Chaz Parker No.5

[Dragor]

I joined this forum yesterday in hope of some information on a particular vice. I rescued this vise from a salvage yard in 2018, I do custom steel fabrication and iron work and needed a big vise. It is clearly marked No.5 but has 6" jaws, the patent date is 1867. I did a full restoration on it and it is in perfect working order. I have a few different sizes of Chaz Parkers as well as different American and a few European manufacturers vices but can not find a whole lot of information on this one.
I was wondering if anyone has information on this.

 

[LNKMK8]

Here is a link to an advertisement for Parker vises that another member found (page 162)

https://books.google.com/books?id=btsOAAAAYAAJ&dq=blacksmith catalog&pg=PA162#v=onepage&q&f=false

Yours appears to match the description and drawing of the "No. 500" shown there.

Also, on page 4 of this thread, there is an ad from around 1900 that shows a "No. 5"

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238409&page=4

 

[nutjob]

I used to have this same one. It weights 128lbs with 6 1/8" jaws. 24" long closed, the handle is 16" long.

Heres another catalog pic I found.





Kevin

 

[Fierljeppen]

Those are both some really nice, old Parker parallel vises! I believe the mfg. dates ranged from about (1867-1897), based on my catalog and patent database. I've attached an 1870 catalog ad and the 1867 patents. The jaw width may be a typo.

I recently picked up what I thought was a pre-1867 Parker no. 1 parallel vise. I wanted to find another old Parker vise with the same boss under the dynamic jaw support like mine and of course that information would show up at The Garage Journal.

I'm glad I don't run in to too many pre-1900 Parker vises, cause I'd buy them all.