The VISES of Garage Journal

[AaronR1]

AFAIK the first Columbian vises had a triangle with a C inside, next generation curved lettering on both sides, then curved one side straight the other, then straight both sides. Yours to my eye looks to have nicer curves to the jaw towers than later Columbians, I like it. [emoji106] I'm sure you're aware that it's missing the dynamic jaw. Here's a link to some literature you might browse to try and find yours. http://scuttle.dayid.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Columbian

Thank you my friend, the link was pretty neat to read and informational. Thank you ad well for your shared knowledge about these Columbians. This is going to be my first restore on a vise. I'm definitely gonna need to do a lot more studying up on the model before I attack it because I had no idea it's was missing anything at all. I thought it was a complete unit and figured that would make a nice easy virgin restoration for me to learn on. I never had any ambition in doing this hobby, I just had the vise in my garage and thought it looked in pretty good shape and I figured I could just unload it for $30 or $40 maybe but when I got into researching it, it opened my eyes to a whole new world lol. Firstly I never knew there were what I call vise enthusiasts in this world. Lol never would have guessed that and then I kept reading about how these Columbians are like pretty popular vises I got interested. Now I'm not interested in selling it to make a profit I just want a nice collectable piece that I can be proud that I did myself even if the vise isn't worth a whole bunch of money.

AaronR

 

[chruler]

Were you in Quechee Gorge VT? Looks like it from the pic. I go there all the time. I hope you bought that vise.

No, this is on Route 103 in Chester VT.
Stone House Antique Center.

 

[kunkernator]

nice vise! i won't deny working in flip flops or Barefoot in the garage either?(last pic)

True that. When your garage is attached, i just go out, spray some paint, watch TV inside for an hour, go out, give it another coat, so on.....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lu-Max]

A little help please?

I am closing on my 'new' house on Wednesday. I did the walk through the other day and noticed this little vise in the garage for the first time. It is a cool looking 3 1/2" Columbian with a neat art-deco look to it. Any idea as to resale value or collect-ability? I really like it.

The reason I ask is that my agent just called and said that one of the sons of the person selling the house would like to keep it. It works fine, the screw is smooth. I really don't want to hand it over, but I also don't want to be a pennypincher either.

What's it worth do you think? Approximate year made? Thanks!

 

[rmalkow2]

Re: A little help please?

I am closing on my 'new' house on Wednesday. I did the walk through the other day and noticed this little vise in the garage for the first time. It is a cool looking 3 1/2" Columbian with a neat art-deco look to it. Any idea as to resale value or collect-ability? I really like it.

The reason I ask is that my agent just called and said that one of the sons of the person selling the house would like to keep it. It works fine, the screw is smooth. I really don't want to hand it over, but I also don't want to be a pennypincher either.

What's it worth do you think? Approximate year made? Thanks!

If I'm the son who wants to keep a piece of family history and one of my dad's tools that have good memories it would be priceless. I have a cheap small Columbian that my dad used as far back as I can remember. It's not a good vise but I could not part with it easily.
Let the son have it. Find another someday and start your own memories.

 

[anndel]

Maybe $100

 

[va.grouseman]

Lu-Max, there are 4 Pennypinchers on EBay right now.---Might give you a ball-park figure.

 

[drivesitfar]

LuMax: unless you have had a truly aweful experience with the sellers on your new home purchase i'd personally ask the son if he wants it with or without the bench he can have it if he comes to pick it up at a certain time and day.

any pictures of the new house??

 

[joe.striper]

No, this is on Route 103 in Chester VT.
Stone House Antique Center.

Yep been there too. I hope you bought it , if you didn't I may be heading up there 'on business' later this week.

 

[mbsinmich]

Re: A little help please?

If I'm the son who wants to keep a piece of family history and one of my dad's tools that have good memories it would be priceless. I have a cheap small Columbian that my dad used as far back as I can remember. It's not a good vise but I could not part with it easily.
Let the son have it. Find another someday and start your own memories.

I bought one at an estate sale for $8

 

[jakemac]

Re: A little help please?

What's it worth do you think?

In general, exposed screw vises aren't worth that much. There are a few exemptions, but that one isn't on that list. Most of it's value would be in the art deco nostalgia, not it's size or functionality. $30 would be my tops on it, but it would have to be a pristine example. That one would be in the $10-$15 range for me if I was interested.

I agree with rmalkow2, the right thing to do would be to let the family have it back for the memories.

 

[bagged89s10]

Just bought this, pending it's as clean as the seller says it is. Parker 439 with both wrenches and copper jaw covers.

 

[joe.striper]

Just bought this, pending it's as clean as the seller says it is. Parker 439 with both wrenches and copper jaw covers.

Did you pick this up in the Northwest corner? A lot have been coming out of there. I know you're cheap so let me be the first to say You ****!

 

[Hemi49]

Monday at the vise retirement home:
2-3 months ago I bought a 9400 bullet off of CL.....It looked like it had pretty good bones and reasonable care during its life......Since I bought it, I have worked on some of the other "patients" and just finished it up today......One notable observation is a crater adjacent to the anvil that was packed with bondo and covered with the factory paint....So much for the only bondo packers being the Chicoms....
Attached are some before and after 8X10 glossies......

 

[FMC1959]

Just bought this, pending it's as clean as the seller says it is. Parker 439 with both wrenches and copper jaw covers.

Did you pick this up in the Northwest corner? A lot have been coming out of there. I know you're cheap so let me be the first to say You ****!

The amount of stuff the 2 of you find, either you are in the vise patch capital of the world or just truly out hunt everyone. Another nice Parker

 

[FMC1959]

Monday at the vise retirement home:
2-3 months ago I bought a 9400 bullet off of CL.....It looked like it had pretty good bones and reasonable care during its life......Since I bought it, I have worked on some of the other "patients" and just finished it up today......One notable observation is a crater adjacent to the anvil that was packed with bondo and covered with the factory paint....So much for the only bondo packers being the Chicoms....
Attached are some before and after 8X10 glossies......

Excellant restore, you would be hard-pressed to find a 9400 in better shape.

 

[Hemi49]

C1 Update
I'm convinced since working on this C1 bullet that some vises just don't want to die.....I acquired this vise about 3 weeks ago, and even with a stiff backlog at TVRH (The Vise Retirement Home), I forged ahead with Triage and remediation.....Rather than enumerate the nasty stuff, I'll be cheery and just report that I didn't find anything cracked!.......
Today I finished teardown and most of the cleaning, wire brushing......Going forward I will be doing various repairs, refittings and adjustments......
Attached are photos of activities to date at TVRH.......

 

[drivesitfar]

Hemi: that's my favorite model of the Wilton C1 with the heavy duty pipe jaw pins. did you mention or show the date stamped or did i miss it while admiring the pictures of your vise and shop. Vise retirement home???

FMC: Joe and Bagged don't go to sleep at night without checking all the potential spots to buy a vise so no rocks are left un turned and it shows.

of course Joe did say about 6 months or a year ago he needed help buying all the vises in his area so at least Bagged heard his cry and i know a few others that are a bit more silent in that area of the US that might have even more.

Bagged: i'm not a huge Parker fan only because i don't see them as often, but that double or triple swiveler is on my list for finding one in the wild. i like that it is in great shape and also has jaw covers on it. good luck

 

[Lu-Max]

LuMax: unless you have had a truly aweful experience with the sellers on your new home purchase i'd personally ask the son if he wants it with or without the bench he can have it if he comes to pick it up at a certain time and day.

any pictures of the new house??

Thanks Drives.

How about just two. It's a 3BD, 3BA Ranch, ~2600 SQFT. The lot is >18K SQFT, I'll be building a brand new shop from scratch in one corner of the back yard.

The den which looks out into the back yard patio and koi pond. The walls and ceiling are covered in clear (knot-free) redwood T&G, the beams are also clear redwood.

 

[drivesitfar]

Lu-Max: thanks. another reason for giving the son the vise and maybe the bench with it is because you might have a question about something regarding the house in the future and it wouldn't hurt to be able to make a quick call. besides i think it might just be good Karma to enable a son to own his dad's or grand dad's vise if they want it.

best of luck with the new neighbors because the house looks awesome.

 

[TreePointer]

Re: A little help please?

I had to give a chuckle when I read the name on the vise. My earliest use of a vise was in my grandfather's basement. We would fold, squish, and "pinch" pennies in his Reed 204-1/2.

 

[flying eyeball]

almost done

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks Drives.

How about just two. It's a 3BD, 3BA Ranch, ~2600 SQFT. The lot is >18K SQFT, I'll be building a brand new shop from scratch in one corner of the back yard.

The den which looks out into the back yard patio and koi pond. The walls and ceiling are covered in clear redwood T&G, the beams are also redwood.

Wow, nice looking house!
And with almost half an acre of what looks like flat land, you'll have plenty of space to build a fantastic new shop. I'm jealous!

 

[Hemi49]

Hemi: that's my favorite model of the Wilton C1 with the heavy duty pipe jaw pins. did you mention or show the date stamped or did i miss it while admiring the pictures of your vise and shop. Vise retirement home???

FMC: Joe and Bagged don't go to sleep at night without checking all the potential spots to buy a vise so no rocks are left un turned and it shows.

of course Joe did say about 6 months or a year ago he needed help buying all the vises in his area so at least Bagged heard his cry and i know a few others that are a bit more silent in that area of the US that might have even more.

Bagged: i'm not a huge Parker fan only because i don't see them as often, but that double or triple swiveler is on my list for finding one in the wild. i like that it is in great shape and also has jaw covers on it. good luck

Drives
The only legible number on the key was an 8.....It had been subjected to a lot grinding/sanding grit that scoured the internals......


FMC
Thanks for the compliment
Hemi®

 

[bagged89s10]

Did you pick this up in the Northwest corner? A lot have been coming out of there. I know you're cheap so let me be the first to say You ****!

Yea From northwestern Connecticut. I think the most expensive vise I've bought. Thanks

The amount of stuff the 2 of you find, either you are in the vise patch capital of the world or just truly out hunt everyone. Another nice Parker

Thanks.

Bagged: i'm not a huge Parker fan only because i don't see them as often, but that double or triple swiveler is on my list for finding one in the wild. i like that it is in great shape and also has jaw covers on it. good luck

Thanks drives. You know everything is for sale for the right price!

 

[bagged89s10]

Monday at the vise retirement home:

2-3 months ago I bought a 9400 bullet off of CL.....It looked like it had pretty good bones and reasonable care during its life......Since I bought it, I have worked on some of the other "patients" and just finished it up today......One notable observation is a crater adjacent to the anvil that was packed with bondo and covered with the factory paint....So much for the only bondo packers being the Chicoms....

Attached are some before and after 8X10 glossies......

Nice restore hemi!

 

[Fretters]

Thanks drives. You know everything is for sale for the right price!

Not true. Some would sell their mother if they could, whereas some place sentimental or even merely nostalgic value above any amount. Money is nothing more than a necessary evil to some.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bagged: i've been known to do a little horse trading with the members so feel free to let me know if you have a trade or price in mind. since you like Parkers a lot that one probably shouldn't leave your garage. nice find

Fretters: well said and so true. when i sell a vise if the money isn't already spent that day it just buys another one or when money is available the search is on. it's probably a good thing i don't live close to Bagged and Joe because at the prices they buy vises for i'd have 20 storage units full of them.

 

[Lu-Max]

Lu-Max: thanks. another reason for giving the son the vise and maybe the bench with it is because you might have a question about something regarding the house in the future and it wouldn't hurt to be able to make a quick call. besides i think it might just be good Karma to enable a son to own his dad's or grand dad's vise if they want it.

best of luck with the new neighbors because the house looks awesome.

Drives: I had the same thoughts, I am certain I will have some questions for him but I wanted to ensure I wasn't handing over an oddity or rare piece of history because of implied sentimental value. I did that once years ago (very long story that I will spare you) only to find out that person quickly sold it at a huge profit. I got scammed.
I will start a new thread with the shop build, can't describe how excited I am to start designing and building it.

 

[Fretters]

Lu: Your soon to be new home looks nice.

Fretters: well said and so true. when i sell a vise if the money isn't already spent that day it just buys another one or when money is available the search is on. it's probably a good thing i don't live close to Bagged and Joe because at the prices they buy vises for i'd have 20 storage units full of them.

Not quite mastered the self restraint part as yet then? Must admit, I've passed on a few vices, (and other items too), in the past which I could have had for practically pennies. Vices, I tend to only look for ones which I'm personally interested in, (either due to personal preference, quirkiness, rarity else due to them just not being common), but the ones I've generally passed on have been due to just not being able to take to the sellers themselves. The typical money over everything else type. Some, (most?), probably won't understand, but I find it nigh on impossible to deal with people like that. I could have made a few bob if I thought more about the money rather than the type of people it means dealing with, but what the hell. I suppose it leaves more for those who only consider the money aspect.

 

[drivesitfar]

Fretters: i suppose my self restraint is both because i'm getting pickier and prices are not what they were a few years ago. might also have to do with my buying files, wood handled screwdrivers, every wrench and socket set made before 1960 and several hundred clamps that we might call a "small vise" and now anything made out of thick steel.

i hear you on the dealing with people because i was a Real Estate agent for almost 30 years and have bought and sold probably since i was about 5 and had some money to spend. I've read many books and listened to many tapes on various people and different cultures have engrained some interesting things into their kids so when you run into a tough customer try to find common ground. i had many many LOW OFFERS that would end up over priced cash deals if they really wanted it and some of the options of stuff inside the houses.

i don't like taking advantage of anybody and have always tried to deal fairly, but i do end up with a few good deals probably because i'm shopping when i wake up. about my only savior to keep any funds in my pocket is i don't stay up 24/7 online shopping even though i know there are some great deals there too.

Lu-Max: good luck with the build and get all your ducks in a row before getting a design and applying for a permit. sometimes even getting a building permit might take a special person to deal with all the regulations (drainage review, moving septic or sewer lines, height, lot coverage, etc....). your lot and house look great so hope you also have good neighbors too.

Cheers all

 

[kcrccc05]

Re: A little help please?

I am closing on my 'new' house on Wednesday. I did the walk through the other day and noticed this little vise in the garage for the first time. It is a cool looking 3 1/2" Columbian with a neat art-deco look to it. Any idea as to resale value or collect-ability? I really like it.

The reason I ask is that my agent just called and said that one of the sons of the person selling the house would like to keep it. It works fine, the screw is smooth. I really don't want to hand it over, but I also don't want to be a pennypincher either.

What's it worth do you think? Approximate year made? Thanks!

Hey Lu Max -technically you have not closed on house yet which does not make you the rightful owner of said house or vise .

 

[Flatdaddio]

I picked this one up about a week ago on ebay, it's a Rock Island 505A. Vise is in good shape and not chipped like most I've seen. It's also missing the cutting die like most. I wanted something different for my bench (that still needs to be built) and this will fit my needs..

 

[jakemac]

Re: A little help please?

Hey Lu Max -technically you have not closed on house yet which does not make you the rightful owner of said house or vise .

True, but they are under agreement and have done at lease one walkthrough, so the family can't remove the vise without his permission as it is implied to be included in the sale agreement since it apparently wasn't excluded in the disclosures.

 

[rmalkow2]

As I was sorting through a tool box of hand tools purchased at auction a few weeks ago I came upon this cutest ever little clamp on vise. This definitely becomes my smallest so far with jaw width only 1.5" wide. A good scrub with SG and the original paint cleaned up very nice. No re-paint job for this guy, maybe a little spiff up of the bare metal parts. No maker name on it, just the Made in USA and PAT number in the casting. I'm pretty sure I have the missing cup washer for it or will make one if needed.

 

[joe.striper]

Hemi: that's my favorite model of the Wilton C1 with the heavy duty pipe jaw pins. did you mention or show the date stamped or did i miss it while admiring the pictures of your vise and shop. Vise retirement home???

FMC: Joe and Bagged don't go to sleep at night without checking all the potential spots to buy a vise so no rocks are left un turned and it shows.

of course Joe did say about 6 months or a year ago he needed help buying all the vises in his area so at least Bagged heard his cry and i know a few others that are a bit more silent in that area of the US that might have even more.

Bagged: i'm not a huge Parker fan only because i don't see them as often, but that double or triple swiveler is on my list for finding one in the wild. i like that it is in great shape and also has jaw covers on it. good luck

Drives it, I have no doubt that there are MANY silent buyers up here. It all depends on where they find them, every town has small auctions, we have a TON of professional flea markets, tons of tag sales, junk yards etc... Everyone will yield quality vises, it depends on what one is looking for. At this point I work mainly by word of mouth and local sales/flea markets. I have 5 guys out there always looking for me so I am lucky. CL can be pretty good, but typically they are overpriced BUT CL has been a way to see the sellers other vises, which they usually have.

 

[Shiftless]

Lu-max:
Those penny pinchers come up on eBay pretty regularly. IMHO, we are not talking about a significant $$ issue. (Less than a hundredth of one percent of the sales price, right?) The old vise should stay in the family if the guy wants it. Take Drives advise and tell the guy he can come over to pick it up at a time convenient to you. Or, maybe better, meet somewhere else convenient to you so you don't risk some teary sentimental story about history of the family. Or even ship the thing! Would probably fit into a flat rate box.

As a reference point, here is a penny pincher that looks to be in better shape that sold on eBay late August for $20.

 

[rpenterics]

Picked up my first vise at a privately run estate sale this weekend - $30.
Reed 414 - can't seem to find any info on this particular model

 

[jakemac]

Picked up my first vise at a privately run estate sale this weekend - $30.
Reed 414 - can't seem to find any info on this particular model

Here's a page from an early 30's catalog. The 414 is listed as a "Filers' Vise".

 

[pantera1]

As I was sorting through a tool box of hand tools purchased at auction a few weeks ago I came upon this cutest ever little clamp on vise. This definitely becomes my smallest so far with jaw width only 1.5" wide. A good scrub with SG and the original paint cleaned up very nice. No re-paint job for this guy, maybe a little spiff up of the bare metal parts. No maker name on it, just the Made in USA and PAT number in the casting. I'm pretty sure I have the missing cup washer for it or will make one if needed.


That would be a Stanley vise