Anglers All and Renzetti have a relationship that goes back more than 30 years. Known for developing the first true rotary fly tying vise, as well as quality hand tools, Renzetti is a family owned business with deep roots in the fly fishing industry.
We recently had the opportunity to spend time chatting with Lily Renzetti, president of Renzetti, Inc. We discussed Renzetti’s innovative tools, the history of our two companies, and some exciting new things on the horizon.
The First Renzetti Vise
Renzetti’s Humble Beginnings
“It started back in the late 1960s with my husband Andy and his younger brother Robin,” Lily told us. “They were trout fisherman and back then, they were tying quite a few Wooly Buggers which require a lot of rotation. Back then there was no true rotary vise.
“Andy’s family is very mechanical but they are also very artistic,” Lily continued. “Both of their parents were artists and in fact all three brothers are brilliant. So they started playing with vises and that’s where they came up with this idea for a true rotary function.”
Today, Renzetti is known for its true rotary vise. But like most success stories, it didn’t happen overnight.
“Andy was a machinist by trade,” Lily explained. “He had gone to trade school in Pennsylvania and was working full time. When he started developing vises in the early ‘70s, he would rent machine time from his employer and stay late after work to make them.”
During that time, Andy reached out to Orvis and connected with John Harder, who at that time was a buyer for Orvis.
“So Andy used to leave Friday after work from Pennsylvania, drive to Vermont, crash on John’s sofa, drop off the product and drive back,” Lily laughed. “Then one day, he told his employer that he wanted to venture out. His boss told him to go for it. Andy set up shop in his one-car garage. And that’s how it all started!”
Making Waves in the Fly Fishing Industry
All through the 1980s, Andy Renzetti continued to do his thing. And perhaps most remarkably, he never advertised and never attended a tradeshow. The popularity of Renzetti vises and tools spread entirely by word of mouth.
“Then one day he was at a fly shop close to his home and Lefty Kreh was there,” Lily recounted. “One of his friends there said that he ought to give Lefty a vise. Andy didn’t know who Lefty was at that time. But he gave Lefty a Renzetti Presentation 3000 to tie on.
“One thing about Lefty is that anytime you did something for him, he would always follow up with a letter,” Lily continued. “And he did – Lefty sent Andy a letter and that was the start of their friendship.”
In the late 1980s, Andy attended his first fly fishing trade shows. As he was introduced to more and more people in the industry, Renzetti’s influence grew even more broadly.
“I met Andy in 1988 and later that year we went to a show in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania that was a predecessor to the Fly Fishing Show we have today,” Lily told us. “From there we went to the first fly tackle retailer show in Denver in 1990. And that’s where we were introduced to Anglers All.”
Renzetti and Anglers All
According to Lily, Anglers All and Renzetti began working together in 1991. Shortly after meeting at the show in Denver, Anglers All applied to be a Renzetti dealer.
“I still have the letter that we sent to Anglers All,” Lily said. “It was June 4, 1991. Businesses come and go in fly fishing. But through it all, Anglers All has not changed their mission or their focus on fly tying. Anglers All has always been there and remained a consistent resource for the fly tyer. And I think that’s what has made Anglers All stand out among so many other fly shops. It’s always been a resource for the fly tyer."
“We love these connections, and this industry is all about relationships,” Lily continued. “Before I met Andy, I was working in a completely different industry that was entirely money driven. So it was quite a shock when I started with Renzetti. It was business driven, but not like other corporate industries. And I love it.”
The Renzetti Approach to Product Development
“When we develop a product, of course there is a great deal of thought that goes into the function, materials, pricing, and so on,” Lily explained. “But one thing that is always consistent when you look at our product line, is that it’s simple and functional, but it is also a work of art. The lines are beautiful, and if you look at the machining aspect, there’s a lot of love that goes into it too.”
According to Lily, great product design requires an appreciation for the person that will be using it, and how it feels in their hands.
“There is so much thought that goes into that,” she said. “As an employer we consistently emphasize that. It’s not just about quality. Because of course first and foremost, quality goes into everything we do. So beyond that, it comes down to the aesthetic and the finish of it – the lines, and the entire manufacturing process.
“I love manufacturing,” Lily added. “Because what goes into manufacturing is more than just making a product. It’s visualizing yourself using that product. Creating that enjoyment goes into every single knob or screw or whatever is in that vise.”
Andy Renzetti has never been the type of person to make a product just because someone else makes one.
“Unless we can make an improvement to something, we’re not going to touch it,” Lily said. “That allows us to focus on what we’re good at. For example, we just came out with a tool bar. We received many customer requests. And for a while we asked, ‘there are others on the market, why would we make another one?’
“So we decided to analyze what was on the market,” Lily explained. “We set out to discover what was functional, what wasn’t and if there were any improvements we could make. And so that’s how we ended up developing the latest tool bar. When we can make quality and innovation improvements to something, we get excited to share that with the fly fishing community.”
Exciting Things Ahead for Renzetii
Renzetti, Inc. is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary. And along with that milestone, some exciting things are in the works.
“We are coming up on 50 years as a company and there are some new products coming up as a part of that celebration,” Lily told us. “One that we are very excited about is a 50th anniversary edition vise! This is the first time I’ve announced it actually. So you are the first to know! And it’s going to be amazing. We are just in the process of finalizing the packaging and getting ready to release that. Then, we have more exciting things coming in 2023.”
We can’t wait to see Renzetti’s 50th anniversary edition vise and the other new developments coming next year. Stay tuned to our social media channels for those announcements!
“One thing I want to make sure comes across is that our retailers allow us to be who we are as a company, and for that reason, we are selective about who we do business with,” Lily said in closing. “And sure, the marketing and the way we do business might be a little different than it was 50 years ago. But still rely heavily on our retailers to communicate messages and to educate the consumer. And I don’t just mean about our products – but as anglers, as conservationists and as philanthropists. For us, it’s not just a sales transaction. There is more to it. There is a relationship of trust and an alignment of priorities. For that reason, maybe you won’t see Renzetti everywhere. But we are a family business and that is very important to us. And for all of those things, we are very grateful to Anglers All.”
Here at Anglers All, we are also thankful for our friends at Renzetti, who have partnered with us now to serve the fly fishing fly tying community for over three decades together! We’d like to extend a big thanks to Lily Renzetti for spending the time with us.
If you have been watching our tying videos, you know we proudly feature a Renzetti Traveler in most of them! You can shop for the outstanding Renzetti products here on the Anglers All website. If you have questions about fly tying or if you need help getting started, we’d be glad to lend you a hand. If you’re in the Denver area or along the Front Range, stop by and visit us at the fly shop in Littleton. Otherwise, you can give us a call at 303-794-1104.
