Help Identify Antique Vice

[toasterburn]

My wife and I recently purchased our first house and I'm finally getting to build my dream workshop in the garage. She knew I wanted a small vintage vice for my bench (for detail work), so she went on ebay and bought me this one as an early Christmas gift.


Any idea on it's age, or it's durability? I don't know much about it besides that it's pretty. Thanks.

 

[FJ 432]

Columbian is a well known company and I believe I read on this forum that they used to make vises under the Craftsman name. I have a similar one stamped craftsman and it has served me well. You can also do a search on vises and in a short time you can learn a lot on the subject (thats how I did it). Time frame, I'm not sure.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[toasterburn]

Thanks for the info. Maybe someone else could chime in regarding the age?

 

[spongerich]

This is mostly a guess... I'd say it's from the mid '40s to perhaps the mid '60's. I'm basing this on the fact that I've see a LOT of these little Columbians at estate sales over the past couple of years and the rest of the tools are typically of that age range, so it stands to reason that the vises are as well.

They're pretty well made, but definitely fall into the light duty category.

Yours is a little unusual because of the "hardy hole" in the anvil. I don't see those too often.

 

[toasterburn]

Interesting. Light duty is fine for what I'll be doing, my projects tend to be small.