To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

"Fixie" 3 jaw bench vice

G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
I already had a 3 jaw bench vice made by fortis. Bought as a solid lump of rust, freed up, cleaned, painted, and its sat on the bench for 18 months without being touched.
20211112_160554.jpg

Despite having not actually used this vice yet, when I came across another 3 jaw, I just had to buy it.

These things are rare! The fortis is rare enough, but the fixie is even rarer by the looks of it.
The fortis is 4" wide, the fixie is 6".
20230306_201616.jpg20230306_201611.jpg
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
Overall view
20230306_201603.jpg

Unlike the fortis, the front rotating jaws are locked by the center bar. They are also better supported.
They were seized solid, but I have them freed up and it's all apart ready for cleaning and rust removal.

20230307_222303.jpg
 
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
I'm not aware of any others existing.
I have found one advert for a similar, but smaller and different, fixie 3 jaw vice. I have also found pictures of a fixie 3 jaw machine vice, but no info on this actual vice.
 
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
slowtwitch73 said:
Those are cool.. I like the dynamic design on the 2nd one....
Click to expand...
The fortis 3 jaws pop up occasionally. They seem to have sold reasonably well. I think maybe 10 or 20 are known. Most, maybe all, are ex military.

The fixie though seems a much better design. Both are cast steel and the fixie has much better casting quality and better machining too.
It may be that the military were the only real buyers if this style of vice and maybe they went with the presumably cheaper fortis, so the jerrims fixies just didn't sell.
 
D

dutchgray

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
6,468
Location
Dorset. England.
I own two of the Fortis type. They are not that rare.
I would like to get a Fortis offset vice (like a Dawn but offset to the other side) but just never found one.
I don't really need any of them. A normal bench vice does what I need.
 
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
dutchgray said:
I own two of the Fortis type. They are not that rare.
I would like to get a Fortis offset vice (like a Dawn but offset to the other side) but just never found one.
I don't really need any of them. A normal bench vice does what I need.
Click to expand...
They are rare compared to most 'normal' vices, but yes, seems to be plenty of them out there. I think they just do t change hands too often.
Do yours have the military arrow stamp anywhere?

I think the reason I haven't used the fortis yet is because there doesn't seem to be a great deal of support for the front jaws. Thats where this fixie realy beats the fortis.

I'd love a fortis offset too. Never seen one for sale though.
 
D

dutchgray

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2014
Messages
6,468
Location
Dorset. England.
Graeme said:
They are rare compared to most 'normal' vices, but yes, seems to be plenty of them out there. I think they just do t change hands too often.
Do yours have the military arrow stamp anywhere?

I think the reason I haven't used the fortis yet is because there doesn't seem to be a great deal of support for the front jaws. Thats where this fixie realy beats the fortis.

I'd love a fortis offset too. Never seen one for sale though.
Click to expand...
Honestly I have never looked for the Broadarrow stamp on either.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
Had to drill the last jaw bolt out. Ordered new ones.
Gave it a scrub in degreaser and I suspect it's original colour wad black. There are traces inside.
Also this casting mark is more visible, 5784. If that was a date, I'd assume it's 1957.
20230310_153804.jpg20230310_153952.jpg20230310_154135.jpg

I'll give it a quick wire brush, then de rust in citric acid. I'll get the rest of the old paint off too.
Then I'll hammer out as much of the dents and damage as I can before repainting.

I had thought of doing it maroon, but if it was black originally maybe it should go black again.
Thoughts?
 
F

Fierljeppen

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
1,159
That is a very interesting 3-jaw vise! Hopefully someone from your side of the pond will find some historical data that will give some dated and detailed information about it.

As far as American quick release vises, there were a gazillion, too many to list.
 
S

slowtwitch73

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
5,876
Location
Hellgate
Fierljeppen said:
That is a very interesting 3-jaw vise! Hopefully someone from your side of the pond will find some historical data that will give some dated and detailed information about it.

As far as American quick release vises, there were a gazillion, too many to list.
Click to expand...
Damn.. re edit again... 'not as ubiquitous as in the uk'. That's gotta cover it.

They were certainly not produced in the numbers that they have been in the UK from the looks of it.

Fwiw I have looked over the usual channels for many years and have never seen an American vise fs with a quick release (obviously they are out there). Many many British vises on ANY given day.
 
F

Fierljeppen

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 26, 2018
Messages
1,159
slowtwitch73 said:
Damn.. re edit again... 'not as ubiquitous as in the uk'. That's gotta cover it.

They were certainly not produced in the numbers that they have been in the UK from the looks of it.

Fwiw I have looked over the usual channels for many years and have never seen an American vise fs with a quick release (obviously they are out there). Many many British vises on ANY given day.
Click to expand...

'Not as ubiquitous as in the uk'...yeah, I'll agree with that.

The very earliest "quick release" vise that I know of is actually the holy grail of my vise collection. It's an 1837 Linus Dean US patent no. 127 vise.

linus_dean_patent_no.127.jpg

The most prolific American "quick release" or "rapid transit" designs were all patent vises by: Stephens, Hall, and Simpson. All of these vises were produced in very large numbers for many decades and imported to Europe as well.

stephens-e02.jpg halls_patent-c07.jpg athol_no.10-a01.jpg

Other American "quick release" vises that were produced in much smaller quantities include: Trenton, Snediker, Prentiss, Fisher & Norris, Bonney Rapid Vise Co., Herman Boker & Co., Hartmann, Capitol Machine Co., Messrs Read Gleason & Read, Thomson, Lewis Tool Co., Hanna, Emmert, Velox and as mentioned earlier Cardinal. There were others, but in much less numbers than the names mentioned.

If we include "foot controlled" and "pneumatic / hydraulic assist" vises, the list gets even longer.

Anyway, the American "quick release" vises had a strong presence in the 1800's, but were very much diminished in the 1900's, which is probably why most people, including many vise collectors are not familiar with them.

I'm really hoping someone produces some meaningful information about the 3-jaw "Fixie" vice in question. It's such an interesting design and deserves some detailed credentials.
 
Last edited:
OP
G

Graeme

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2021
Messages
152
Fierljeppen said:
'Not as ubiquitous as in the uk'...yeah, I'll agree with that.

The very earliest "quick release" vise that I know of is actually the holy grail of my vise collection. It's an 1837 Linus Dean US patent no. 127 vise.

linus_dean_patent_no.127.jpg

The most prolific American "quick release" vises were all patent vises by: Stephens, Hall, and Simpson. All of these vises were produced in very large numbers for many decades and imported to Europe as well.

stephens-e02.jpg athol_no.10-a01.jpg halls_patent-c07.jpg

Other American "quick release" vises that were produced in much smaller quantities include: Trenton, Snediker, Prentiss, Fisher & Norris, Bonney Rapid Vise Co., Herman Boker & Co., Hartmann and as mentioned earlier Cardinal. There were others, but in much less numbers than the names mentioned.

If we include "foot controlled" and "pneumatic / hydraulic assist" vises, the list gets even longer.

Anyway, the American "quick release" vises had a strong presence in the 1800's, but were very much diminished in the 1900's, which is probably why most people, including many vise collectors are not familiar with them.

I'm really hoping someone produces some meaningful information about the 3-jaw "Fixie" vice in question. It's such an interesting design and deserves some detailed credentials.
Click to expand...

These cam/lever type action vices are fantastic!
Something else I'll have to keep an eye open for but will no doubt NEVER see.

I'm not convinced any info on this fixie will surface. I've posted about it in the 2 main vice collector areas of the internet and nothing.
 
S

slowtwitch73

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
5,876
Location
Hellgate
I've seen the cam jobbies... I was thinking more along the 'traditional' lines of a little lever at the front just under the handle.
 
G

garfunkle24

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
3,429
Location
Saskatoon, Canada
Model A Fan said:
For the uninitiated to the vise world...what denotes "quick release" when it comes to vises?
Click to expand...

It has some means (lever or otherwise) of disengaging the screw from the nut so the vise can be quickly adjusted in a screw type vise. I guess it would also include non screw type vises such as the cam jobbie posted above.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom