Are Tiemco hooks brittle?

[Michael T]

According to the recipe, the Meat Whistle pattern is tyed on a size 1/0 jig style hook. However, I've grown accustom to tying them on a Daiichi brand #6 6x-long hook (2340) that I put a 45 degree bend near the eye. Yesterday, I pulled out a Tiemco TMC300 packet out of my supplies, placed it in the vise to bend it, and DOINK! The hook snaps and flies across the room. So, I put another in the vise and it snaps again. Well...being as persistant as Rex Grossman, I try again and another bad snap!...much like Rex's attempts (sorry, couldn't resist ).

 

I chuck up a Daiichi 2340 and it bends just the way they always have. So I try 3 more Daiichi's and they all bend without breaking. What's the deal?

 

I just couldn't leave well enough alone, so I took each of these broken Tiemco's and tried to pinch the barb using the vise's jaws, just like I always do with every fly I tye. I heard the faintest snap. I pinched the barb on each of the Daiichi's, no snap, but a smooth pinch that flattened the barb.

 

I'm not trying to bash a Tiemco product; they make a high quality hook, but these don't bend, they break. Was this a bad batch of Tiemco's? Or are Tiemco's more brittle than Daiichi's?

[Nickk]

I've never found them to be more brittle than other brands but I never bend hooks. I figure that the tempering process renders them fairly brittle but gives them high tinsel stregth. Go to a "conventional" shop and pick up some Mustad 60 degree bend jig hooks, you'll be surprised(pleasantly) by their price! I picked some size 8 up from Ed Shirley's(or were they 6), I still haven't fished any of the flies I tied on those....I really need to get out this year and fish more.

[asherman]

It sounds like the Tiemco hooks are more brittle if you bending them in you vise or with a pair of pliers. Tiemco hooks are strong enough for fishing, as I use them a lot and I have never bent tiemco as the tippit breaks before the hook bends.

 

I've been tying some flies using Gamakatsu 90 degree jig hooks, which are light, strong and extremely sharp. These hooks work well for meat whistles.

[Rick D.]

I've had similiar experience with Tiemco hooks. I have Mustad, Gamakatsu, Daiichi and Eagle Claw.

 

Some Tiemco have always seemed brittle or surface hardened.

 

I use a pair a dental post tool to bend hooks to specific angles for specific patterns. I avoid Tiemco when any torque is being applied.

 

I'm old school in I love Mustad.

[jamie shard]

I used a lot of the tiemco large gap hooks (you know, the 10's that look like short 2's) for big sparkleminnows and shenk streamers. Almost all of the barbs broke off when I crimped them.

 

All of the mustads that I've bent have been okay... until I get more than halfway down the shank. I was playing with increasing the gap on the mustads and bending them more than halfway down, near the curve... and the metal seems more brittle and the bend feels like it weakens the hook.

 

The only hooks that have failed for me are trout hooks that have snapped at the barb... but no pattern/ brand that I can discover beyond that.

 

For what it's worth...

 

-j

[Michael T]

Thanks for the replies. So, I guess I'm not imagining things. I will try other hooks in the future for Meat Whistles, but I've got quite a few Tiemco 6x-long hooks to use. I've been using them for the madtom contest for the Blowout.