120 pound vise

[Medic560]

Hello all. Picked up a vise today and was hoping for info regarding age, scarcity, and value. It is a beast, weighing in at 120 pounds. One side is marked The Ridge Tool Co Elyria Ohio USA and NO 61...then under the 61 there are stamped letters PN....The other side is marked Simplex and Steel Slide. The sliding part is 19 inches long and the width of the jaws is 6 inches.the base does not swivel.

 

[Maui]

That vise looks like it is in excellent mechanical condition. If you clean off the rust and give it a proper paint job you will have a reliable workhorse of vise that should last you for decades to come.

Would you share what you paid for it?

Maui

 

[Bottlecapdigger]

Nice vise, they make a big monster that I'd like to get. BCD

 

[Medic560]

I picked it up for 75 bucks.

 

[sch]

I'm new to vises, but here's what I know/suspect/think I know:

The Ridge Tool Co bought Desmond Stephan at some point - maybe late 1950s? They kept model numbers and branding, or mostly so. So older Desmond Stephan vises also show Simplex and Steel Slide on them.

Later, Ridge Tool became Rigid. So you can get a year range for your vise by researching when Ridge bought DS and when it became Rigid better than I have.

Model numbers make some sense - 61P is a 6 inch (or perhaps 6.25") fixed vise. Swivel models get an "S". I don't know what the N stands for.

In any case, a 6 inch/120 lb American made vise for $75 is a heck of a fine deal, I think.

Attached are pics of my Desmond Stephan 41P, a precursor to your vise.

 

[BFBOB]

Later, Ridge Tool became Ridgid.

Fixed it for ya!
..and thanks for enlightening me. I always wondered why the Ridgid trade mark was misspelled - now it makes perfect sense!


Could the N on your vise stand for Non-swivel?

 

[Medic560]

SCH thanks so much for the info. Gives me a place to go with more research. What would the actual value if this vise be ? The faces on the jaws are beautiful and it moves all the way out. Aside from the rust it is like new.

BFBOB ....that's a great idea

 

[sch]

BFBOB - good catch. Thanks!

Medic - valuing a vise is hard. Ridge probably has low collector value. And the expense of shipping 120 lbs limits your effective market to your nearby area. And if no one within a two hour drive (maybe less) wants your vise it will be tough to sell. But if a deep pockets buyer near you wants it, you're golden.

 

[Medic560]

SCH...thanks again. Very good points. I really don't need anything this large and would love to turn it into something I DO need. I appreciate your help.

 

[Farmall450]

SCH...thanks again. Very good points. I really don't need anything this large and would love to turn it into something I DO need. I appreciate your help.

Well, we always NEED more tools!

 

[6pakdakota]

That looks like a nice vise for $75.

 

[Cleave]

Nice Vise. There's nothing wrong with large - ever need to clamp a 2x12 board the wide way? Now you can.

 

[BFBOB]

BFBOB - good catch. Thanks!

And the expense of shipping 120 lbs limits your effective market to your nearby area.

Close to a thousand miles (each way) for me.

Remember, a kind of magic number is 70. If you remove the dynamic jaw, you may be able to ship it in two boxes weighing under 70 lbs apiece. With UPS, at least, the price climbs steeply over 70 lbs.

 

[ViceRoy2030]

Paid more than $75... no shipping though. 61 "PN"

 

[Packard V8]

the base does not swivel.

That makes it worthless. I'll take it off your hands for scrap price. ;>)

jack vines

 

[Shiftless]

That makes it worthless. I'll take it off your hands for scrap price. ;>)

jack vines

And I would double that offer if you dropped it off at my house.

 

[thehorse13]

The brand name is not sought after by collectors so you're not going to see ridiculous pricing like you would with a Wilton. For 75 bucks, which is a good price, you got yourself a hulk of a vise that would be overkill for the majority of us. Around here, you paid what the vise is worth. In other areas, you could double your money. The problem you have, like mentioned already, is you're confined by the economics of shipping. You would have to find the over the rainbow guy locally. Shipping it in two pieces is a risk that I wouldn't want to deal with given the slim margin and all the leg work you have to go through. If this was mine, I would clean it up, paint it and then see what happens with a local sale. It doesn't eat so keeping it around for a while won't be a problem.

I have a hard time leaving a nice vise behind so I understand why you dragged this beast home. It will be a fun project to restore.

 

[Roberts210]

Vice prices are bat-shite crazy in some areas. I've seen guys badly overpay for mediocre vices because they thought ANY big old vice is worth a fortune. That Ridge is a nice vice. Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do.

 

[exmaxima1]

Vice prices are bat-shite crazy in some areas. I've seen guys badly overpay for mediocre vices because they thought ANY big old vice is worth a fortune. That Ridge is a nice vice. Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do.

Prices are rising in the Chicago area as well, like this **** Wilton for $600!!!

https://offerup.com/item/detail/816614799?q=wilton+vise

 

[ViceRoy2030]

The brand name is not sought after by collectors so you're not going to see ridiculous pricing like you would with a Wilton.

I've seen that the Desmond Simplex doesn't fly off the shelves like a Wilton and honestly, that's OK by me. I think they are awesome vises and my 31, 51 and 61 won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[exmaxima1]

I've seen that the Desmond Simplex doesn't fly off the shelves like a Wilton and honestly, that's OK by me. I think they are awesome vises and my 31, 51 and 61 won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Where are you located? Do you need a 41 to round out the herd?

 

[thehorse13]

I've seen that the Desmond Simplex doesn't fly off the shelves like a Wilton and honestly, that's OK by me. I think they are awesome vises and my 31, 51 and 61 won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

It's a mystery to me. I have seen a few brands snubbed like the Simplex vises, Columbian vises being one other brand that comes to mind. The ones from the 1940s era are fantastic and can be found for next to nothing.

 

[ViceRoy2030]

Where are you located? Do you need a 41 to round out the herd?

Ya, I'll have to add that one eventually. I'm near Seattle so shipping right now is outrageous. I don't think that shipping fees will get any lower anytime soon, which may help to curb my addiction a bit...