Vise company manufacturers directory pre 1970's

[davethorik]

Going the other direction, The Ridge Tool Co. bought the simplex vise line from Desmond Stephan in '64, and made them until 1980, when Ridge Tool stopped making bench vises in-house and started sourcing from Columbian.

 

[Dutchgreener]

New vice for the list: Hemklem

Old Dutch vices that were made in a Artillery facility.
Shame I can’t put pics over here with my small postcount.

Ps: And I will introduce myself asap

 

[ganymede]

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.

Thanks for that . !
Id always figured the date around 1940 when Simplex Tool co changed their name to Simplex Corporation.
Your date really narrowed down the range for vises mfg'd in Rhode Island .

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: anybody have the dates when Rock Island was in business and when it sold off to Bertman Electric who eventually shut it down in the late 50's? i think I recall Bertman Electric buying in the late 30's, but not certain. also how many locations did the Rock Island vise company work out of? I'll be happy to start an INDEX on Rock Island and other vise companies on the vintage Vise History thread so some of this information is much easier found if that might help?

RTM & Dave: thanks for the information on Simplex and Desmond Stephen vises.

Dutch: it's easy to make a few more posts so you can come back and edit in a few pictures so find a few of the threads you like and after reading them answer a question, make a comment of just let the members posting that they are doing a great job and post a WELL DONE. we all love pics and some new members post pictures on their first post so maybe you can just click on the paperclip and download one and see if that works sort of like attaching pics to an email.

also welcome to GJ

 

[jrobb316]

ALL: anybody have the dates when Rock Island was in business and when it sold off to Bertman Electric who eventually shut it down in the late 50's? i think I recall Bertman Electric buying in the late 30's, but not certain. also how many locations did the Rock Island vise company work out of? I'll be happy to start an INDEX on Rock Island and other vise companies on the vintage Vise History thread so some of this information is much easier found if that might help?

RTM & Dave: thanks for the information on Simplex and Desmond Stephen vises.

Dutch: it's easy to make a few more posts so you can come back and edit in a few pictures so find a few of the threads you like and after reading them answer a question, make a comment of just let the members posting that they are doing a great job and post a WELL DONE. we all love pics and some new members post pictures on their first post so maybe you can just click on the paperclip and download one and see if that works sort of like attaching pics to an email.

also welcome to GJ

Birtman bought Rock Island MFG in 1930. They operated until 1957 when Whirlpool bought them, and vise manufacturing was shut down permanently in 1959. I have seen one whirlpool tag on a vise instead of a birtman electric tag. One ever, posted on here.

 

[va.grouseman]

Birtman bought Rock Island MFG in 1930. They operated until 1957 when Whirlpool bought them, and vise manufacturing was shut down permanently in 1959. I have seen one whirlpool tag on a vise instead of a birtman electric tag. One ever, posted on here.

Yep, that Whirlpool Rock Island was posted by Jimreed2160 on Page 2369, Post 47378.---But it is kind of blurred by Photobucket on my end, so I don't know how it will materialize on everybody else's PC.---But I'll try it anyway.

Also there is some good stuff on Rock Islands in the "Rock Island Vises - History/Info'' thread.?

 

[GETRIDAONE]

Drives,

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1859310&postcount=4

Is this what you are looking for ?

 

[drivesitfar]

JR: I probably should have just sent you an email, but one of the reasons I have so many posts is that I ask questions that I think others want to know answers too also.

thanks for the heads up on when Rock Island sold to Bertman Electric in 1930. AND thanks for the Whirlpool piece i don't think I'd seen or remembered. i'm still looking for 100% proof that Rock Island made the Craftsman 519x's, but maybe that will never show up.

VA: thanks for your excellent searching and I can't recall seeing that Whirlpool tag before. maybe i'll ask Jim to post up a few more better pictures that aren't fuzzy or a reminder that PB kidnapped our member's pics. got any new pics of the chain gang you'd like to post here since maybe 90-100% of them are vintage? it might be fun to look at pics and see if we can identify some of them.

GET: thanks for the link to the page where Bl00 tells us how Rock Island started in 1906 after it bought Jacobson machine mfg. co in PA. I still post on that Rock Island history thread so maybe i'll grab other information off it and post it on here in one of the first few posts that i'll edit and make a Rock Island history summery.

ALL: anybody want to post up pictures of their vises, catalog pages and information about them here without pricing talk i'm all for that since I've always like the vintage vises better? AND while i'm all for a good deal or flipping a vise do we really care how much somebody paid for or sold their old vises or tools for?

 

[va.grouseman]

Previously posted by Drivesitfar.

AND while i'm all for a good deal or flipping a vise do we really care how much somebody paid for or sold their old vises or tools for?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Good point Drive.---While I love a good deal, and getting something for nearly nothing, I have to admit that on occasion I have gone off the rail and went into that stratospheric crazy money for something/most of the time vises, that I just couldn't live without.---And if rare enough an item, didn't care what anyone thought about my temporary insanity.---I'm really only trying to please one person anyway.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: nice post and I agree. Any new chain gang pics or are they put to bed for the winter?

 

[va.grouseman]

Got a ton of things going right now Drive, what with deer season and wood cutting season finally here.---I thought it would never cool down enough so I could do some outside chores.---Man I love this time of year.---Last week I was helping cut up a 200 year old oak about 5 ft. in diameter that shook the earth when it hit the ground.---When I arrived on sight I was in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. One of the fellows there said, "don't you know what time of year it is".---He had on a thermal shirt, a flannel shirt, and a heavy coat. It was 55 degrees and in a few minutes I was wiping sweat.---I told him, "I don't care if it's the 16th of January, it's 55 degrees.---I can't help it if some people don't have any blood, but until the temp gets down to the 50s and 60s, I just can't work without overheating.

I'll see if I can squeeze in a few chain-gang pics between jobs.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: some of the members have to go out in -50 degrees and while i don't think I could it's amazing how they've figured out how to. I agree the right clothing can make almost any normal or cold day comfortable and not sure how to solve that for those that live where it gets over 110 degrees.

ALL: so Record vice company moved it's factory to China in 1999? they made some great vises and even though they sold to Irwin and still make vices i'm not sure i'd buy a new one if an older one was available and i needed a vice.

I really like the quick release ones and maybe Record copied (or borrowed during WWII) from Parkinson, but they work great.

here's a sad picture of the inside of the old Record vise factory taken a few years ago that is still standing, but vacant.

also pics of my 4.25 inch Record quick release vice I found recently.

 

[va.grouseman]

Quote by Drivesitfar.

ALL: so Record vice company moved it's factory to China in 1999? they made some great vises and even though they sold to Irwin and still make vices i'm not sure i'd buy a new one if an older one was available and i needed a vice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'm right there with you Drive.---If all I could get is a Chicom Record, I won't ever have one.---I'd like to have the big Record combo vise, but you rarely see one.---And you are right, the old quick release are real nice.

Sad about the old Record factory, but everyone is chasing the dollar these days and the bottom line is all that's important anymore.---But that fine graffiti artwork should be worth something.---That's some professional tagging there.

This is my only Record vise as of yet.

 

[David Jackson]

It's been a while ... I have a COLE vise, working on acquiring the drill press attachment ... don't have that yet. However, I wind up with a question about vises and old tools in general I guess; should they be restored to their original condition? Should they be restored to better than their original condition? or, should they simply be cleaned and left with their original patina intact?
I have no horses in the race, no axe to grind, just interested to know what other GJ people think.

 

[drivesitfar]

DAVID: I guess it all depends if you want to keep it for yourself then do as you wish cause you need to look at it all the time. OR if you might have something rare you might go for original finish and color.

some of the guys that spiff vises up for resale pick Snap on tool box colors knowing that the buyer that spends big money on a tool box probably likes those colors.

personally I clean up the vise and if it's got enough original paint i'll wipe on a coat or two of BLO to sort of give it a shine and some rust protection. if a vise doesn't have any paint left or has more colors or a crappy paint job i'll strip it with a wire wheel of some sort to strip off any paint and then paint the naked steel/cast iron with a few light coats of BLO.

does that make sense to you?

 

[David Jackson]

Yes, makes sense. What's BLO?

And, re an earlier post about quick release - what's that and how does it work? Does that vise have some sort of spring to push the jaws apart?

 

[tool_scrounge]

It's been a while ... I have a COLE vise, working on acquiring the drill press attachment ... don't have that yet. However, I wind up with a question about vises and old tools in general I guess; should they be restored to their original condition? Should they be restored to better than their original condition? or, should they simply be cleaned and left with their original patina intact?
I have no horses in the race, no axe to grind, just interested to know what other GJ people think.

There was an industrial supply house in Los Angeles that still had NIB Cole drills forsale about 8 years ago for $115. For fun I called them but as expected they sold out.

 

[drivesitfar]

David: When i first saw a QUICK RELEASE vice it was a 6 inch newer RECORD and I loved it. I wasn't sure how it worked cause it was like magic until I found a few old wood quick release vises and an older Record 23 vice.

yes they have a split nut that separates with a lever (or on the newer Record QR you just turn handle counter clock wise a bit and pull jaw out) then pull jaw out and then put your project in the jaws and start tightening. pretty cool design if you ask me for light and medium duty work.

here's a few pics of my RECORD 23 that has the lever that I think they copied from Parkinson.

BLO (boiled linseed oil) or use FLUID FILM or some guys have used shoe polish or beeswax or Johnson's paste wax.

 

[drivesitfar]

I've heard mentioned THE BIG TWELVE vise manufacturers and wondering if that is currently or when and what companies make up the big 12?

if it's pre WWII which make up most of the vises that I like maybe the list would include these companies if companies only are located in USA:

Rock Island
Reed
Prentiss
Parker
American Scale
Athol/Starrett
Desmond Stephens/Simplex
Yost
Columbian

if you look at post #1 and several posts after this you'll see there are maybe 100's of companies that made vises (vices) and my favorite European companies would be:

Record
Parkinson
Paramo
Leinen
Bison

so did I miss one or more of the BIG 12?

 

[va.grouseman]

Drive, I'd have to throw MORGAN, HOLLANDS, and ROCK ISLAND in the mix.---That's just me.

 

[davethorik]

I've heard mentioned THE BIG TWELVE vise manufacturers and wondering if that is currently or when and what companies make up the big 12?

if it's pre WWII which make up most of the vises that I like maybe the list would include these companies if companies only are located in USA:

Rock Island
Reed
Prentiss
Parker
American Scale
Athol/Starrett
Desmond Stephens/Simplex
Yost
Columbian

if you look at post #1 and several posts after this you'll see there are maybe 100's of companies that made vises (vices) and my favorite European companies would be:

Record
Parkinson
Paramo
Leinen
Bison

so did I miss one or more of the BIG 12?

Only one person mentioned the big 12, fierljeppen, in this post in the "how common are swivel jaw vises in your area" thread.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8414301&postcount=35

Why dont you ask him?

 

[David Jackson]

What happened to Wilton?
BTW I have a Paramo and supposedly somehow related to Record (during WWII the Brits needed another manufacturer); looking at the Record photos on this thread, it (the Paramo) does not seem quite as nicely made as the Record.
DJ

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: I did mention Rock Island, but as you and I both know it's worth mentioning a few times cause if it's not my favorite it's right up there. Yep Morgan and Holland's are good ones i forgot to mention.

SS: there was some talk on both the big vise thread and the Vise repair 101 thread, but once the main screws break or the vise nut is broken or missing the expense and time to repair these usually isn't a good use of time and money and selling off the rest of the vise for parts or finding a donor vise seems to be the best option. I do like your thinking cause if vise nuts and screws could be made reasonably it might save a few more of these great old vises.

I did ask Fierl on that thread and sorry I haven't kept up with every post on the vise thread lately like I used to for years so not sure if it was or wasn't mentioned there.

I'll defer to the guys across the pond on how Paramo and Record were connected, but I think the owners were related as in brothers, cousins or maybe father son. Paramo made a pretty stout vise so your call on whether it wasn't as good as an old Record.

ALL: a few vise companies just before WWI were:

Vanderman
Massey
Fulton

and i'm guessing a lot of blacksmiths made their own prior to the 1900's but Parker and Prenitss did have their vise companies since the Civil war times.

DJ: Wilton didn't come into existence until WWII started hence not being before WWII that my list was based on. they do and did make some good vises though especially their C series.

 

[David Jackson]

Thanks for the info about Wilton.
DJ

 

[va.grouseman]

Sorry Drive, I looked right through it like it was invisible.---It's the first one.---Everything's going, eyesight too obviously.---With that in mind, what do you think Fierljeppen considered the 12th one?

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: no worries and even though we're aging nicely I think posting on this forum and talking to people all over the world almost daily might be our method of avoiding Alzeimer's or dimentia.

Hell I had SENIOR MOMENTS in my 20's where i'd walk in the garage and say WTF did I come out here for and turn around and remember a few minutes later.

keep on doing what you do and don't forget to spray some oil on those guys in the CHAIN GANG.

hard saying what Feirl had in mind when he mentioned the BIG TWELVE cause the years of companies in service would be maybe the key. if it's after WWII then you lose Prentiss and maybe Parker and Rock Island soon after, but yep WILTON had Uncle Sam's contracts and then didn't and almost went broke and then I think they got all the schools contracts. I don't recall the vises at our shops being Wilton cause in those days a vise was just another tool like a wrench was, but I remember the guys I bought Wiltons from saying they bought pallets of Wilton bullets at auctions for pennies on the dollar.

I might have posted this picture before on this thread, but it still is a reminder of where all our good factories went. this is Record's factory in Shefield, England after it moved it's factory to China I think in the late 1990's.

 

[va.grouseman]

Yeah, that's a sad testimony for Record, but you have to admit, whoever tagged those murals had some real talent and a vivid imagination.

 

[Ganymedes]

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)

Some other visebrands Drivesitfar:
Bernstein, Germany
FZA, Italy, manufact. Leinen a.o.
Gressel, Swiss
Heuer Front, Germany
Hemklem, (Artillerie Inrichtingen) Netherlands

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: yep that person that painted that graffiti shouldn't be homeless that is for certain, but maybe he's a bit too twisted to be around normal people.

Gany: There are times when I really like all the history and stories of vises (vices), but currently i'm just getting out of the rainy season here and i've got more than a few TO DO's and HONEY DO'S on my lists to add to the vise company lists. that said thanks for the additions, but you might also want to check other posts cause I (we) updated that list several times on several posts.

ALL: for something fun to do how about some of you vise guys posting your BIG TWELVE (or FIVE OR TEN) vise companies and posting up a few pictures of your favorite vises.

my favorite vise is still my Reed 4c that i finally mounted to one of my steel benches, but the Wilton Baby Bullet on a power arm with a clamp is a close second.

VERSA VISE
REED C series (1c, 2c, 3c, & 4c's)
Rock Island (bigger the better)
Record (Quick release)
Zyliss (cause it was my first homeowner's vise 30+ years ago)
American Scale (also bigger the better and love their swivel jaw and combos)
Prentiss (swivel jaw especially)
Emmert (love all the angles and heft)
TBD.....

 

[bluebolt]

Hi guys Iong time since I have been on here. Will try to post more.

 

[Badbone]

RE: Majestic Vise
My father-in-law gave me a Majestic 45 swivel vise with anvil. It has 4.75" jaws and weighs 39lbs. I have attempted research on this company but have only found dead ends. I saw a post that says Morgan may have made them, but there is no definitive link. I will soon post pictures of the un-restored vise. Can anyone help me out please? Thank you.

 

[drivesitfar]

Bb: sorry I can’t recall a majestic vise, but still wanted to welcome you to garage journal where we have more than a few guys that love old vises and tools.

Post pics when you have time and maybe we can help figure this mystery out.

 

[va.grouseman]

Here's 4 Majestics on ePray.


https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=majestic+vise&_sacat=0



Also type in (Majestic vise any info ??) in the search bar.

 

[drivesitfar]

VA: have you or anyone made a list of how many old companies made a version of that smallish open screw vise? I'm thinking Littlestown was the first, but maybe some older company made it, patented it and then went out of business and that's why so many companies made one similar?

 

[va.grouseman]

Drive, I did think about documenting a list of open screw vises but they just kept popping up under different logos, so by the time I decided to make a list, a 100 pages had gone by and I didn't know where to go back and start.---Sure would be interesting to see just how many different kinds there really are.

 

[ed4banger]

Drive, I did think about documenting a list of open screw vises but they just kept popping up under different logos, so by the time I decided to make a list, a 100 pages had gone by and I didn't know where to go back and start.---Sure would be interesting to see just how many different kinds there really are.

VA: have you or anyone made a list of how many old companies made a version of that smallish open screw vise? I'm thinking Littlestown was the first, but maybe some older company made it, patented it and then went out of business and that's why so many companies made one similar?

This would be a pretty cool project, would volunteer to help. Don't forget the big open screws, the Reed and Vanderman steamfitters are some stout vises.

 

[drivesitfar]

Ed: if you want to start listing all the open screw bench vises i'd be happy to open up a post early in the thread and copy and paste your posts to it. I agree some of the first open screw bench vises were almost as stout as the big blacksmith vises. i've got a Vanderman #1 that was maybe the most expensive bench vises made at the end of the 1800's and early 1900's.

just start posting up your research and i'll be glad to assist if you'd like and sounds like a fun project if you have time.

VA: if Ed is researching all the open screw vises if you'd like to also assist that would be great. OR maybe you'd like to just start a list of all the vise companies that made that little open screw vise that maybe Littlestown patented. I'd wager that there are at least 20 companies that made that design and it could be twice that many.

ALL: here's a few pics of my Vanderman and some catalog pages and one page was from 1902.

 

[ed4banger]

Ed: if you want to start listing all the open screw bench vises i'd be happy to open up a post early in the thread and copy and paste your posts to it. I agree some of the first open screw bench vises were almost as stout as the big blacksmith vises. i've got a Vanderman #1 that was maybe the most expensive bench vises made at the end of the 1800's and early 1900's.

Seems best/easiest way to develop a list of exposed screw is to start with an existing list and remove data unrelated to current topic, so that is what I did. So built upon Mr. Scott's sheet. What I have is a google sheet with known exposed screws. On those w/o this data, I searched to verify whether exposed or not. If I could not verify one way or the other, they remain on the sheet and are highlighted.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13UxnEl1H9uJh9NzmDgJJeSn8Qrk71xEj/view?usp=sharing

 

[drivesitfar]

Ed: about the time FMC (I think that's the member's handle I called him) started that vise directory and handed it over to Kevin I had lost some interest in posting on the main vise thread cause it turned into more about pricing than vises and their history. i'm always hunting for the great deal, but to brag about them or the cost of some EBAY bid everyday finally was too much for me. the thread would talk more about a $10 sort of regular vise rather than a rare one that another member would post more than not.

anyway i'm sure Kevin has made a good thread there from where FMC left him in charge of it and one of these day maybe i'll check it out and see if maybe I can add something to it.

for now I'm more into vintage tools and cabinets and vises are always there, but i'm getting pickier and the good ones are not showing up as often.

thanks for starting this and maybe we can get others to post up some information about other open screw vises and post pics of ones we've yet to see.

another cool vise that isn't talked about a lot is the quick release ones that really are fun to use. also the vices where the front of the vise is stationary and the back moves.