Wilton Bullet Vise date stamping. show yours with or without EXP on slide

drivesitfar · Nov 15, 2014

ALL: Wilton bullet vises had a 5 year warranty (guarantee) date stamped on some of their vises then went to the actual date they were built sometime in the early 60's or maybe late 50's.

also the dates stamped on some of the early vises did or didn't have a EXP or a Guarantee also stamped on them. JKB mentioned in the vise thread that if all of us post pictures of our Wilton Bullet vises and their slides with the dates stamped on them that we might get closer to solving the mystery.

i have this Wilton C1 that has a 1962 date with an EXP so that would make it built in 1957. i'll post some of my other Wiltons and the hope is all of you will post yours too. we might solve this mystery or at the minimum we will have a thread of some awesome Wilton Bullet vises.

Also if you have any solid information that would be great. if you have a rumor please say so in your post so we can discount it or know that fact too if it might help with other information.

Here's to the Wilton Bullet vises of Garage Journal members restored or not.

EDIT: unless you have an EXP or Guar on your Wilton vise dated after 1970 those should have the dates of actual manufacturing and are not needed for this search. also if everybody would post a picture of their Wilton vise along with the slide with the date stamped prior to 1970 would be great. thanks all

383 240z · Nov 15, 2014

Here is the one i just repaired.

GUAR EXP 12-31-60

I've got 2 more at work that I will try to grab a photo of. Might take awhile, pretty busy at work right now. Keith

Keith

autopts · Nov 15, 2014

This might be the most popular GUAR EXP Date Wilton used. I believe, and its just my thought, that Wilton went with this date program mainly in 1955-1957. The last 3 9450's I found were all stamped Chicago, all from different sellers and all 3 have this date. Those of you with a later GUAR date show yours, we will definitely get a better timeline. I do know Wilton found this to be in inaccurate way of stating warranty and it did not last very long

383 240z · Nov 15, 2014

This is an odd way. I mean OK so if it's a 5 year guarantee, we will say mine was made sometime in December 1955 and they dated it last day of that month. So it takes a few weeks to go from the factory to the retailer. A week or so until it gets put on the shelf at the hardware store. Who knows how long it sat on the shelf at Mom and Pops hardware.
I mean these are not, and of course were not, a cheap tool to buy. I can't imagine them flying off the shelves, at least not like a 3/8" ratchet would. Just my musings on the subject. Keith

autopts · Nov 16, 2014

383 240z said:
This is an odd way. I mean OK so if it's a 5 year guarantee, we will say mine was made sometime in December 1955 and they dated it last day of that month. So it takes a few weeks to go from the factory to the retailer. A week or so until it gets put on the shelf at the hardware store. Who knows how long it sat on the shelf at Mom and Pops hardware.
I mean these are not, and of course were not, a cheap tool to buy. I can't imagine them flying off the shelves, at least not like a 3/8" ratchet would. Just my musings on the subject. Keith

Hi Keith. That was exactly their problem. When the little factory on Wrightwood in Chicago opened, most vises that were sent out were already paid for. As the popularity grew, dealers were staring to stock them hence their lag time between stamping and final sale increased. I believe near the end of this dating debacle dealers were handling warranty by the date and invoice of the sales receipt.

McBrownie · Nov 16, 2014

Here is my 1962 Schiller Park 9300 that I painted with a Browns helmet to help the Browns along this year and, not coincidentally, they are in first place for the first time in 19 years! No "Guar Exp" on this one.

View media item 42800 View media item 44950
Update: I should have never mentioned the Browns. We **** again and are back in last place - 4 hours after posting the original post. Time for a re-paint!

sweatin' in the desert · Nov 16, 2014

Here are the date stamps (or not) for my three Wiltons. The Chicago 920 is stamped "6 68"; the Chicago 925 is stamped "12 30 65", and very early "Pat Pen" No. 4 (from p. 14 of the original "Wilton Vise History" thread) has no date.

drivesitfar · Nov 16, 2014

All: thanks for posting your Wilton slides and giving your thoughts. also feel free to post a picture or two of the full vise for us that like looking at old vise pictures.

here is my Wilton Baby Bullet that has 2 dates stamped in it's slide. i'm guessing they were selling these from the factory and in the beginning maybe stamped the 5 year warranty period on the vise. then when it didn't sell for 2 years Wilton might have had a date re stamped on the slide, but really don't know. My Baby Bullet's date stamps are 3/46 and 7/48. anybody else have a double stamped bullet?

EOC_Jason · Nov 16, 2014

Baby Bullet...

Outlawmws · Nov 16, 2014

My 3" is dated 4-47 Curved wilton and Chicago.

I had a thought about the dates:

The MAY had started with mfg dates, then later used the "Exp" dates, then still later went back to MFG date. :dunno:

so if we see a gap or an over lap (Exp & Mfg...) that should tell the story.

I also had and sold two 400's, but didn't keep track of the dates on those two. :willy_nil

fordbroncodave · Nov 16, 2014

I have a wilton bullet 4.5" chicago and the previous owner grinded the date off. :-0

383 240z · Nov 17, 2014

Here are the pics from the 2 in my shop at work. They are pretty new.

I have a line on a 6" Wilton. If I buy it I'll take a pic. Owner says its rough, not sure if it even opens, his words, not mine. At least it should be cheap!!!!
1-95

2-93

drivesitfar · Nov 17, 2014

383: thanks for posting your Wiltons and some you don't even own. i forgot to mention in the title that we are looking for pre 1970 stamped Wiltons so we can figure out when they started and stopped their 5 year guarantee dating on their vises. unless you have a vise that has a EXP or Guar in front of a date after 1970 it is the date the vise was made. thank you for the effort and if you see a friends or anybody else's Wilton with a date prior to 1970 please take those pictures and post because the more we have to see the better.

ALL: if anybody has a slide dated after 1970 with a EXP or Guar on it please post it or otherwise any vise after 1970 won't help solve the Wilton date stamping mystery. thanks

383 240z · Nov 17, 2014

Sorry about that, I saw you were looking for date stamps. Did not know you only needed early ones. Do you want me to pull the pics, and this post to stream line this thread? Hope to see that other 6" Wilton this week. If it's early, I'll take and post a pic. Keith

drivesitfar · Nov 17, 2014

Keith: keep the pics and if you post more pre 1970 Wilton vises make sure to post a few of both sides of the vise if you can. Again thanks for your posts and comments

383 240z · Nov 17, 2014

Here is a pic of my vise. The 12-31-60 date.

Keith

pl_silverado · Nov 17, 2014

Here's mine. Looks all original, I have a Snap-on Wilton I mainly use. I couldn't resist this one when I stumbled upon it for $ 100 a couple years back. Stamped 3-53

KMScott · Nov 18, 2014

Here are my smaller ones that come apart easy and were easy to get to.

Outlawmws · Nov 18, 2014

So I have to ask: who's in charge of the spreadsheet/data base?

383 240z · Nov 18, 2014

Outlawmws said:
So I have to ask: who's in charge of the spreadsheet/data base?

Not it!!!

Outlawmws · Nov 18, 2014

383 240z said:
Not it!!!

I don't know... You do have the most posts in the thread... :evil:

drivesitfar · Nov 18, 2014

KMScott: very interesting date stamp of 4-945. you say it says Chicago on the side? does it also say Patent Pending? thanks for posting your bullets.

Outlaw: are you volunteering to start the spread sheet? I started this thread hoping to find a trend, pattern or maybe all the answers of how Wilton dated their vises. Dare I dream??

ALL: i'm guessing there are maybe 1,000's of Wilton bullets owned by Garage Journal members and since our trend is older it better or just cooler looking how about more posts of all your slides and if you have room in your posts please post pictures of both sides of your vises too that are made before 1970. if you have a vise made after 1970 that does have an EXP or Guar on the slide with the date please, please post that one.

Outlawmws · Nov 18, 2014

drivesitfar said:
Outlaw: are you volunteering to start the spread sheet? I started this thread hoping to find a trend, pattern or maybe all the answers of how Wilton dated their vises. Dare I dream??

Family-Circus-creator-Bil-Keane-dies-at-89-IAIS5OK-x-large.jpg

exmaxima1 · Nov 19, 2014

I rent shop space in a building that has been manufacturing sewing machines for over 100 years. There are Wiltons all over the place, but the one I see everyday is in the inspection dept at the main dock. It's a 40's era 4" Chicago IL with the original paint and bronze swivel clamps. It's still used daily and works great.

exmaxima1 · Nov 19, 2014

Another 40's era, this one is a work in process that I bought last summer for $5 at an estate sale (I had to bring my own wrench to remove it from the bench). It's a Pat Pending No.4 , no city markings.

wrenchguy · Nov 19, 2014

Outlawmws said:

nice, real nice. i believe his plate is thankfully full with the craftsman work he does. kudos 2 u.

junktastic · Nov 29, 2014

Wilton No 3 I picked up. Has 1-47 on the slide.

tedsters · Nov 29, 2014

this is a 9400 made in chicago so i guess it was made in 56'' ha, this was not a 9400 it was a 8400 fixed base

mattbal · Nov 29, 2014

Sorry about the poor quality of pictures, my phone is OLD!

The vise is stamped 8 1 67 and does NOT mention "EXP" or "Guar" and it does say Schiller Park.

Hope this helps your quest.

Matt

drivesitfar · Dec 13, 2014

All: thanks for taking the effort to pull apart your Wilton bullets and then taking a picture of the date on the slides. i'm hoping for a lot more so i (we) can see a pattern then i'll start an excel sheet.

Any other members have any Wilton bullets older than 1970 that they can pull apart and take a picture of the date and then post it here??

South Paw just posted his old bullet stamped 2/47 on the vise thread which reminded me so i'm posting his here while I'm bumping up this thread.

thanks guys and gals

Retrosmith · Dec 13, 2014

4.5 inch, 11-46, no model number, Wilton Chicago USA

vertguy · Dec 24, 2014

Picked up this 3in Bullet yesterday. As I mentioned in the "show your vise thread", this one has a 12 45 stamped on the slide. It needs some surface clean up before the date will show up in a photo, but I will post some in the future.

loranger · Dec 24, 2014

Before cleaning it up!

jaker10 · Dec 24, 2014

Here is my 5 inch 9-150 Cadet. Marked GUAR EXP 6-30-62 This is an old picture and I have made a new jaw pad. I use this as my main vice.

chickenfarmer · Dec 27, 2014

Here's ours at work, looks to be stamped 6 69

vertguy · Dec 31, 2014

Here's the date stamp for my 3 inch bullet... 12 45

exmaxima1 · Dec 31, 2014

vertguy said:
Here's the date stamp for my 3 inch bullet... 12 45

We would love to see a pic of the entire vise to equate the date to the style

vertguy · Dec 31, 2014

exmaxima1 said:
We would love to see a pic of the entire vise to equate the date to the style

See post #32 :thumbup:

sumner52000 · Jan 1, 2015

I picked up another wilton a couple weeks ago. Had to do some major repairs. there was no date on the slide. There seemed to be a date on the inside that was 6-50 on one of the round parts the screw goes through. Maybe i'll get around to taking it apart again and taking pics.

exmaxima1 · Jan 1, 2015

vertguy said:
See post #32

Thanks! The jaws look to be in nearly new condition---that will clean up great :beer:

Wilton Bullet Vise date stamping. show yours with or without EXP on slide

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