Recent content by Fierljeppen

This seems like a good place to add a 1948 Prentiss Vise catalog. This was issued right after the Prentiss Vise Co. became a Divison of the Charles Parker Co. and moved all of the vise manufacturing to Meriden, CT.

I agree....Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine. Westbrook, Maine was built on the Presumpscot River and was considered an important Mill Town in the region. After looking at the following early map, it appears to me that a train wreck is in the making? In 1910, one of the local...

You answered your own question, it's a Charles Parker model no. 200 vise. It was considered an economy vise and originally painted green to distinguish it from the standard Charles Parker parallel vises. Circa for this model vise was (1890-1915). The patent number on the collar indicates to...

Very nice Wilton 400S vises! That model was Wilton's best selling machinist vise, by far. Is the date-code for the newer model 400S between (1979-1982)?

Prentiss Vise Co. Catalog no.53 was mentioned as early as July of 1925, as seen in the magazine scan below. @SweetD...Many thanks for the catalog scan!

Here's some features of your vise that don't smell like Wilton to me. 1...The lower casting support has never existed on the Wilton machinist vises. 2...The keyway machining style doesn't resemble any Wilton "Bullet" vise that I've seen. 3...The syntax and location of the casting numbers...

If you can make a strong case with some empirical evidence, it would certainly add significant value to your vise. However, your burden of proof will be very difficult. Wilton did make a "bullet vise" pattern, especially made for "Lane Tech" student vise projects, in Chicago. Don't...

I'm assuming it has 4" jaws, which would be comparable to the Wilton no. 400S vises, date-stamped (1960-1975). While it shares many of the same features of the Wilton 400S vises, it has obvious casting differences on the main body and swivel base. Interesting vise and probably the best Wilton...

@markmandp...How about a few more photos of your vise, assembled. I'm not sure I've seen a combination vise like that one before.

@Tonyanton26...With respect to the value of the vise, the historical value is invaluable. It's the only 1890's complete Hollands no. 115 vise in original condition that I'm aware of. It deserves to be in a museum or at least a tool collectors collection. While Hollands Mfg. Co. vises were...

Very nice Hollands no. 115 combination vise! Hollands had a standard line of combination vises, your vise was their "Extra Heavy" version. My records show this model being offered from the (1890's-1910). Your vise castings look like the 1st version of this model. I've seen a few model...

Checkout this interesting 1879 patent no. US-221,382 "Ball Vise". As always with the early vises, I was interested in learning a little about the inventor and was expecting a British or German immigrant living in the North East of America. But to my great surprise, the inventor...

I've got your estimated vise circa @ (1869-1900), based on the "1869 patent jaws" and the latest offering found in a 1900 catalog scan. You'll probably never find the removeable "round jaws", however your missing swivel base "1867 patent wrench" does become available from time-to-time. What a...

Thanks for the very detailed response! "Material matters". Apparently, Hugh Vogl would have agreed with you completely. It appears that the Wilton Tool Corp had some major issues with their earliest vise jaws (1941-1944), until the Metallurgists of their steel supplier solved their problem...