Newly found Wilton Vise

[BuddyC01]

Hello all,
My wife came home from and estate sale this week with this 32 Lb., 5" Wilton Vise. I got it cleaned up and it seems pretty well cared for. Came from a country car mechanic's shop. I've looked on the slide key and under the slide and have not been able to identify a date code. The only numbers I can find are individual part numbers. I've also not been able to pin down the model of this. Maybe a 648?

Thanks in advance

BuddyC

 

[Fierljeppen]

Hello all,
My wife came home from and estate sale this week with this 32 Lb., 5" Wilton Vise. I got it cleaned up and it seems pretty well cared for. Came from a country car mechanic's shop. I've looked on the slide key and under the slide and have not been able to identify a date code. The only numbers I can find are individual part numbers. I've also not been able to pin down the model of this. Maybe a 648?

Thanks in advance

BuddyC

BuddyC01...It's a Wilton trademark "Big Red" model no. 845, which doesn't come up too often. They were marketed to the automotive trade, so it's not unusual that it came from an old mechanics shop. It is unusual that your wife was the one to pick it up though. Do what you want with the vise, but make sure you keep the wife!

Your model was the original design that came out in 1977. The catalog scan below is from 1982 and the first illustration shows the 2nd version, while the illustration with the mechanic is just like yours.

 

[BuddyC01]

BuddyC01...It's a Wilton trademark "Big Red" model no. 845, which doesn't come up too often. They were marketed to the automotive trade, so it's not unusual that it came from an old mechanics shop. It is unusual that your wife was the one to pick it up though. Do what you want with the vise, but make sure you keep the wife!

Your model was the original design that came out in 1977. The catalog scan below is from 1982 and the first illustration shows the 2nd version, while the illustration with the mechanic is just like yours.

Very cool Fierljeppen. Thanks!
I was a little hesitant to ask with as many times as Wilton likely comes up but now I understand why I was not able to find a good match.
Yea, my wife has a good eye and she does good remembering tools I've emphasized over the years. Sometimes it works out well.
Thanks again for the info

BuddyC

 

[Drkuhar]

Did this vice later on get offered in 8". I have a wilton vice from a body shop that look like this but it is 8" i do believe

 

[Fierljeppen]

Did this vice later on get offered in 8". I have a wilton vice from a body shop that look like this but it is 8" i do believe

The Wilton "840" series was kind of short-lived, but Wilton did produce a very similar red 8" utility vise starting around 1998, as seen in the catalog scan below.

 

[splicedude]

Hello all,
My wife came home from and estate sale this week with this 32 Lb., 5" Wilton Vise. I got it cleaned up and it seems pretty well cared for. Came from a country car mechanic's shop. I've looked on the slide key and under the slide and have not been able to identify a date code. The only numbers I can find are individual part numbers. I've also not been able to pin down the model of this. Maybe a 648?

Thanks in advance

BuddyC

Damn I wish my wife came home with cool stuff. Lol

 

[HDI]

Your wife should be cloned. What a woman! Lovely vise, hard to beat USA made.