The new material clamp from Hareline Dubbin popped up on my radar a few weeks back. I was instantly intrigued by the design of these new clamps. I am a big fan of dubbing loops and use them in my fly tying a lot. In the early days, I struggled to make homemade clamps out of repurposed stationary clips. The tolerances were never good enough, and the material you were trying to secure would always fall out. Some years back, Marc Petitjean came on the scene with his Magic Clamp Tool System, and it was a considerable improvement over my homemade clamps. Recently the Swiss CDC Clamp came on the stage, once again revolutionizing the material clamp. This particular clamp still uses the “stationary store” style design but made several improvements to make it a better fly tying tool.
Marc Petitjean’s Magic Tool was the first tool I found that actually worked to create dubbing loops.
The Swiss CDC is a high quality tool that works with a wide range of materials and has some design improvements over traditional material clamps.
Not to be left out of the race, Hareline Dubbin just introduced their 2” Material Clamp Set to the fly tying marketplace. Right out of the gate, you notice something different about this tool. It has a radically different design. It leaves the “paper clip” design of previous clamps behind with a completely new form. They are built like a set of self-closing tweezers with off-set jaws. The two-inch, micro-serrated, off-set jaws securely hold a wide variety of fly tying materials. I have tested these clamps with various furs, feathers (including CDC), and synthetics, and they work exceptionally well. The handle design and the ease of opening and closing these material clamps make them very easy to use.
The Hareline Dubbin Material Clamp works with a wide range of material, even coarse material like deer hair!
The clamp is sold as a set of two identical clamps. This allows you to transfer material from clamp to clamp easily, a handy feature. For example, you can use one clamp to secure the material to cut it from the hide or stem and then transfer it to the second clamp in the proper position for the tie in.
The clamps are sold as a set of two identical clamps. This makes it easy to manipulate the material you want to put in your dubbing loops.
The fit and finish of the clamps are good. The micro serrations on the jaws perfectly line up, allowing you to hold delicate material like CDC securely. You operate the clamp with one hand. To open the clamp, you simply squeeze the handle to close them; you release it. The narrow 2” long jaws allow you to work with different amounts of materials so you can create a dubbing loop for a small delicate trout fly or a big predator streamer with the same clamp. The handles are coated with a rubberized “tool dip,” giving them a secure grip in hand.
The micro-serrations on the jaws line up perfectly to securely hold a wide range of materials.
The clamps work well with a variety of materials. Every style of clamp on the market usually excels in one particular area. Marc Petitjean’s Magic tool works exceptionally well with delicate CDC, but the light springs on the clamp make dealing with coarser material like hair more difficult. The Swiss CDC Clamp works well with a variety of materials, but its high price tag and limited availability is a turn off for some fly tiers. The Hareline Dubbin material clamps give the best of both worlds. You get a set of two identical clamps that work with a wide range of materials, have a new innovative design, and are reasonably priced. What more could you ask for?
The narrow, precise jaws will securely hold the most delicate materials in place.
This close up image demonstrates how well the clamps hold fine materials like feather fibers.
If you work with dubbing loops, you will want to check out this tool. After my initial testing period, this set of clamps earned a permanent stop on my fly tying desk, at least until the next innovation comes along!
We currently have these fantastic clamps in stock! You can pick yours up today by clicking on the button below!
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