Parker carriage vise no98

[joel_400]

Just picked up an old Parker carriage makers vise no 98. Would like to find some info on it. I got it resonance and right away one guy offered me twice what I paid for it and another offered me four times what I paid for it...wondering if I have something special that's worth hanging onto. I originally bought it to use in the shop. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Joel

 

[Fierljeppen]

Uh, yeah, you might want to hang on to that vise for a little bit.

It's a very rare and valuable Hall's Patent no. 98 vise, manufactured by the Charles Parker Co. That model was offered from the late 1870's to the 1910's, as found in old catalogs.



Go ahead and use it, but it really deserves to be in a museum or a worthy vise collectors collection.

Very nice find!

 

[ChefRex]

Looks to be in great condition, @Fierljeppen knows a thing or two about vises so trust his word
I would say you get a "you ****!"
Post it over in the big vise thread, https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-vises-of-garage-journal.44782/

 

[Shiftless]

Fierljeppen is absolutely right. That’s truly an amazing find. If you decide to use it, be careful. Or just put it up on a shelf and admire it. If you aren’t into vise collecting, I would recommend that you trade it away for just about any high quality user… a solid USA vise and a big wad of cash as a bonus.

You could pick any of mine for starters.

 

[joel_400]

That's amazing that it's as rare as you say! I wouldn't have known. I guess that's why guys really wanted it and were offering 2 and 4 times what I paid! Which probably still isn't close to the actual value I'm assuming. Would it be worth "restoring" this or just clean it and leave it as is? Now I'm probably not going to use it if it's that rare, but preserving it would be great! I would hate to break or damage it by using it the way vises get used in a shop! Thank you for the input!
Joel

 

[Shiftless]

Don’t do anything to that vise. It’s so valuable because it’s so original. I’m not sure that it was red from the factory, but that red paint bears the patina of age and reasonable use over the decades it was in service somewhere. Keep it!

I have a lot of vises that are “original” and many common vises that I have repainted and shined up.

I’m sure that I speak for the majority of the many vise enthusiasts and collectors here on GJ when I say that you should leave that Parker as you found it.

Are you anywhere close to me here in the San Francisco Bay Area?

 

[joel_400]

Actually in nw Ohio near Toledo. Never even been further than Indiana towards you! Haha. I'm scared that if I came out that way I'd find too much stuff I want to bring home...like clean rust free old cars...and I'd have a hard time deciding which one!
Joel

 

[Zeke]

That is way cool and I've never seen one. I'm not a vise expert. Just how does that handle work?

Me, if it was that valuable I'd let it go too. I have no need for trophies in my shop. I have a small Wilton and a Columbian and I beat the **** out of a HF vise like this.



I paid 10 bucks for it so IDC. It's on the welding table so pecker tracks don't bother me. The point is it does the job and the pipe vise on the bottom is handy. In fact using it vertically is handy. The Wilton and Columbian don't do that. Any vise I could flip for a large profit would have that money spent on other needed tools.

 

[joel_400]

BTW it is missing the handle for the swivel lock would it be possible to find an original replacement for that to make it complete again? I would assume that most parker vuses of the Era would be the same?
Joel

 

[joel_400]

The handle just locks the jaws when you push them together on your workpiece. When you push the jaws together just push it down to lock.
Joel

 

[Fierljeppen]

BTW it is missing the handle for the swivel lock would it be possible to find an original replacement for that to make it complete again? I would assume that most parker vuses of the Era would be the same?
Joel

Here's a photo from the vise spreadsheet of the only other Hall's patent no. 98 vise that I've seen. Use it for reference for your missing swivel lock.



I usually refrain from assigning a value to vintage vises, but in my opinion, at the current moment on eBay, your vise would fetch ($2000-$3000). I'm guessing you didn't pay near that price.

 

[thehorse13]

I've only seen one of these vises in real life and it was in fact in a museum. The odd thing is that it lived in a railroad museum a few towns north from where I live. When that place folded, someone paid $2,800 plus buyer's premium for it. I'd say that the value you were quoted is spot on.

 

[d9gdon]

That is a nice one. Lucky find for you.

 

[joel_400]

Wow! I don't know what to say! THANK YOU! It's just amazing to me that it's as rare as you guys say! I guess I will wipe it down and find a nice place to keep it! Dining room table centerpiece!? I figured as all the other guys around me were offering 2 and 4 times what I paid it was somewhat special but not near that special! I think it's really neat to have a piece of history that important so it must be displayed one way or another!
Joel

 

[crguy]

The Halls patent vises are scarce, but do turn up. They come in different styles. I had this one for a while until I decided I didn't want to collect vises in addition to all my other collectibles. Another one just sold on Ebay.

 

[joel_400]

Just spoke to a local guy about my vice. He is interested in looking at it as he already has 3 Halls patent vises in his collection. Not one is the carriage makers type though. He told me I should hang on to it as well. He said that the Hall patent vises are one that everybody wants in there collection. As of right now I don't have intentions of selling it though. He told me without looking at it though anywhere from 500 to 2000 depending how bad somebody wants it was his guess. I guess what I'm wondering is are the carriage makers vises more rare than the standard jaws or vice versa? He didn't seem to think the carriage makers were as sought after. But I don't know myself. Either way I think it'll get wiped down and put up on a shelf in the man cave for niw!
Joel

 

[joel_400]

So I ran into one of the guys who wanted my vise when I purchased it a week ago. I started showing him the info you guys have shared with me and telling him about the vise...he got all nasty and told me that doesn't mean anything. He says nobody wants those vices and they're hard to sell for even 150 bucks! Kinda made me wonder why he wanted it so bad last week!? I think he was just having a hard time admitting that he got caught trying to take advantage of somebody. Oh well! Found it comical myself.
Joel

 

[thehorse13]

So I ran into one of the guys who wanted my vise when I purchased it a week ago. I started showing him the info you guys have shared with me and telling him about the vise...he got all nasty and told me that doesn't mean anything. He says nobody wants those vices and they're hard to sell for even 150 bucks! Kinda made me wonder why he wanted it so bad last week!? I think he was just having a hard time admitting that he got caught trying to take advantage of somebody. Oh well! Found it comical myself.
Joel

I assure you that if you listed that vise anywhere for 150 dollars, your door would be beaten down by the sheer number of buyers. I'd also say that actual sale comps have meaning. You own the vise so I'd say there is no point in continuing this fun unless you intend on selling it.

 

[slowtwitch73]

So I ran into one of the guys who wanted my vise when I purchased it a week ago. I started showing him the info you guys have shared with me and telling him about the vise...he got all nasty and told me that doesn't mean anything. He says nobody wants those vices and they're hard to sell for even 150 bucks! Kinda made me wonder why he wanted it so bad last week!? I think he was just having a hard time admitting that he got caught trying to take advantage of somebody. Oh well! Found it comical myself.
Joel

That guy is an *******.

 

[Roberts210]

Joel, I think you're doing the right thing--researching all the info about your vise, even as to what it is worth. Just for giggles you might list in on ebay for $3,000 B.I.N., Or Best Offer. Then if you don't want to sell it, you just allow the Best Offers to time out.

Hilarious that the creep who wanted it for nothing got all huffy!

 

[Roberts210]

Just picked up an old Parker carriage makers vise........ I got it resonance.........
Thanks
Joel

By the way, what does "resonance" mean?

 

[joel_400]

For some reason I never caught that...damn auto correct was supposed to say reasonable! Haha Just did in again...doesn't like the word damn!
Joel

 

[joel_400]

And for what it's worth I wasn't trying to "prove him wrong" or anything like that, just trying to share the information that I have found. It's exciting to me to get a "good one" every once in a while! That's what keeps all of us digging through old "junk" right?
Joel

 

[RoninB4]

Interesting vise, I've worked in so many machine shops over 40 years I've lost count. I've seen a LOT of different vises but not one like that. I have an old (1910 era) coachmakers vise but it's the common screw type and not the locking type you have. I don't collect things any more, I restore and use, but I'd have to consider keeping that one due to how unique/scarce it is until further information/options appeared. As a collector of things in another life I'd also have to fully agree with Fierljeppen about not disturbing the finish/paint other than a wipe down. Many things that appear to be rusty/oxidized are a patina that can help verify age (sword tang for example) that collectors value very highly. Any alterations to that patina can greatly reduce the value. Clean and shiny is NOT what collectors value, the patina is part of the history of the object when it's old and scarce. I don't think petroleum based oil would be a good choice for the wipe down either. Perhaps some type of mineral or BLO oil would be best. Clove oil is a bit expensive for this application so whatever Fierljeppen or others suggest would be best after cleaning. That other clown saying it's worth $150 is likely an effing jerk upset that he couldn't scam you.

Real nice find......you **** big time.

 

[Roberts210]

By the way, where did you get it? Estate sale? Thrift store?

 

[joel_400]

Local weekly flea market...bummer because next week is the last one for the season!

 

[paulsomlo]

Wow! I don't know what to say! THANK YOU! It's just amazing to me that it's as rare as you guys say! I guess I will wipe it down and find a nice place to keep it! Dining room table centerpiece!? I figured as all the other guys around me were offering 2 and 4 times what I paid it was somewhat special but not near that special! I think it's really neat to have a piece of history that important so it must be displayed one way or another!
Joel

I think you should make a glass case for it and put it on display.

 

[joel_400]

So I joined the Ohio tool collectors association yesterday. Got hooked up through a local tool collector who is very knowledgeable in vises, anvils, blacksmith tools, and many other very old tools. We set up our Halls patent vises for display at the meeting for display. I just had to post a pic of four of these vises together! Mine is on the left, the second one is actually pre Parker, third is a 91, and forth I believe was a 94. Too cool!
Joel

 

[Fierljeppen]

I'm very pleased to see you promoting a really special early American vise. It's a significant and beautiful piece of a very early American tool.

Could you educate me about the "pre-Parker" Hall's vise in the photo? I was from the understanding that the Charles Parker Co. was the first and only manufacturer of the Hall's Patent vise, as seen in the 1875 magazine article below.

 

[joel_400]

I will have to ask him for the info on that one. It does not say Parker on it, only says Halls patent.
Joel