I'll continue where I left off with the British vice manufacturers.
Note that many of them are steel instead of cast iron and have the quick release mechanism.
Again, NONE of these are mine and are just pictures I've hoovered up off the net while looking for some myself.
I was on about Parkinsons, they made vice's with their own name on them as well as Samsonia brand as well. Interestingly enough they spell vise the American way, despite being English where we spell it Vice.
No idea why but thats Yorkshiremen for you. Unfortunately I don't have sizes for quite a few of these, Ebay adverts often don't give jaw widths in the information.
Writing on one of those Parkinsons.
Another type of Parkinsons vice with a bolted on static jaw. Its a number 8 and its got five and half inch jaws.
Another of the same type, not sure if its the same size.
Another by them.
Now onto Alfred Herbert, the company that as far as I can tell made both Fortis and Ajax vice's.
Bit of info about the Coventry based man and company.
Alfred Herbert
Alfred Herbert (1866-1957) of Alfred Herbert Ltd.
1866 Alfred Edward Herbert was born the second son of William Herbert, building contractor and farmer, and his wife, Sarah Anne, née Thompson. The extent of the Herbert family fortune was considerable. His father, in addition to owning a town house in a salubrious area of Leicester, was the largest landowner in the parish of Whetstone, south of Leicester. His elder brother was William Henry Herbert.
Alfred Herbert was educated at Stoneygate Private School, and was destined for University and/or parsonage, until he met up with an old school friend William Hubbard, who worked on a lathe at J. Jessop and Son in Leicester. Herbert was fascinated by what the small lathe produced, so he persuaded his father to let him follow his friend's example. Subsequently he became an apprentice at Jessops.
1887 he became the manager of Coles and Matthews of The Butts, Coventry (where his brother William Henry Herbert was a director), and began producing machinery for the cycle trade, with guaranteed orders from the Premier Cycle Co that his brother owned.
1888 the firm was offered to Herbert for the price of £2,375 and he immediately entered into partnership with a former school friend and fellow apprentice, William Sammons Hubbard, under the name of Herbert and Hubbard, making boilers and general engineering equipment. The fathers of each of the two men provided their sons with a capital of £2000 each. Initially, production concentrated on ploughing tackle and steam rollers but moved very swiftly to making machine tools and tubing directed at the cycle trade
By 1894 Herbert had bought out Hubbard, who left the business, which was turned into a limited liability company Alfred Herbert Ltd. Alfred became the managing Director while his older brother was Chairman of the company.
1910, on the death of his brother William, he became chairman.
1957 Alfred Herbert died on 5th June 1957
1957 Obituary[1] Died aged 90 years. Born 5th September 1866 the son of William Herbert of Leicester. Awarded K.B.E. in 1917. Married Ellen Ryley in 1889, Florence Pepper in 1913 and Marion Fraser in 1933.
The Alfred Herbert Company was once the world's largest machine tool manufacturer, with a name comparable with Rolls-Royce.
Here's a few of Alfred Herberts stuff.
This shows that Fortis and Ajax are the same castings.
Fortis "Unbreakable No6.
Ajax "Unbreakable" No6.
Another.
I saw this one on Ebay and I'm pretty sure I even bid on it but it went over the money I had spare, still kicking myself over that one.
Then there's these Fortis ones, which as far as I can see are the same as some of the Record vice's
Take a look, I don't know which came first or if during the second world war there were designs licensed for use by other companies?
I know that Coventry (the manufacturing base for Alfred Herbert/Ajax/Fortis) was extensively bombed during the second world war which might have caused their designs to be used in Sheffield. Or maybe Record used the designs as an influence for their own, that wouldn't be the first time either.
1920 Fortis advert.
1951 advert.
1964 Fortis advert.
Another, This one has eight inch wide jaws so its a good size.
Looks a bit like this doesn't it? This is a Record 114 with eight inch wide jaws.
This is a Record advert I've found, its the same design as the Fortis and Ajax. Or at least its as near as dammit.
I'll come back to this with more stuff but thats enough for tonight.
) on the other.
