The VISES of Garage Journal

[CrotalusAtrox]

Anyone care to take a stab at a vintage vise brand "pecking order?" In other words, what are the highest quality brands? Curious to hear where y'all rank vises like Wilton (USA), Record, Rock Island, Morgan, Chas Parker, etc.

Thanks!

Scott

No expert here but as far as ease of use I have a Parker 974 that is just sweet. I agree with Outlaw it really is a personal preference.

 

[G-ManBart]

No expert here but as far as ease of use I have a Parker 974 that is just sweet. I agree with Outlaw it really is a personal preference.

Want another one? About ten minutes from me

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/tls/5606452488.html

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

If it was in AZ I would be looking at it .

 

[454ragtop]

Anybody around Jersey looking for a cheap vise? Check this out http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cast-Iron-Vise-/291777141488?hash=item43ef45daf0:g:XY8AAOSwQaJXS2E1

 

[topop101]

I have been neglecting my ever grown pile of vise's and needed a break from today so I dove into this one I picked up only 2 weeks ago for 20 bucks. It had never been bolted down and originally I had thoughts of just cleaning it up and sending it on it's way. Well that didn't happen. I needed the distraction in my head from the days thought of past love ones. The older we get the list seems to grow as well.
Any way this 5" Wilton had never been bolted down and still had all the factory finish and grease . The only issue was it had some over spray on it . It was while I was cleaning that off when I decided to go "EXTREME" on it! Here's the before and after

 

[Craptain]

Holy **** Tops. You could have given a sunglasses warning. That thing is bright. But good looking.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[Apache3057]

Here is a Rock Island number 95 that we use at work.

 

[mike_paxton]

Great find!
The Sheldon vise is very precise.
The Stanley vise is a great second vise. I used to use mine to clamp on a scissor lift rail and jeweller's vise.

Mark in Indiana:

One thing I'd like to find is a Sheldon WW bench and then install the Sheldon's
WW vises onto them.

Mike

 

[JeremyBurke]

Bullet: I agree with Outlaw but have to say my personal favorite is Hollands built well and super beefy. Ask they are not as common so not everyone has one like Wilton's, Parker's or Colombians. Those are all wonderful tools but I like my Hollys.


This is my Hollands 15 holding the main screw from my Hollands 424-1/2 I am currently cleaning.



A better shot of the big guy.

 

[Outlawmws]

Holy **** Tops. You could have given a sunglasses warning. That thing is bright. But good looking.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

Not the color I'd pick, but its not so bad. I'm getting used to SO green!

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

I have been neglecting my ever grown pile of vise's and needed a break from today so I dove into this one I picked up only 2 weeks ago for 20 bucks. It had never been bolted down and originally I had thoughts of just cleaning it up and sending it on it's way. Well that didn't happen. I needed the distraction in my head from the days thought of past love ones. The older we get the list seems to grow as well.
Any way this 5" Wilton had never been bolted down and still had all the factory finish and grease . The only issue was it had some over spray on it . It was while I was cleaning that off when I decided to go "EXTREME" on it! Here's the before and after

Dam that is green won't knock your head on that one

 

[bagged89s10]

Anyone care to take a stab at a vintage vise brand "pecking order?" In other words, what are the highest quality brands? Curious to hear where y'all rank vises like Wilton (USA), Record, Rock Island, Morgan, Chas Parker, etc.

Thanks!

Scott

Each vise has its strengths and weaknesses. Parker, athol, Reed, wilton, American scale. I like parkers the best when it comes to looks and the swivel engineering. Reeds seem to be made more like a chipping vise and super strong. Athols are super tight and mostly machinist vises. You can't really put them in order.

 

[Loydski29]

Picked these up at a yard sale today for 30 bucks! 3" jaw Wilton bullet and 4" jaw simplex. First simplex I've come across its missing one of the pipe jaws but over all in pretty good shape.

 

[CrotalusAtrox]

Picked these up at a yard sale today for 30 bucks! 3" jaw Wilton bullet and 4" jaw simplex. First simplex I've come across its missing one of the pipe jaws but over all in pretty good shape.

And may I be the first to say YOU ****

 

[Evergreentree]

Bullet-I agree with bagged that the looks, swivel base, and jaws of a parker are top notch.

Hollands are great, in my top 3, Columbian I'd use everyday as they are easy to replace and underrated. but all the quality vises are neat in their own respect, hence the 40,000 posts in this thread. I know I for one am only beginning my journey down the rabbit hole, and my favorite vise I could only assume is my next one! Now if we could only take parts of certain vises, and make one super vise....well still, everyone's would be a little different!

 

[topop101]

Holy **** Tops. You could have given a sunglasses warning. That thing is bright. But good looking.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

She is a bright one!

 

[topop101]

Not the color I'd pick, but its not so bad. I'm getting used to SO green!

Yeah it's a bit flashy for my personal taste as well but the more of these I do in this color the more it grows on me.

 

[jakemac]

A fungus will grow on you too.

............Right 'til it eats through your brain.

 

[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by Bulletpruf.

Anyone care to take a stab at a vintage vise brand "pecking order?" In other words, what are the highest quality brands? Curious to hear where y'all rank vises like Wilton (USA), Record, Rock Island, Morgan, Chas Parker, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Yea Bullet, Outlaw is right, that is a fully loaded question.---And the #1 vise would be as varied as the number of vise owners that cared to chime in.

 

[Evergreentree]

That green hi viz color is pretty popular right now. My friend ownes an auto body shop, and a client requested her car be painted it. Dunno if he did it, dunno if it'd be road legal (ha) but you definetely turn heads with that color! And maybe cause an accident or two!

I dunno, makes me happy to look at it, though I'm doing it with squinted eyes!

 

[KMScott]

Spent my weekend in Kansas, guess who I visited.

<a href="https://visejaws.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-PT62PMq/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-PT62PMq/0/M/Demomans%20Vises%20%281%29-M.jpg" alt=""></a>

Really enjoyed my self, demo is a extraordinary man. Gotta make time for a visit.

<a href="https://visejaws.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-Nv754hK/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-Nv754hK/0/M/Demomans%20Vises%20%2836%29-M.jpg" alt=""></a>

I lost count on the eight inchers and the Reed 4C's . Seems a 4C was on every bench.
<a href="https://visejaws.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-fKDxzg7/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-fKDxzg7/0/M/Demomans%20Vises%20%2831%29-M.jpg" alt=""></a>

Reed 109 anyone. I get to fix this one.

<a href="https://visejaws.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-ChZzQFW/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-ChZzQFW/0/M/Demomans%20Vises%20%2824%29-M.jpg" alt=""></a>

Thanks Demo for the couple hours of pure joy and your hospitality.

<a href="https://visejaws.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-MGKb7nW/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/Demoman/i-MGKb7nW/0/M/Demomans%20Vises%20%2852%29-M.jpg" alt=""></a>

I am in a daze. Just about every vise represented in Demos collection.

 

[Evergreentree]

So there is a vise museum after all! So impressive! Visual overload!

 

[oldldh]

Holy Sheep Dip!!!

I didn't know there was that much iron in the whole state of Kansas...

Must make a helluva tornado magnet...

 

[Craptain]

Holy Sheep Dip!!!

I didn't know there was that much iron in the whole state of Kansas...

Must make a helluva tornado magnet...

Hooray for GPS. A compass would never work round there.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[joe.striper]

Someone sent me this Craftsman ad for their early vises. Thought I'd share. Hope the resolution is OK

 

[topop101]

A fungus will grow on you too.

............Right 'til it eats through your brain.

Jake Sounds like you should see a doctor about that

 

[jakemac]

Someone sent me this Craftsman ad for their early vises. Thought I'd share. Hope the resolution is OK

That's the page I was looking for ! Thanks.
Do you know what year it's from ?

 

[drivesitfar]

BP: you can read pages and pages on this thread and you'll find that almost all the vises have their strong points and we all have our favorites.

as far as a SUPER VISE goes the Craftsman 5198 might be close to it and I've yet to have one in my hands. I can tell you that we are not certain who made them or even what country that they were made in because they might have been made in Japan. I can tell you that they have parts of a Reed, Rock Island, Columbian who have all made vises for Craftsmans in the past. I've even heard Starrett made them and they are a great design and work great.

ALL: of course we could carry on about a lot of them so pick your favorite and keep looking for information and more vises and you'll probably always have one pop up that might bump the one you thought was the best.

TOP: gotta love the bright green color

 

[va.grouseman]

KM. could Norman Rockwell have painted any pictures any prettier than those?---I think not.---I'd rather see an oil on canvas of a Hollands 28 than a Coke bottle.

 

[jakemac]

KM. could Norman Rockwell have painted any pictures any prettier than those?---I think not.---I'd rather see an oil on canvas of a Hollands 28 than a Coke bottle.

But .......... without the Coke bottle, how will you know how big the Hollands is ?

 

[Shiftless]

KMScott:
Thanks for posting those pics from your demoman visit.
Like evergreentree said..."visual overload"

 

[Shiftless]

Could this be a Craftsman 5198 for sale in Iowa for $75?
Somebody nearby needs to pick this one up.

http://masoncity.craigslist.org/tls/5606749270.html

 

[bluebolt]

Could this be a Craftsman 5198 for sale in Iowa for $75?
Somebody nearby needs to pick this one up.

http://masoncity.craigslist.org/tls/5606749270.html

It's a fixed based, I think that's a 4" wide jaw 5191.

 

[baconismidog]

Parker No. 279?

My dad just picked up a vise and I can't find anything about this model. Can anyone tell me anything about this vise? I've uploaded pics and added them to an imgur album as well: http://imgur.com/a/cgBzh


Thanks

Text on the vise:
C PARKER CO
MERIDEN CT
USA

SEMI STEEL
SOLID RIB
PATENTED
January 2, 1900
November 22, 1910

NO 279

Has 5" jaws

Weighs well over 100 lbs

 

[drivesitfar]

BACON: that is the first 5 inch Parker I've seen with the two screw retainer. I thought they didn't have those on any vises under 6 inch wide screws. i'm not the Parker guy around here, but wanted to tell you that is a great specimen and a BIG UN so probably a keeper. your Dad has a good eye.

Welcome to the forum and the group and what specifically did you want to know about your vise?

 

[baconismidog]

BACON: that is the first 5 inch Parker I've seen with the two screw retainer. I thought they didn't have those on any vises under 6 inch wide screws. i'm not the Parker guy around here, but wanted to tell you that is a great specimen and a BIG UN so probably a keeper. your Dad has a good eye.

Welcome to the forum and the group and what specifically did you want to know about your vise?

Thanks! I've been liking it here. As far as the info I'm seeking - anything any one can tell me, really. When my Google-fu fails me (which is very rare) I assume I've found an ancient relic or proof of aliens. Google not turning up info on a vise this big and clearly labeled has me VERY curious about it's origination, history, quality, date of manufacture, rarity, old advertisements, etc.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bacon: i'm guessing your vise was made in the early 20's and it has steel rods inside your dynamic's slide. somebody else might have a catalog page or more information about it that will post later or you are welcome to look at all the Parker vises on this thread.

there is a post on the Vise Repair 101 thread about 3 or 4 weeks ago showing what those steel bars in your dynamic's slide look like if you want to see them on a broken vise.

 

[bulletpruf]

Bullet, that is totally personal preference; many are extremely good. I don't think any pecking order is going to be more than "personal preference"

I like Parker a lot. Except for one, I've sold all the Wilton's I've gotten, but Wilton are very good also. Reed is top drawer. The Craftsman 519x is top quality. Many of the American Scale are extremely good. Prentiss, Athol/Starrett, Colombian (that last, often underrated, but were completely popular "back in the day" (which is why there are so many of them), etc, and then you get into the English made vises (or Vices...) - Record, Woden, Paramo...

Many others I haven't even mentioned...

Thanks, Outlaw, and to all who commented. Understand on the personal preference.

On a somewhat related topic, I have the chance to pick up a Morgan Chicago 60 (6" jaws), should be 143 lbs, has a fixed base. Looks to be in nice shape. Will set me back about $200. Thoughts on this vise? The price?

I already have a Record #6; haven't weighed it, but I'm thinking the Morgan will be stouter.

Scott

 

[drivesitfar]

BP: price is AWESOME unless it costs you double that to ship to Italy. it's a great vise and maybe twice as big as your RECORD. there really is no telling how big your eyes will get when you see a 140+ pound vise in person. I sold mine to a member in Canada and actually carried it up in two parts in a suitcase and huge dufflebag so it's not no little thing.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

Thanks, Outlaw, and to all who commented. Understand on the personal preference.

On a somewhat related topic, I have the chance to pick up a Morgan Chicago 60 (6" jaws), should be 143 lbs, has a fixed base. Looks to be in nice shape. Will set me back about $200. Thoughts on this vise? The price?

I already have a Record #6; haven't weighed it, but I'm thinking the Morgan will be stouter.

Scott

Your Morgan is 1 lb shy of double the weight of you Record