I was prepping a new shipment of hook holders the other day. I was having a bit of a problem in holding the hook holders so that I could have a good grip to touch up the opposite end of the hook holder.
I had used several diferent pliers and had also modified a plier to give me a better grip. But as I was going through the batch of hook holders, one would slip now and then.

While thinking about this, I was thinking - some sort of small clamp is needed to nicely hold these holders during the prep.

I reached over and pulled the insert from my fly tying vise. This is a small tubular clamp designed to hold various sized hooks with various sized replacable jaws. The tubular portion fits into the vise and is used during fly tying operations.

Success. The small jaws of the fly tying vise worked perfectly to hold the end of the hook holder and the 1/2 inch tubular design of the clamp fit nicely into my fingers as I rotated the hook holder against the sanding belt for prep.

If you need a small secure clamp for some of the odd jobs around the rod shop, you might give a fly tying vise a try for these applications. In my case it was the perfect tool for the job.

Take care
Roger

Another good tip Roger!

If someone doesn't have a fly vise, similar vises to consider are machinist's pin vises that come in a variety of sizes, with some having flat sided grips that are more comfortable to hang on to and that keep them from rolling around. [www.starrett.com]

I've used mine for numerous things including: to hold small awls (.030") small carbide files, and with a small drill bit to unplug the older style speedometer pickup on outboard motors.

Dan

You could also try one of the exacto knives that have a knurled knob that pinches the split tip to hold the blade. Just replace the blade with your hook holder.

Might try a Pin Vise, too