Used Jig Molds

[Kdog]

I am always on the look Out for used molds at reasonable prices and occasionally find something that strikes my fancy.

Anyhow, I watch Ebay regularly and have noticed that
Ament
Herters
Palmer
molds seem to command an unusually high price. I have both Ament and Palmer molds and yes, the heads are just enough different to be interesting. Having daid that, the molds themselves are not that great of a design and I do not cast with them all that often.

So what am I missing, are these collectable or is there something special that I have not discovered?

 

[hookup]

Check out Shawn Collin's molds .... not cheap.

Not sure about the others - never used them.

 

[plateboater]

Wait for Led.......I think he has a vault of molds along with knowledge

 

[Fatman]

Their both collectable but the more people that look for them the more they'll stay higher in price. Even prices for Do-It's are crazy. There's no reason you can't pour them but you'll have to trim flash.

 

[JSC]

Palmer & Herters I have not used ..
Aments cast molds can produce a lot of "Flash" until you learn how to pour them.
His Precision molds are the best around for there day & time .. They were "Pressed" Aluminum.
He passed a way some time ago and his Son kept it going for a while but has been several years since they were
produced .. Supply & Demand is the name of the game.

 

[Kdog]

Never had a flash issue with the aments, clean and tightly closed, Hot handles are my only issue and dont want to drill holes toadd wooden handles

 

[LedHed]

hu - SC molds are worth every nickel - ask hawnjigs..

pb - I don't know about knowledge... lol


Now - the Paul Ament molds the JSC is referring to are works of art. I believe the reason they aren't snapped up is because they are single cavity. Everybody's loss and my gain. There's a fantastic post that redman and redear did about the process...

Amazing what happens on fleabay. Just missed a bid on a vintage fly tying lot - was looking at the lot for an old vise (had some good useable materials & tools also) - in the background was a Renzeteii traveler. Somebody got the lot for $69!

Molds are the same - picked up some custom molds for nothing. Don't want to talk about some of the lemons that I've got. If your lucky you can find some of the older molds that have been worked (surfaced, pins aligned) - some of them get the higher prices. I think most people, that drive up the prices, don't know what they are buying.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Yup, SC is top of the line, but for reasons mentioned previously I'd rather continue nipping collars than order no collar versions.

Tried a few off those "off" brand molds - did they pre-date Do-its? Cuz I have no idea why anyone would choose a multi cav Palmer or Ament over a Do-it. The ones I tried were technically pathetic.

 

[JSC]

They did predate Do-It by a long time (does any one know when Do It Started ? I was out of the "Loop" at that time)
The only Herters I had seen was one for "Pompano Jigs" do know they had several more .. do not know who made them for Herters.

 

[Kdog]

I am not buying them for any savings, rather I am interested in the older molds from the standpoint of nostalgia. I do have one single cavity Ament that is a dream to use. The 6 cavity is kinda fun and it has a head shape that is a true oval. It is touchy to fill properly but the heads always fill nicely, collars are a different story.

BTW, the single cavities do not show up that often, I think the ones that people have, they think are homemade and they do not list them,

Per the Do-It web site they have been on business 55 years. So around 1960