Old Vise ID - Any Ideas?

[LNKMK8]

Hi Guys;

Picked up this old vise at an estate sale yesterday. Got it home and cleaned it up, but can't find any sort of markings that would indicate who made it. I have only found M13, M15, and M16 cast on the jaws and handle keeper, and "RRR" on the the mount for the screw. 4" Jaws and a total weight of 53lbs.

 

[454ragtop]

I was gonna say Prentiss, but I don't see any cracks, so it probably isn't.....

 

[LNKMK8]

I've got an old Prentiss sitting on the work bench; They didn't seem to use the front keeper like this one does, although it does have that kind of look.

 

[PacificaVette]

The front keeper on the screw looks like a Chas. Parker. It almost looks like a ******* vise. The jaws seem totally different, and don't appear to line up. Could this be a dynamic from a Chas. Parker and a static from something else???

 

[Kent_B]

^^^ That's what it looks like to me. If it does what you want, use it and don't look back.

 

[LNKMK8]

Yeah, I went to the sale based on one photo hoping it was a Chas Parker... I'm thinking all the piece belong together as the dynamic and static both have the same style cast for the part number, one being M15 and the other M16. Odd that they would cast part numbers on three of the pieces, but not put a name or manufacture info. I think the one jaw insert has been replaced by one that isn't quite the right size. They use hex key head bolts.

Had two guys looking at it wanting to buy it within 15 minutes, before I could get it out to the car

 

[Carla]

I don't know who made it, but its easy to hazard a guess......it would seem reasonable that a 'no-name' vise would have been made on contract to Sears Roebuck, or other catalogue sales firms, with the store brand name done with a decal. Look in the old (1920's or so) Sears Roebuck catalogues, for their 'Samson' brand vises, made by some now unknown manufacturer, for an example. Its also known that large hardware store chains would contract for an 'economy line' of no-name or 'store brand' tooling, presumably including vises.

cheers

Carla

 

[Packard V8]

I think the one jaw insert has been replaced by one that isn't quite the right size. They use hex key head bolts.

The bad news is replacement Parker jaws are unobtanium; probably why you have a wrongun.

Does the front C-collar appear original or is it another fab job?

jack viens

 

[LNKMK8]

The bad news is replacement Parker jaws are unobtanium; probably why you have a wrongun.

Does the front C-collar appear original or is it another fab job?

jack viens

It looks original to me... has the part number cast into the front of it that matches up with the number convention on the two jaws.

 

[TreePointer]

Frankenvise.

Look at the side views of the first two pictures. The height of the clamping area overall shape at the top of the jaw towers isn't even close.



As mentioned earlier, there's nothing wrong with a frankenvise (or any frankentool) if its functionality meets your needs. May it serve you well.

 

[drivesitfar]

LNK: those jaws are not Parker and the retainer that is similar to Parker's was also used by Desmond and a few other companies.

I agree the jaws being different is ODD to say the least, but having the M stamped on all the parts leads me to believe that the vise's parts were all made at the same factory.

I looks like early 1900's vise workmanship and MASSEY comes to mind so maybe it was a PROTOTYPE or one of the workers found parts laying in the bin and made his own vise out of the discards and the owner let him take it home.

I agree with Carla that a lot of the big store chains wouldn't let the vise companies put their names on their vises and they'd either have stickers or just sell no name vises in their own packaging was maybe another option.

how does it work even though i know you don't have it mounted? how much does it weigh and how wide are the jaws?

good luck and let us know if you find another vise with a retainer like that with a stamped M in it cause i sure don't recall seeing one.

cheers

 

[LNKMK8]

Thanks for all the info; just as a quick follow up, the jaws actually do match. A combination of mis-matched inserts, some slight damage to one, and the angles of the photos make them look odd, but I do believe they are matching jaws.