What's special about 109s, 209s and 5198s?
Extremely rare, even by ******** vise collector standards. I don't think anyone has even been able to find a
picture of a Reed 209 or a Craftsman 5198.
A 109 is a non-swivel base, which some prefer, but a slight majority tend to favor the swivel base, which is what the 209 is. In Reed (and a few other manufacturer's numbering system) the first number (example 109) states what style of vise it is... 1 = stationary base. 2 = swivel base. 4 = the static jaw swivels, etc. So a 203 would be a 2 (swivel base) 3" wide vise. 106 would be a 1 = non swivel base and 6" wide faces.
The last number (109) again is the
width in inches of the jaws. For whatever reason, some people will occasionally list a vise they have for sale as "7.5 inches" when what they're trying to say, is that the vise
opens 7.5" wide... But that's not the "standard" way of measuring a vise - you go by the width of the jaws. Jaws are 4" wide? Than it's "a 4 inch vise". A 9" wide jaw is the widest (at least that anyone is a where of, as far as I know) is the widest jaws any of the vintage US made vise companies ever made. They were the biggest, baddest pieces of old school American iron ever made. And there seem to have only been a couple ever produced.
6" wide old American made vises aren't too uncommon, but definitely something you'll need to do some hunting for locally to find one. 7 and 8"'ers are very hard to find. It'd be fair to say that it's one of those things in life that just because you have the money, doesn't mean you can buy it when you want. They don't show up for sale very often at all. A 9"? That's the holy grail for some of us vise guys. Like I said before - a 209... I don't even think a picture exists of one. I've seen a couple pics of a few different 109's.
If you found a Reed 209 in good condition and you wanted to sell it, you could fetch a pretty stupid-high price.
A Craftsman 5198 is a 5" wide vise. What's so special about a mid-sized vise? They hardly made any of them. Like, seriously can't-even-find-a-picture-of-one rare. Columbian (and I think Rock Island too, correct me if I'm wrong guys) made vises
for Craftsman at different times. Finding a Craftsman 5198 is every bit as much a hunt for some as a Reed 209 is for others.
Couldn't resist a chuckle at that response. 
