Vise company manufacturers directory pre 1970's

[drivesitfar]

Twertsy: hope you didn't hurt your nose and thanks for stopping in and posting more good stuff about a good old vise company.

JKB: doesn't seem like there were really only a few old guys making all the patents and probably why so many of the old vises are so similar? Do you maybe have a top 10 vise inventors list going that you'd like to post and i bet Fulton would be one of them?

CRS: thanks as always for your posts to add to this thread that might become one of my favorites one day when i have more time to do the research.

ALL: anybody else have old newspaper articles, catalog pages or history about any of these old vise companies? how about you members from other places besides the USA do you have history on Parkinson, Dawn, Record, Paramo, Swinden, Leinen, Bison and several other quality vices please post what you have.

 

[twertsy]

Twertsy: hope you didn't hurt your nose and thanks for stopping in and posting more good stuff about a good old vise company.

Can't you read D? I "ground" it.........

 

[CRSINMICH]

Drives: You are correct. The early vise business was sort of incestuous. Here's an article that ties Fulton, Bagley & Sewall, Oswego Tool Co., and Nutyp together. (BTW the article about Bagley & Sewall I posted today was originally in post #71 of this thread. I may have posted this Fulton article somewhere else too.)

 

[twertsy]

Drives: You are correct. The early vise business was sort of incestuous. Here's an article that ties Fulton, Bagley & Sewall, Oswego Tool Co., and Nutyp together. (BTW the article about Bagley & Sewall I posted today was originally in post #71 of this thread. I may have posted this Fulton article somewhere else too.)

He also appears to have several vise patents assigned to Velox Vise Co.

 

[CRSINMICH]

He also appears to have several vise patents assigned to Velox Vise Co.

If we could get Charles Parker connected to this we'd have it all *******. I seem to remember that he was the witness on some vise patent, Emmert maybe? It's like those Russian dolls - one inside another inside another.

 

[twertsy]

If we could get Charles Parker connected to this we'd have it all *******. I seem to remember that he was the witness on some vise patent, Emmert maybe? It's like those Russian dolls - one inside another inside another.

As my bud says; "the tool industry is all whored up!"

 

[drivesitfar]

Twertsy: so what does a Ground NOSE look like?

ALL: i seem to recall Fulton marrying Massey's daughter which was another old time vise company i'm familiar with.

 

[PghJKB]

JKB: This might be the clip you were referring to. It's from a history of Watertown, NY. It doesn't give the exact year that Bagley & Sewall began making vises for Prentiss. It only says that they started "somewhat before" the company was incorporated in 1882.

CRS
Close, but no cigar for that one.

That all jives. I saw another reference yesterday that lamented the fact that Prentiss had to move production "out of the village" to Watertown not long after starting production in NY. I think they made their own for the first couple years then shifted to Bagley & Sewall (and others like Hall Manufacturing and Havana Bridge Co.)

Twertsy: hope you didn't hurt your nose and thanks for stopping in and posting more good stuff about a good old vise company.

JKB: doesn't seem like there were really only a few old guys making all the patents and probably why so many of the old vises are so similar? Do you maybe have a top 10 vise inventors list going that you'd like to post and i bet Fulton would be one of them?

ALL: anybody else have old newspaper articles, catalog pages or history about any of these old vise companies? how about you members from other places besides the USA do you have history on Parkinson, Dawn, Record, Paramo, Swinden, Leinen, Bison and several other quality vices please post what you have.

Drives
One of these days...


ALL: i seem to recall Fulton marrying Massey's daughter which was another old time vise company i'm familiar with.[/QUOTE]

Drives
Is this the article you were referring to:?
https://books.google.com/books?id=Le4pAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA550&lpg=PA550#v=onepage&q&f=false

Note that is Philadelphia of Jefferson County, NY

Think it is a stretch that she is one of the Chicago Masseys. Thought about doing some genealogical research on her, but after I established she did not invent Pole Dancing, interest in her fell off rapidly.

Here are two more Prentiss ads that may be helpful here:

JKB

 

[twertsy]

Why don't you gents load up the comments with your pics on the appropriate manufacturer pages on my site?

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[PghJKB]

Why don't you gents load up the comments with your pics on the appropriate manufacturer pages on my site?

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

Am still running Windows 2000 with an old version of Firefox. Doing anything usually ends up with loads of message about my browser being outdated, browser needs upated, plug-ins outdated, plug-ins need updated, SSL failures, yada, yada, yada....

So I stick with where I know things work - at least for now they work.
Eventually will have a wealth of material here that needs published. Right now things are too scattered. Got URLS that I can provide.

JKB

 

[twertsy]

Am still running Windows 2000 with an old version of Firefox. Doing anything usually ends up with loads of message about my browser being outdated, browser needs upated, plug-ins outdated, plug-ins need updated, SSL failures, yada, yada, yada....

So I stick with where I know things work - at least for now they work.
Eventually will have a wealth of material here that needs published. Right now things are too scattered. Got URLS that I can provide.

JKB

That'll work JKB. you can also email me your stuff and I'll put it up. [email protected]

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a little history on the James Smart Manufacturing Co. in Canada that made vises as well as a horde of other cast iron implements.---I have three of their vises and I added a post vise (not mine) that they made.---It went by the name (Endurance)---It was on EBay a couple of months ago.

Mine are open screw with numbers, 66, 7-11, and 8-12.



The founder and namesake of the James Smart Manufacturing Company had a remarkable career. Born in Scotland in 1819, his family emigrated to Canada when he was 15 years old. The family began farming and logging near Ottawa, while James set out to apprentice as a tanner in Brockville. He moved to Kingston to practice this trade, meeting a newly arrived Scotsman named Alexander McKenzie. McKenzie ended up in Sarnia, where James joined him in founding a tannery. McKenzie went on to eventually become Prime Minister. James married a London girl, but shortly thereafter his tannery was expropriated by the Grand Trunk Railway. James set out on his own to California, founding another tannery until the great fire of 1850. After that, he went into the lumber trade, but his health was poor so he tried gold mining in the mountains for several years. He managed to make some money at this, and returned to Canada in 1854, purchasing the old Gilmour Foundry on the waterfront in Brockville and establishing the Brockville Novelty Works. He began turning out a variety of foundry items, with the American Civil War helping business immensely. The business turned down during the great depression which began in 1872. At the same time, his nephews operated a rival business, Smart & Shepherd, which specialized in the production of a solid-chisel mortise. In 1886, their company was acquired by Smart. In 1891, the company was renamed the James Smart Manufacturing Company. In 1893 they took over the Chowan and Cunningham foundry in Kingston, moving the equipment to Brockville. By 1895 the plant covered 2-1/2 acres and the company was employing around 300 workers and operating 7 days a week. Their product offerings were very wide: stoves, ranges, and furnaces, lawn mowers, steel butts, carriage and cabinet makers' hardware, iron castings, pumps, hollow ware, house furnishings, to name a few. Around this time Smart took on some business partners, and there is some indication that he was forced out of the business by them, making it necessary for him to take other employment as the Sheriff of the United Counties of Leeds & Grenville. He died in 1906. Around 1910, the company was acquired by Canada Foundries and Forgings Ltd.


Canadian Machinery, 1921

In 1920 the plant covered 7 acres and the company offered a number of product lines: the stove and furnace department included a full line of cooking and heating stoves and ranges, warm air furnaces and registers; the general hardware department offered builders and house furnishing, cabinet and carriage makers hardware in cast, wrought iron and brass, pumps and plumbers goods, wrought steel butts and hinges, warm air registers, lawn mowers and rollers, jack screws, vises, warehouse trucks, copying presses, and many lines of labor saving tools and machines. In the tool department you could find cast steel hammers, hatches, sledges and axes. In 1965, Brock Engineering of Montreal purchased the firm, closing the Brockville plant two years later and moving what was left to Montreal.





The above information was summarized from two excellent on-line Ontario history pages: The Collector's Shop and Owen Bosman's Home Page.



James Smart Manufacturing Company, Brockville Canada


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KRaZSvbVWf...mart+Plant.JPG

 

[Shiftless]

Evidently the CRANE Company out of Chicago made vises as well as bathroom fixtures. I suppose casting is casting, right? Anybody else have a Crane vise? They started in 1855.
Since they were so into plumbing, maybe they only made pipe vises. Or evidently like so many other name brands, somebody else made them for Mr. Crane.

Here is one that followed me home today.

 

[twertsy]

Evidently the CRANE Company out of Chicago made vises as well as bathroom fixtures. I suppose casting is casting, right? Anybody else have a Crane vise? They started in 1855.
Since they were so into plumbing, maybe they only made pipe vises. Or evidently like so many other name brands, somebody else made them for Mr. Crane.

Here is one that followed me home today.

Wow!*@#$ What an amazing story I just had the pleasure of researching. When/if you have time, check out the Crane Co. page. It was truly a pleasure doing that research over coffee this morning! Enjoy.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Shiftless: Very nice obscure find. I was only able to locate a few references to Crane Co. They were listed in the 1905 edition of Iron Age as manufacturers of pipe vises. In the 1915 edition of Engineering Directory they showed up as makers of pipe vises and bench vises.

EDIT:

twertsy: You were quick on the trigger this morning. I was about to start a search for Crane Co. and now I don't have to. You did very thorough research for your site. Feel free to use these clippings if you think they'll help.

 

[twertsy]

Shiftless: Very nice obscure find. I was only able to locate a few references to Crane Co. They were listed in the 1905 edition of Iron Age as manufacturers of pipe vises. In the 1915 edition of Engineering Directory they showed up as makers of pipe vises and bench vises.

EDIT:

twertsy: You were quick on the trigger this morning. I was about to start a search for Crane Co. and now I don't have to. You did very thorough research for your site. Feel free to use these clippings if you think they'll help.

Mine is quite brief..............but read this, quite inspirational.

 

[CRSINMICH]

Mine is quite brief..............but read this, quite inspirational.

WOW! Thanks for the links. I guess you didn't need my little snippets. This is one of the things I like about doing research. You can plod along looking at tiny details and then suddenly you're overwhelmed with information that expands in all directions. Crane has been to the moon! Who knew?

 

[twertsy]

WOW! Thanks for the links. I guess you didn't need my little snippets. This is one of the things I like about doing research. You can plod along looking at tiny details and then suddenly you're overwhelmed with information that expands in all directions. Crane has been to the moon! Who knew?

I completely agree! Sounds like an amazing man, and what a great empire he built. From nothing to everything in 57 years, pretty amazing.

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks twertsy and CRSINMICH !

I too enjoy learning the backstory on the makers of our collective bits of cast iron Americana.
Great story about Mr. Crane and the company he started so long ago. (1855)
Also good to learn that they also made "parallel" vises. I don't expect to stumble over too many of those...

Here is my favorite quote from the long article twertsy first uncovered:

“I am resolved to conduct my business in the strictest honesty and fairness;
to avoid all deception and trickery; to deal fairly with both customers and competitors; to be liberal and just toward employees and to put my whole mind upon the business.”
R.T. Crane, July 4, 1855

Don't we all wish that more modern day businessmen would take that stand?
.
.
.

 

[twertsy]

Thanks twertsy and CRSINMICH !

I too enjoy learning the backstory on the makers of our collective bits of cast iron Americana.
Great story about Mr. Crane and the company he started so long ago. (1855)
Also good to learn that they also made "parallel" vises. I don't expect to stumble over too many of those...

Here is my favorite quote from the long article twertsy first uncovered:

“I am resolved to conduct my business in the strictest honesty and fairness;
to avoid all deception and trickery; to deal fairly with both customers and competitors; to be liberal and just toward employees and to put my whole mind upon the business.”
R.T. Crane, July 4, 1855

Don't we all wish that more modern day businessmen would take that stand?
.
.
.

Best part is from everything I saw, he actually adhered to that through his entire life.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[twertsy]

Perhaps you gents have already researched this but I was looking at vises in the moster thread and following a trail/rabbit hole this morning and I haven't seen this posted yet. I have all the links on my site on the respective pages for the various companies should you want more: http://toolarchives.com/node/41

Lowville, NY - "Chain" of Vise Making Companies:
1905 - Fulton establishes Fulton Machine & Vise Co., having purchased (I believe) the Nevin Iron Works or Nevin-Wetmore Iron Works, depending on which source you read.

1924 - Fulton sells the Fulton Machine & Vise Co. to ? H. Northam Haberer ? and the company reorganizes as the Lowville Machine & Vise Co. (L. M. & V. Co.).

In 1929, L. M. & V. Co. sells all business and patents to the American Chain Co., later the American Chain & Cable Co. (ACCO)

The reason I chased this rabbit is that I saw all those vises in the monster thread that say Lowville on the side and appear very similar in construction, and I figured there must be a connection. Come to find out, there is.

 

[bluebolt]

Perhaps you gents have already researched this but I was looking at vises in the moster thread and following a trail/rabbit hole this morning and I haven't seen this posted yet. I have all the links on my site on the respective pages for the various companies should you want more: http://toolarchives.com/node/41

Lowville, NY - "Chain" of Vise Making Companies:
1905 - Fulton establishes Fulton Machine & Vise Co., having purchased (I believe) the Nevin Iron Works or Nevin-Wetmore Iron Works, depending on which source you read.

1924 - Fulton sells the Fulton Machine & Vise Co. to ? H. Northam Haberer ? and the company reorganizes as the Lowville Machine & Vise Co. (L. M. & V. Co.).

In 1929, L. M. & V. Co. sells all business and patents to the American Chain Co., later the American Chain & Cable Co. (ACCO)

The reason I chased this rabbit is that I saw all those vises in the monster thread that say Lowville on the side and appear very similar in construction, and I figured there must be a connection. Come to find out, there is.

Actually in post 5 this is info I found out, Drivesitfar made the post but gave me credit for the info at the bottom.

"The Fulton (F. M. V.) and L. M. V. timeline is fuzzy but I think I just figured it out.

Timeline I have found.
1898 Lafayette Wetmore (1957-1910) acquired the Lowville Iron works.
1902 After a fire Wetmore built a new factory near the Lowville rail yard.
https://books.google.com/books?id=gH...20vise&f=false

1905 "The Fulton Machine and Vise Co. has been incorporated to manufacture vises, pumps, etc. The incorporators are Edwin W. Fulton and Mason M. Swan, both of Watertown N.Y.; Lafayette Wetmore, Lowville N.Y. and others. The capital is $30,000
https://books.google.com/books?id=ei...20vise&f=false

1907 the 5 year old plant burns down! "The company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing swivel vises of Mr. Fulton's invention. The entire plant was destroyed by fire, May 19, 1907, causing a loss of $22,000, of which $10,000 was not covered by insurance. Arrangements were immediately made to rebuild. A new two-story modern concrete factory was erected and equipped with the latest machinery and tools, and business resumed in the new plant Oct. 1, 1907. In June the capital stock of the corporation was increased from $30,000 to $50,000 in order to provide for the new plant and increased volume of business. The company is now (1910) making a large assortment of high-grade vises and pumps, and find a market for the product in all parts of the world."
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....ex/fulton.html

1924 Fulton goes to work for Oswego. My computer has a hard time downloading this PDF from the Aug 19, 1924 Oswego Daily times. The highlights are:
1. At the time he controlled the Atlas Vise Co, Inc and Velox Vise Co, Inc, of Lowville N.Y.
2. He was for many years with the Prentice Vise Co.
3. Up to 3 years ago he was with the Fulton Machine and Vise Co WHICH HAS RECENTLY REORGANIZED AS THE LOWVILLE VISE CO.http://www.fultonhistory.com/Process...20- 0508.pdf

1930 The Fulton, now Lowville, vice company apparently closes.
https://books.google.com/books?id=i1...20vise&f=false

So apparently Fulton was BEFORE Lowville.
And Fulton marked vises are from approximately 1905-1924, LMV from 1924-1930.
My head hurts. Time for a beer!

this research was given to me by BlueBolt and if there are any changes to be made or any more to be added to this post please let me know especially since i own these 2 L. M. & V vises."

Now to cross-reference both our info but not tonight, I'm tired!

 

[twertsy]

Actually in post 5 this is info I found out, Drivesitfar made the post but gave me credit for the info at the bottom.

"The Fulton (F. M. V.) and L. M. V. timeline is fuzzy but I think I just figured it out.

Timeline I have found.
1898 Lafayette Wetmore (1957-1910) acquired the Lowville Iron works.
1902 After a fire Wetmore built a new factory near the Lowville rail yard.
https://books.google.com/books?id=gH...20vise&f=false

1905 "The Fulton Machine and Vise Co. has been incorporated to manufacture vises, pumps, etc. The incorporators are Edwin W. Fulton and Mason M. Swan, both of Watertown N.Y.; Lafayette Wetmore, Lowville N.Y. and others. The capital is $30,000
https://books.google.com/books?id=ei...20vise&f=false

1907 the 5 year old plant burns down! "The company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing swivel vises of Mr. Fulton's invention. The entire plant was destroyed by fire, May 19, 1907, causing a loss of $22,000, of which $10,000 was not covered by insurance. Arrangements were immediately made to rebuild. A new two-story modern concrete factory was erected and equipped with the latest machinery and tools, and business resumed in the new plant Oct. 1, 1907. In June the capital stock of the corporation was increased from $30,000 to $50,000 in order to provide for the new plant and increased volume of business. The company is now (1910) making a large assortment of high-grade vises and pumps, and find a market for the product in all parts of the world."
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....ex/fulton.html

1924 Fulton goes to work for Oswego. My computer has a hard time downloading this PDF from the Aug 19, 1924 Oswego Daily times. The highlights are:
1. At the time he controlled the Atlas Vise Co, Inc and Velox Vise Co, Inc, of Lowville N.Y.
2. He was for many years with the Prentice Vise Co.
3. Up to 3 years ago he was with the Fulton Machine and Vise Co WHICH HAS RECENTLY REORGANIZED AS THE LOWVILLE VISE CO.http://www.fultonhistory.com/Process...20- 0508.pdf

1930 The Fulton, now Lowville, vice company apparently closes.
https://books.google.com/books?id=i1...20vise&f=false

So apparently Fulton was BEFORE Lowville.
And Fulton marked vises are from approximately 1905-1924, LMV from 1924-1930.
My head hurts. Time for a beer!

this research was given to me by BlueBolt and if there are any changes to be made or any more to be added to this post please let me know especially since i own these 2 L. M. & V vises."

Now to cross-reference both our info but not tonight, I'm tired!

Ok, I'm working through all information and creating a timeline on my site here: http://toolarchives.com/edwin-w-fulton-timeline

Here's something I found that is very odd........looks like he was trying to sell Fulton Machine & Vise in 1907? EDIT: found a newspaper ad as well; looks like this property was in Rochester..............wonder what he was in to there?

 

[bluebolt]

I get a few hints it might have been the Robinson Chilled Plow Co foundry in Rochester NY but I am too cheap to get the newspaper. Google rochester ny foundry e w fulton 1907

"Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), Friday, March 8, 1907, Page 4. ... E. W. Fulton, Ixiwville, N. Y. 10l.1 I AM offertug an liiue of $HMl. .... year past Vf"-prietor of the foundry formerly conducteil !y th Robinson Chilled Plow Company, ..."

 

[twertsy]

I get a few hints it might have been the Robinson Chilled Plow Co foundry in Rochester NY but I am too cheap to get the newspaper. Google rochester ny foundry e w fulton 1907

"Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), Friday, March 8, 1907, Page 4. ... E. W. Fulton, Ixiwville, N. Y. 10l.1 I AM offertug an liiue of $HMl. .... year past Vf"-prietor of the foundry formerly conducteil !y th Robinson Chilled Plow Company, ..."

Dang, nope, this is the ad I was referring to. The attachment is from that date, page 4. No other ref to Fulton but I'm still looking.

 

[PghJKB]

Dang, nope, this is the ad I was referring to. The attachment is from that date, page 4. No other ref to Fulton but I'm still looking.

For more on Fulton check my post #53568 in the Vise Thread.

Am looking for an article that has him buying a business that made washing machines.

JKB

 

[twertsy]

For more on Fulton check my post #53568 in the Vise Thread.

Am looking for an article that has him buying a business that made washing machines.

JKB

When?

Here's Fulton's timeline I've been working on. We found the same stuff it looks like.

 

[electrodude]

Has anyone ever come across a vise marked "Marswel S" on the side? It's an odd little duck with a fixed rectangular base, a screw driven vise end, but where it should meet the other jaw it appears there was a way to adjust the vise by moving the jaw. There's also a Hardie hole on the flat where the moveable jaw would sit.

I know this is probably pointless without pictures, I will try to get some posted tomorrow morning as I just got home hauling a bunch of stuff out of a falling down barn... and yes, I had the owners permission, he was right there helping me!

Thanks guys.

 

[electrodude]

Pics:

 

[va.grouseman]

Electro, the one you have is similar to the REV.0.NOCK Anvil Vise.---Operates about the same way.---Think yours is missing the static jaw, unless you have it somewhere out of the pic.---Check this AD on EBay.---Top left corner on the AD.


http://www.ebay.ie/itm/1919-PAPER-A...110196?hash=item237b841974:g:79wAAOSw44BYejr9

 

[electrodude]

I don't have the removable jaw, just what is pictured. I can't complain, it was free out of a farmers junk pile. I'll either search for a jaw or figure out something else to do with it.

 

[tharpd]

Hello, I have a Little Giant 5495 Vise (It say 341-2C on bottom), and was hoping to acquire some information about the company, when it was made, ect. I see the brand "Little Giant" listed on your forum, and was hoping someone might know. Thank you for your time.

 

[drivesitfar]

Thar: can you post up a few pictures of your LITTLE GIANT VISE? I click on the paperclip just above where we are writing our posts that you can download pics sort of like attaching a picture to an email.

I can't say I recall LITTLE GIANT name on a vise. I have a few ladders with that name that are almost new and not vintage which i'm guessing don't have anything to do with this vise of yours.

welcome to GJ and maybe we can help you with your mystery, but posting up a few pictures might be nice in the meantime.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's a couple Drive.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vint-LITTL...ityMailLargeFlatRateBox!24171!US!-1:rk:1:pf:0

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Vi...h=item23b082af8c:g:HHUAAOSwWTRWzJXL:rk:4:pf:0

 

[tharpd]

Thank you for posting those pictures. My vise looks very similar to the 5494 posted there, although my model is a 5495. Yes, any search for the company directs you towards ladders, where clearly there was either the same company or a different one with the same name at one time that made vises as a product. I attached some photos.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: of course you own one (or 2 or 3) of these LITTLE GIANT vises and thanks for sharing pics. how's the back and is the chain gang still quiet or rattling the chains calling out for a 9 or 10 incher?

Thar: you'll have to do the research on your little vise and let us know or maybe somebody else will know and see your posts. in any case there were maybe 20+ makers of that style vise so I'm guessing the guy or company that had the patent sold rights to everyone or maybe the patent ran out and it was just too good of a vise not to produce.

it's only a light duty vise, but i've seen a lot of handy guys with one on their bench so grease or oil the screw after some cleaning and bolt it to your bench and use it. also in case you'd like not to clean as often or keep the screw in good shape throw a clean or even oil rag over the screw when you are sanding, grinding or working on something in it's jaws to keep the debris of the screw and out of the vise nut.

ALL: here's a new years wish that all your vises you'd like to own will find you in 2019

also if any of you have catalog pages that you'd like to post here please do cause a lot of them get posted on the big vise thread that makes them hard to find easily.

thanks

 

[CRSINMICH]

tharpd: Here are some pictures of a Little Giant 5225. Check out the flashy design on the nose.

 

[albanydog]

What about Murray Tool Co, Canada?

Vises from A-Z:

A:
Adams & Co. Anvil Vise
Ace
Atlas
Athol
Ajax
Armstrong
Armstrong tool works (might be same as Armstrong)
American Scale (Kansas City closed doors in early 1960's) (Post #3)
Anchor
B:
Bacus vise Babco
Bison (FPU) Polish vice
Barrett
Brown and Sharpe
Brownells
Buggatti
C:
Canedy
Champion
Charles Parker (see Parker) (Meriden, CT Sold to Union Tools in 1957)
Coastal
Cobra
Colton
Columbian (Wilton owns their brand now since ?)
Companion (1933-1941 trademark re issued in 1980's)
Craftsman (made by Rock Island, Reed, Columbian and maybe Starrett & a couple more)
D:
Dawn
Desmond Stephan
Desmond Simplex (No Stephens...) No. 400
Drillia Canada Vise
Dodge Slide
Dolex (France)
Dremel
Dunlap (1941-1963)
E:
E. B. Smith Co.
Eron
Eclipse
Erie Tool Works
Emmert
F:
Fortis (English)
Fortis Unbreakable
FPU (Polish)
Fuller
Fulton Machine and Vise Company aka F.M.V (Post # 5)
G:
General Fire Extinguisher
Goodell Pratt
Graham
Grand Master
Gray
Gyro (made by Columbian)
H:
H & B
Holland's
Hudson
I:
Inmarks
J:
J. S. & Co.
Jorgensen (Pony)
K:
Kanca (made in Turkey)
Karas Electric Co.
Keenkutter
L:
L. H. & F Co.
L.M. & V
Lake Side
Lakeside
Leinen
Lewis
Littlestown
Luther
M:
Marples (English)
Massey Perfect
Meadville Vise Co from Meadville PA (changed name to Barrett Machine Tool Co in 1905 and sold to Yost in 1909)
Mercury
Millers Falls
Milwakee Bluegrass
Milwaukee Tool & Equip. (Japan)
Morgan (still in business for government only new sales) Post #546 for company phone #'s
Monarch (made by Prentiss Vise Company)
N:
Nodular Brazil
North Brothers Mfg.
O:
Oxwall
P:
Palmgren
Panavise
Paramo (English)
Parker (Meridian, PA then sold to Union Tools in 1957)
Parkinson (English)
a. Ball vise
Precision Streamliner
Prentiss (Sold to Parker in 1950) See Post #312 for company history
Q:
R:
Rae
Ratchet
Record (English) now made in China under Irwin and old ones say "made in England"
Reed (still in business and started in Erie, PA)
Ridge
Ridgid (still in business)
Rock Island
S:
Sampson
Samsonia, (made by Parkinson's)
Sears (Craftsman, Dunlap, Companion, Driver were made for Sears)
Soderfors/Bofors vise
Shefield
Sheldon
Stanley
Starkey
Star N
Starrett
Starrett/Athol
Stephens Patent Vise
Stevens Perfect Hand Vise
Stevens Watch Maker
Studebaker
Superior
Swedish Pewe
Swindens (English)
T:
Taskmaster
Trojan (made by Parker)
U:
V:
Veit Young
Velox
W:
Ward anvil vise
Whitney Metal Tool Co.
Will Burt made Versa-Vise (gunsmith vise maker)
Wilton (still in business)
Woden (English then made in Japan)
X:
Y:
York
Yost (still in business)
Z:
Zylyiss Multi Vise AKA Profi-King Plus (Aluminum rod/Rail vise, also made under other names)


Blacksmith or Post vises:

Columbian
Fisher Eagle
Indian
Iron City
Keenkutter
Peter Wright (English also made anvils)

 

[va.grouseman]

Looks like a Cole.

 

[RTM]

Simplex (Desmond Stephens) were made in Urbana, Ohio

.... It appears that most of the Desmond-Simplex vises were made in the 1940's and 1950's, but the exact period of manufacture is currently unknown.

Hey gang
As a new owner of a Simplex 350 made in Urbana, I couldn't just let this hang out. A bit of research in Google Books turned up Machinery v38 from 1931 pg 400 (damn snippet view)

"Desmond-Stephan Mfg. Co., Urbana, Ohio, has succeeded the Simplex Corporation of Woonsocket, R. I., in the ... This line of vises will be manufactured at Urbana in addition to the regular Desmond line of grinding-wheel dressers and cutters"

I thought I'd read this somewhere here, but couldn't find it yet.

American Machinist also reported it in 1931, but it was snipped even further.