rock island 595 vise

[396foxRN]

anyone know anything about these? Ive been using one in my garage for 20 years or so....a friend gave me one in college that he hauled off from a garage clean-out. heavy as S#*T and has done everything Ive ever needed. I was curious to the approximate age mostly....anyone know?


doug

 

[Mark in Indiana]

Doug,
If you can, please post some pictures.

 

[396foxRN]

this isnt mine, but is an image of an identical one....

I havent yet figured out how to post pics from my computer/phone on here yet...


I'd read somewhere that the company closed in 1959, any truth to this?

 

[drivesitfar]

Probably a 1930's or older vise. Yes rock island vise company sold to birtman electric and they stopped making vises in the late 50's. Nice looking vise and if you keep it fairy clean a grease it every couple years you can give to your grand kids.

Use the paperclip just above where you are writing your posts and you can attach pics sort of like an email. Ask if you still need help

 

[396foxRN]

Use the paperclip just above where you are writing your posts and you can attach pics sort of like an email. Ask if you still need help

good to know. thanks!

 

[drivesitfar]

Please post pics of yours when you have time with jaw width and weight to if you can. Great vise

 

[1930]

Probably a 1930's or older vise. Yes rock island vise company sold to birtman electric and they stopped making vises in the late 50's. Nice looking vise and if you keep it fairy clean a grease it every couple years you can give to your grand kids.

Use the paperclip just above where you are writing your posts and you can attach pics sort of like an email. Ask if you still need help

I understand that this has prob. been answered but why does this vise and many others look similar to bigger name manufacturers like the Columbians?

 

[Rileysan]

I understand that this has prob. been answered but why does this vise and many others look similar to bigger name manufacturers like the Columbians?

Have you ever looked at cars from the 1930s? Unless you're a car enthusiast, you will likely have trouble differentiating a Ford from a Dodge from a Chevy, and so on. Patents run out and eventually products start to all look the same. What differentiates the models is the manufacturing process. So even if a patent runs out, it can be very difficult to copy a manufacturing process.

So it is with vises. It takes an enthusiast to differentiate the different makes and models. And even if they look the same in a photo, they are all different - and it matters to us.

Brian

 

[1930]

Have you ever looked at cars from the 1930s? Unless you're a car enthusiast, you will likely have trouble differentiating a Ford from a Dodge from a Chevy, and so on. Patents run out and eventually products start to all look the same. What differentiates the models is the manufacturing process. So even if a patent runs out, it can be very difficult to copy a manufacturing process.

So it is with vises. It takes an enthusiast to differentiate the different makes and models. And even if they look the same in a photo, they are all different - and it matters to us.

Brian

Great answer

 

[Packard V8]

I understand that this has prob. been answered but why does this vise and many others look similar

Have you ever looked at cars from the 1930s? Unless you're a car enthusiast, you will likely have trouble differentiating a Ford from a Dodge from a Chevy, and so on.

Cars? Have you ever looked at a hammer? A vise is sort of a two-piece hammer. Over the hundreds of years, inventors/designers have dreamed up all sorts of different-looking hammers/vises, but the successful tools look pretty much like all the others, because human hands and work process all look pretty much the same.

 

[drivesitfar]

1930: rock island vises are built like maybe a rolls royce compared to the columbians that are more like a economy car. Some of the early columbians were more stout, but they started making hollow jaws and were maybe the first US vise company to have their vises made in Japan, then Taiwan and now China. Only a few old US vise companies still are making vises here in US. Columbian owns Wilton now and yes they are maybe the biggest and best known name, but I'd buy a rock island any day before a Columbian.

One of these days the guys here on this forum should pool their information and write a vise book like the guy did about anvils.

 

[Packard V8]

I'd agree Rock Island is toward the top of the vise chain. One example is the slide on mine is fitted to a much tighter tolerance than most other brands. There's very little side play.

Since vise dating is an inexact science, it's difficult to say when Columbian quality declined, but the older units are as good as most any vise ever made.

jack vines

 

[1930]

Thanks guys, I recently picked up an old Columbian, stripped it and had it powder coated, still havent assembled it yet but it looks ok, id better stop now before I get accused of hijacking a very good topic.

 

[thehorse13]

Here is a Rock Island vise made in September of 1944. This one has a unique past as it served in the U.S. Navy munitions building in Washington, D.C. during WWII, but I digress.

Notice the Birtman Electric brass plate affixed to the side. Your Rock Island is older than mine so you're looking at a vise that is north of 72 years old.

 

[Bobioz1]

O.p., fully close the jaws of your vise. Then look at the top of the slide where it exits the static jaw. The date should be stamped in the top of the slide.

 

[1930]

Here is a Rock Island vise made in September of 1944. This one has a unique past as it served in the U.S. Navy munitions building in Washington, D.C. during WWII, but I digress.

Notice the Birtman Electric brass plate affixed to the side. Your Rock Island is older than mine so you're looking at a vise that is north of 72 years old.

Nicely restored

 

[1982fxr]

1930: rock island vises are built like maybe a rolls royce compared to the columbians that are more like a economy car. Some of the early columbians were more stout, but they started making hollow jaws and were maybe the first US vise company to have their vises made in Japan, then Taiwan and now China. Only a few old US vise companies still are making vises here in US. Columbian owns Wilton now and yes they are maybe the biggest and best known name, but I'd buy a rock island any day before a Columbian.

One of these days the guys here on this forum should pool their information and write a vise book like the guy did about anvils.

iirc Wilton owns columbian. They still make the Columbian combo vises here. I have 2...they are awesome. I agree on the old ones R.I. is a bit better

 

[autobon7]

1930: rock island vises are built like maybe a rolls royce compared to the columbians that are more like a economy car. Some of the early columbians were more stout, but they started making hollow jaws and were maybe the first US vise company to have their vises made in Japan, then Taiwan and now China. Only a few old US vise companies still are making vises here in US. Columbian owns Wilton now and yes they are maybe the biggest and best known name, but I'd buy a rock island any day before a Columbian.

Agree 100%.....just got done blasting/painting a Rock Island that was my grandpas. Turned out nice. Sorry I don't have pics but will take some this weekend.

 

[396foxRN]

here it is....and its a 5"

 

[396foxRN]

O.p., fully close the jaws of your vise. Then look at the top of the slide where it exits the static jaw. The date should be stamped in the top of the slide.

nothing there. possibly a "7", but it could just as easily be coincidental strike marks from 75 years of use

 

[Bobioz1]

Should be stamped right here.

 

[Bobioz1]

Should look like this.

 

[Bobioz1]

Actually more like this.

 

[thehorse13]

Here is the date code on my Rock Island.