Although the stainless steel vise is machined very well, it doesn't make par with Renzetti's Presentation or Master in terms of overall appearance. As with the earlier Sidewinder, the Barracudas preserve the jaw assembly of the traditional DynaKings, but the design is a great improvement. Adjustment of the jaws to place the hook shank on axis is accomplished by sliding the entire jaw system through a collar on the arm, and securing it with a large knurled thumbscrew.

All DynaKing models' jaws have a scored-interior tip, behind which are two hook pockets, machined into both sides of the jaw. Adjustment of the jaws for different hook wire diameters, and finding the sweet spot for various hook sizes was a bit fussy for me, and would take some getting used to. For this reason, I much prefer lever-type jaws over cam-lever operated collet designs. For commercial tiers, or amateurs who tie large numbers of flies on the same hook, this is not a problem. My tying sessions typically involve half a dozen of some pattern before I change hook sizes, and I find the required adjustment a petty annoyance. When properly adjusted, hook-holding power was excellent.

The rotary function is controlled by two large, knurled thumbscrews on the barrel of the vise; one to adjust the tension, and the other to lock out rotation completely.

Fit and finish is very good, and the vise has a heft that promises longevity.

Fans of the DynaKing push-collet design will applaud Mr. Abbey's decision to carry the jaw system into his rotary line, however, this approach causes some problems. The sheer size of the DynaKing jaw assembly, suspended below the vise arm, takes room. As a result, clearance between the bottom of the jaw assembly and the top of the pedestal base is only about 3 1/2" (depending on the position of the jaw assembly in the collar). When using the rotary function, with the included bobbin cradle, the cradle must be placed extremely close to the hook eye; and even so, removal of the bobbin from the cradle results in a thread length that causes the bobbin to hit the pedestal base (or table top). More importantly, because of its position, there is insufficient room for a longer lever cam.

The chassis on the Jr. is a full 8 1/2" in length, but the standard pedestal base is only 5 5/8" in the same dimension. Therefore, the heavy thread tension required for some hair spinning or egg patterns causes the whole vise to tip forward.