[@asaandrews3372]

Do you still sell this vice

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Absolutely...when we can get it. It's been super popular.

[@russelllieser4226]

Just get the midge jaws or the salt water jaws. Takes seconds to change.

[@javicruzito]

Great vise but it not for big saltwater hooks, the biggest hook it holds is 2/0 and that's an issue. Nice review but you miss this small (I means big) detail.

[@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop]

Thanks for watching! Apologies if we missed that detail. Most all-around vises are going to struggle on the extreme ends of hook sizes. I'd definitely take a look at a specialty vise if you need to securely hold hooks 2/0 and above. We've been extremely impressed with the LIRS vise from Peak. I haven't seen anything better for big hooks.

[@javicruzito]

@@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop Yeah so I have to have two vise??? that's means extra money instead using the same vise for a wide range of hook sizes for example Regal Big Game and is in a good price. But thanks for the advice.

[@javicruzito]

@@TheNorthernAnglerFlyShop Or what about the Dyna King Trekker 🤴

[@smctrout4423]

Peak makes saltwater jaws for this vise. I have tied saltwater flies on mine. Works fine.

[@JoelSzymczyk]

I've tied WAY larger than 2/0 on standard jaws with no problem. Not sure what you're talking about.

[@petrovasiluk3394]

яка ціна

[@pslchile4410]

everything was going all right until u mentioned the "this is a big flies vise".... too sad but nothing to do with it. I'll have to check for other vises tho.

[@smctrout4423]

You can buy saltwater jaws for the Peak Rotary Vise. They cost about $40.00.