Linda Bachand, Washington
I used the T3 Tying Pedestal with a Cottarelli T-Rex vise. Although the pedestal was not specifically drilled for the non-standard Cottarelli vise shaft, I found the pedestal to be much more stable in holding the vise than other bases which tended to scrape the shaft due to twisting and loosening. The winged star knob was easy to tighten when needed and was not nearly as damaging to the vise shaft. I found the pedestal to be very stable and able to handle the torque from tying larger flies. I used the rubber feet which were included to add grip to my tying surface. I tie mainly larger classic Atlantic Salmon flies (5/0 or larger) and larger artistic flies. I appreciated having a large flat surface with a white background where I could easily locate materials and the magnetic panel also kept hooks and other materials anchored in front of me. My tying tends to be one fly at a time, not production tying of multiples. The pedestal provides a lot of efficiency for tyers who tie in a production mode, storing lots of pieces for continuous tying. I was able to adapt the way I used some of the wells and cups to my tying. I placed pairs of small veilings, small feathers, etc. in the cups so they remained paired and could be in the order I would tie them on. Being able to close the cups assured they would not get blown around or mixed up. The larger basin well was excellent for keeping my tying wax close at hand.
I liked the versatility of being able to remove storage cup pieces away from the basic pedestal if I was doing lots of silk work, where I did not want silk catching on cups - I could simplify the setup while building the initial stages of the body, then add on storage pieces as I needed to organize veilings, dubbings, etc. The one piece I did not tend to keep in use was the tool rack. I tend to keep my tools on the table to my right as I tie, rather than in a rack. I know there are other tyers who really like using tool racks, though. I also liked the etched rulers and hook scales built into the vise - I could measure pieces of tinsel or silk .... something I never used to do consistently and it has helped me avoid wasting materials. The size of the pedestal is nice - not too small, not too large. It's a heavier base, but the stability it provides is worth its weight in gold.
I liked the versatility of being able to remove storage cup pieces away from the basic pedestal if I was doing lots of silk work, where I did not want silk catching on cups - I could simplify the setup while building the initial stages of the body, then add on storage pieces as I needed to organize veilings, dubbings, etc. The one piece I did not tend to keep in use was the tool rack. I tend to keep my tools on the table to my right as I tie, rather than in a rack. I know there are other tyers who really like using tool racks, though. I also liked the etched rulers and hook scales built into the vise - I could measure pieces of tinsel or silk .... something I never used to do consistently and it has helped me avoid wasting materials. The size of the pedestal is nice - not too small, not too large. It's a heavier base, but the stability it provides is worth its weight in gold.
Bob Veverka, Vermont
Author of multiple fly tying books, including Spey Flies and How To Tie Them and Innovative Saltwater Flies
For all of the advances that have taken place in the fly tying industry, vise pedestals have largely remained an afterthought... no more. For the past nine months, I've been tying on a prototype of the Functional Fly Tying T3 Pedestal Suite. Finally- a pedestal/tying station whose features, quality, and attention to detail befits today's high-end vises. Visually, the T3 is clean and sleek; it's stable and stows easily when travel is required. The milling and anodization is beautifully done, and the laser etching is sharp and permanent. All in all, it is a terrific foundation for tyers of all levels.
Newer fly tyers will appreciate the easily accessed rulers and gauges that will help them build consistency into their tying.
More experienced tyers will appreciate the clean layout, as well as its storage and organizational features designed to optimize tying productivity.
All tyers will appreciate the T3's stability, versatility, and the ability to customize their own tying environment by selecting the components that suit their needs.
I've enjoyed tying on the T3; I'd encourage you to give it a look.
For all of the advances that have taken place in the fly tying industry, vise pedestals have largely remained an afterthought... no more. For the past nine months, I've been tying on a prototype of the Functional Fly Tying T3 Pedestal Suite. Finally- a pedestal/tying station whose features, quality, and attention to detail befits today's high-end vises. Visually, the T3 is clean and sleek; it's stable and stows easily when travel is required. The milling and anodization is beautifully done, and the laser etching is sharp and permanent. All in all, it is a terrific foundation for tyers of all levels.
Newer fly tyers will appreciate the easily accessed rulers and gauges that will help them build consistency into their tying.
More experienced tyers will appreciate the clean layout, as well as its storage and organizational features designed to optimize tying productivity.
All tyers will appreciate the T3's stability, versatility, and the ability to customize their own tying environment by selecting the components that suit their needs.
I've enjoyed tying on the T3; I'd encourage you to give it a look.
Nate Harris, Stone River Outfitters, New Hampshire
In fly tying, there are two great truisms that become quickly evident... the need for high quality materials, and the importance of solid performing tools! Functional Fly Tying's exciting new T3 series pedestal base set takes what was once perceived by most as a simple desktop accessory, and supercharges it with enhanced performance features that fly tiers of all skill levels will appreciate, love, and ultimately benefit from. Expertly machined with an exquisite anodized finish, this modularly-designed pedestal base suite is not only one of the handsomest I've yet encountered, it literally bristles on all sides with more purpose-driven tying-focused performance features than can be enumerated! Having tied steadily on an early model prototype version of the FFT-T3 ourselves now here at the fly shop for almost a full year... this inspired pedestal base suite is still revealing new and engaging ways to both help, aide, and better our time spent at the vise. A superbly designed and expertly crafted product indeed; if you take your fly tying seriously, you owe it to yourself to give one of FFT's new T3 Pedestals a try!
