Any Idea what this could be?

[Casey_McClelland]

I picked this vise up today at a local metal recycling yard I rummage through. Last week I found a really nice Reed 704 that I’ve started working on, just missing a pin and one of the jaws was missing with the screws sheared off. So if you like to find vises they are a good place to look. The owner charges .20 cents a pound, so I couldn’t resist buying it. I just cleaned up the side a bit and only found the markings you can see in the pics. I know it’s a mechanics vice, found some pics on the web that looked similar but I was hoping someone here might have an idea what brand and model it might be. Thanks for taking a look and I appreciate all replies.

 

[raiderhillbilly]

Chinese made. We had one that was bought new about 30+ years ago. Ours had pipe jaws on the lower end and a swivel base. I gave it away to a friend who didn't have a vice.

 

[lardy1]

I just looked at a Columbian vise up for auction with the compound swivel. Bidding seems low but it's a bigger vise than I want.

 

[Wrench97]

A vise?

 

[davethorik]

It's funny how the noobs get excited by Chinese and low-quality, homeowner grade vises. As if every vise purchase is on impulse and poorly researched.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

Hey Dave, you know absolutely nothing about me. Go ahead and do me a favor, don’t waste your time or mine replying to anything I post. People post questions because they are looking for help, not for someone to be a “Tool” and make disparaging comments. If you actually read my original post you would know that I found it in a scrap yard. It still works and it cost me about $10 dollars and I’ll find a use for it. I enjoy digging around and finding materials that I use for various projects, I don’t go looking with the hope of finding the “holy grail of vises”. I just thought someone here might be able to help me identify it, so if I needed any parts it would help cut down the time looking and so forth.

Everyone else, I appreciate your comments and actually getting some information that helps me out.

 

[nieuport17]

Those marking are Chinese.
But not machine stamped...

Someone posted that it looks like a Chinese vise from 30 years ago? If thats the case, I’m surprised that it still working. It is working right?

Is it a 5 in vise ?

 

[Leviton]

... Last week I found a really nice Reed 704 that I’ve started working on, just missing a pin and one of the jaws was missing with the screws sheared off. So if you like to find vises they are a good place to look. ...

Make sure and post a photo of your Reed. Congrats on your finds.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

Thanks Leviton,
This is the only one I have taken. It’s probably the wrong color for some of the experts here, but I like the color and have no plans to sell it to anyone. It will be utilized on a daily basis. It’s really sad some idiot sold it for scrap value, it’s in really nice condition. Just needs one new jaw, I’ve already replaced the broken pin it had. By the way, I didn’t paint the entire vise Tool Box Red. There is some tape still on the vise. Had to get that out there for those who will only look at the pic and then call me noob or an idiot for painting the whole thing. Thanks again, for the congrats, I appreciate your kind words.

nieuport17,
It still works, one of the reasons I asked for help was to find out if it originally swiveled. If so, I would need to find a base and knowing who manufactured it would really help. I also thought it could be missing it’s brand plate and maybe someone with knowledge would know what it was. As far as, the symbols go I thought perhaps the original owner might have done it.

 

[jbilow]

Those marking are Chinese.
But not machine stamped...

Someone posted that it looks like a Chinese vise from 30 years ago? If thats the case, I’m surprised that it still working. It is working right?

Is it a 5 in vise ?

China puts out many products with quality on par with the USA. All the poor quality items outsourced to China are manufactured to the specs of the brand and the junk they produce are to satiate our demand for cheaper ****. I have a wholesale business and it's a constant whine that everything needs to be cheaper. The next next time your $0.11 generic iPhone cable that you paid $8 for breaks in three days don't blame China, blame yourself and go buy an Anker cable that will last years. Both were made in China The cheap name brand device you got a deal on is a piece of junk because the brand designed it to be that way. . FWIW China doesn't do high tech. These types of products are assembled there but the components are build around the world and sent to China for assembly.

 

[raiderhillbilly]

Those marking are Chinese.
But not machine stamped...

Someone posted that it looks like a Chinese vise from 30 years ago? If thats the case, I’m surprised that it still working. It is working right?

Is it a 5 in vise ?

China makes the iPhone and HP printers. They also make kids toys painted with Lead and Fake Makita tools.

That vise was no Wilton, however, if you break a vise you did something unwise to cause it.

 

[Rick B.]

.... I don’t go looking with the hope of finding the “holy grail of vises”. I just thought someone here might be able to help me identify it, so if I needed any parts it would help cut down the time looking and so forth.

Exactly.

 

[woody 73]

What I find very interesting is the Chinese letters stamped on the vise; I would say that is the first time ever for me just seeing that. I wonder if it was the owners name ? The company that made the vise ? or perhaps something else ?

Would anyone on the GJ be able to translate those letters for us ?

 

[nieuport17]

China makes the iPhone and HP printers. They also make kids toys painted with Lead and Fake Makita tools.



That vise was no Wilton, however, if you break a vise you did something unwise to cause it.

Never mind, I just wiki/googled HarborFreight. It is possible they may have gate opened from China longer then I thought they would.
Oops sorry.

 

[nieuport17]

What I find very interesting is the Chinese letters stamped on the vise; I would say that is the first time ever for me just seeing that. I wonder if it was the owners name ? The company that made the vise ? or perhaps something else ?



Would anyone on the GJ be able to translate those letters for us ?

Ah ha, i go one character:

https://www.allbusinesstemplates.com/template/RK9BX/chinese-numbers-calligraphy-poster/

 

[454ragtop]

Hmm, that orange vise looks suspiciously like a Wilton 744...…...

 

[rsanter]

Chineeesse vise.
I have one similar but without those markings.
It is a clone of an older American made vise.
With that said, I have been using the **** out of that vise for 30 years and have yet to break it.
I recall I paid $9.99 for it on sale at a new store that was opening and wanted to attract customers.

I feel like the older chineeese vises are actually decent as a few tears after getting mine I could tell the quality was declining.
So I think you are better off with a 30 year old chinnnese vise over a 10 year old Chinese vise

Just my opinion based on observation

 

[JRC3]

It's funny how the noobs get excited by Chinese and low-quality, homeowner grade vises. As if every vise purchase is on impulse and poorly researched.

I didn't see any of that in his post. So he gave a few dollars for something that struck his curiosity. Kind of snobby and rude if you ask me.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

454ragtop- When I was looking for pics on the Reed vise, the 744 number did show up on a Wilton 744 vise pic that I saw. However, on the other side of my vise there is a Reed manufacturing plate.

Everyone else- I appreciate the help with this question, time is valuable and you’ve helped steer me in the right direction. So thanks for taking some of yours to help me out.

 

[454ragtop]

Sorry, hope that didn't come across wrong, I was inferring that Wilton probably made that vise for Reed. I'd bet the parts interchange.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

454ragtop- Not at all, I Googled Reed 744 and only came up with a pic of a Wilton 744. I really don’t know, your hunch might be right. There are some numbers and letters on the other side, they might tell more about the vises history.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

I picked this vise up today at a local metal recycling yard I rummage through. Last week I found a really nice Reed 704 that I’ve started working on, just missing a pin and one of the jaws was missing with the screws sheared off. So if you like to find vises they are a good place to look. The owner charges .20 cents a pound, so I couldn’t resist buying it. I just cleaned up the side a bit and only found the markings you can see in the pics. I know it’s a mechanics vice, found some pics on the web that looked similar but I was hoping someone here might have an idea what brand and model it might be. Thanks for taking a look and I appreciate all replies.

I think you have something unique. What are the dimensions? I have taken some pics of the inscriptions and sent them to a Chinese buddy to see what they mean.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

My Chinese buddy texted me back he said maybe Japanese. Maybe he was jerking my chain. Probably not. If it is Japanese that would be pretty cool. Sorry I don’t have any Japanese buds that are Japanese that I can think of.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

Miss the Pontiacs- I’ll take some more pics tomorrow and get some dimensions. From what I’ve found on the web, it’s similar to a vise that Yost has but it’s got some differences. It’s a pretty heavy vise, not like the new Imports. Thanks for helping, I appreciate it.

 

[Casey_McClelland]

Not sure what happened to that last post, those funny A’s weren’t from me.

 

[Karl1163]

the deeply imprinted symbol on the mobile jaw is the Japanese numeral for 5 (Go). The others are too hard to really see, but I don't think they are numbers - and they look like they were just scratched vs. the strong imprint, but maybe that's just the lighting. The faint upside down Y-looking symbol with the "go" might be "dai", meaning "number, as in "number 5"- but it is missing a crossbar at the split that I can see.