Columbian 45D - is it a good / solid unit? Did I get ripped off?

[Mattcook120]

My brother asked for a good bench vice for Christmas for his new shop. Didnt feel like buying a new one as they are likely all manufactured overseas, and wanted to get a good old-fashioned American made vice. Listings and prices were all over the place, and at first I thought I found a pretty good deal on a Columbian D45, but now I'm not so sure. I have been trying to research the specific model, but I'm not finding much information.

It's a Columbian 45D, and there are no M series numbers to follow (M3, M4, M5, etc.); Just 45D. Found a patent filing on the internet that dated the design the 1950s, for what that's worth. The seller on eBay had it listed for $250 plus $60 shipping, stating it was a "rare heavy duty model, not the common D45 M4". Also stated it was in good working order, no cracks / welds, pads intact and in good shape, operates as it should. He had over 1000 transactions with 100% positive feedback so I took the guy as an honest seller. I bartered for $200 plus shipping and he agreed.

Is the vice really a "heavy duty" unit or was it just fluff? Did I get ripped off or was my bartered price at least reasonable? If anyone has any good info on this specific unit it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I want to put this delicately. Yes, that's pretty high for that type of vise. It is by no means a low quality vise. It's a very good quality vise. I think on CL that would be more of a $50-100 vise (in my area). I wouldn't beat yourself up too much over it. Go look at what you can buy at a big box store or Amazon for that price. If you only need one vise and aren't a collector like some of us than you did ok.

 

[slowtwitch73]

What he said^^^

 

[PCustoms]

It's a very good quality vise. I think on CL that would be more of a $50-100 vise (in my area).

I can't even get a cheap import vise for $50-100 here....

 

[Dumber than lumber]

Hey OP!
You DON’T ****!

 

[Oldtuleguy]

I like the Columbian vises personally. Not familiar with that model but they are a solid usa made product.

 

[slowtwitch73]

And nobody wanted my Prentiss Bull Dog for a $100. Feast or famine.

 

[Mattcook120]

I appreciate all the feedback. I know literally nothing about vintage vices other than my experience with my dad's old unit, which he got from my grandfather, who bought it when my dad was 5 (so about 64 years old). Can't remember his vice's make / model, but all I know is we used it A LOT and never had a single problem with it, and my fabricator friend tries to buy it about once a month lol. Next time I see it I'll post it up on this thread.

Does anyone know any specifics / build quality / etc on the D45? I

 

[gpw_42]

Columbians were/are good quality vises.

Here's a 1958 catalog excerpt, see pg. 3: https://archive.org/details/columbianviseandmfgco1958/page/n1/mode/2up I didn't see a D45 in an earlier catalog, but it was NOT an exhaustive search.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

That looks almost exactly like an older Craftsman vise I have. I'd put the value at $50-75, but it's a good solid vise that will hold up.

 

[Mattcook120]

Columbians were/are good quality vises.

Here's a 1958 catalog excerpt, see pg. 3: https://archive.org/details/columbianviseandmfgco1958/page/n1/mode/2up I didn't see a D45 in an earlier catalog, but it was NOT an exhaustive search.

Awesome thank you! So not a machinist quality unit but definitely one of their best for workshop uses at the time, which is how this unit will be used.

And peep that unit that sold for $220 in 1958 money that weighed 268lbs!!! Holy bejeezus

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Ya if you find yourself one of those heavy chipping vises you can pay pretty much any price for it and someone here will say it's a good deal lol. Those bigguns are the unicorn for a lot of us.

 

[Shiftless]

That looks almost exactly like an older Craftsman vise I have. I'd put the value at $50-75, but it's a good solid vise that will hold up.

Columbian made quite a few vises for Sears. For example - Any Craftsman labeled vise with a model number 506 dot xxxx was made in the USA by Columbian.

I‘m currently restoring a model 506 for my BIL. It used to belong to his long ago deceased father. It will be a shelf queen on display near his user vise, a big war time era American Scale.

 

[four.cycle]

Columbian Vise 1950

Columbian Vise 1958

Columbian Vise 1959

 

[thehorse13]

Is it good? Yes. It's a good home user light-to-medium duty unit.
Is it solid? Yes. It's a USA made vise.
Did you get ripped off? If you live in the mid Atlantic, absolutely.

Around here, that's a 35 dollar item. For $200, you're in Wilton bullet vise territory. Like already mentioned, prices vary depending upon your location.

That said, you could have done much worse at your first stab at buying a vise. Hang around here long enough and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Mattcook120]

Is it good? Yes. It's a good home user light-to-medium duty unit.
Is it solid? Yes. It's a USA made vise.
Did you get ripped off? If you live in the mid Atlantic, absolutely.

Around here, that's a 35 dollar item. For $200, you're in Wilton bullet vise territory. Like already mentioned, prices vary depending upon your location.

That said, you could have done much worse at your first stab at buying a vise. Hang around here long enough and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Mattcook120]

I'm from loganville Georgia, a town halfway between Atlanta and Athens. I looked for a few days on local CL and FB marketplace, and there were very few vintage American heavy duty units for sale, and all were priced astronomically. However I probably should have reached out here before making a purchase. Oh well, live and learn.

Honestly even if I paid too much, it won't matter. It will likely be used for years and years to come, and be passed down to his kids one day. I'm sure it's more than enough for what he will ever do with it.

 

[four.cycle]

Clearly it varies greatly by region.
If you look at Craigslist ads here, you'd think the vises listed in the "tools" section were made of platinum.
I'm puzzled by Mr. Wonderful's response above, to be honest. I ordered a cheapie Craftsman from Ebay last year for my girlfriend - was cheaper to pay ebay prices + shipping + 10.5% sales tax than anything I could find on Craigslist (and I searched for several weeks.)

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

I'm from loganville Georgia, a town halfway between Atlanta and Athens. I looked for a few days on local CL and FB marketplace, and there were very few vintage American heavy duty units for sale, and all were priced astronomically. However I probably should have reached out here before making a purchase. Oh well, live and learn.

Honestly even if I paid too much, it won't matter. It will likely be used for years and years to come, and be passed down to his kids one day. I'm sure it's more than enough for what he will ever do with it.

You're not too far from me. You're right, the vise pickings are very slim down here. Two of the best vises I have were bought and shipped to me from Ohio and Illinois.

 

[PCustoms]

Around here, that's a 35 dollar item.

Can you pick me up one and ship it?

 

[four.cycle]

^ yeah me too!

 

[Shiftless]

Vises that won’t fit into a flat rate box are generally too expensive to ship very far.

Most of us vise collectors probably have a few Columbians that we’d part with for less than $200

 

[slowtwitch73]

If you rattlecan it grey it will be worth more.

 

[thehorse13]

Can you pick me up one and ship it?

^ yeah me too!

Believe it or not, I tried to do this before. The issue is that you end up paying 70 bucks for shipping which defeats the purpose.

 

[PCustoms]

Believe it or not, I tried to do this before. The issue is that you end up paying 70 bucks for shipping which defeats the purpose.

Id pay $105 for an American made vise.

 

[Packard V8]

Matt, just appreciate the education didn't cost serious bucks and your brother got a usable vise for Christmas. I've paid more for some of my education.

That explains when I see the way-high asking tool prices on eBay or craigslist, I always wonder who'd pay that much. Answer, a GJ member who only knows vises are a thing here: "I know literally nothing about vintage vices."

Or me in several areas about which I know literally nothing and what I think I know is probably wrong.

jack vines

 

[thehorse13]

Id pay $105 for an American made vise.

Alright. The next one of these that I see, I will PM you. You too, four.cycle.