Learn how to use one and this little tool becomes second nature and gets very close to my list of essential tools. This holds the thread just like my fingers hold it when I whip-finish by hand. The handle is a revolving sleeve, crank the handle around the head and, with a little practice, I can place the wraps of thread exactly where I want; next to one another or on top, so with this tool I have control of both shape and smoothness of a head when I finish a fly. Personally, I find I have more control with this than when I tie off by hand. Whipping a flattened thread or a floss is not a problem – which is often not the case with fingers.

This sample is well enough made, the bent wire is smooth, the indent and hook at the tip are deep and hold the thread well. I can see marks from the bending tool, polish those out and thread would be better protected. The handle uses two brass balls at each end of a length of brass tube, a very simple mechanism. Again the details are good enough, the tube rotates smoothly enough, a narrower tube with polished ends would be a little smoother.