Reed Mfg 204 1/2 restored vise

[SteveD]

Recently completed a restoration on this vise. I'm wondering about the vintage, anyone have any idea? It came with a beautiful vintage workbench (which I also restored), that I'm told was originally used at Grumman, an aircraft manufacturer on Long Island, in the 40s.

 

[autobon7]

Beautiful vice

 

[Shiftless]

Looking good!

Based on seeing the round “meatball“ nose and the oil hole and split nut locking screw and the “R” designation, I would say that yours is the style known as “transition” and was manufactured sometime in the early to middle 1940s.

Reed R models with the adjustable split nut in front are certainly among the very best bench vises ever built.

There should have been a date code faintly stamped into the side of the dynamic jaw support. Your paint job may have covered that up.