School me on this Columbian vise.

[evintho]

I know the older Columbians are quality pieces but I'm unsure of this beast....





It's a 5" and they're asking $100.....
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/tls/d/concord-5in-columbian-swivel-head-bench/7091234512.html

Noticing the misplaced 'U' in the name and the whole vise just looks a little off in the quality department. But hey.....I've been wrong before! What say yee…..yay or nay?

 

[davethorik]

Columbian did do the little U, but that is an Asian import with the Columbian name on it. $100 too steep.

 

[Shiftless]

Lots of guys have those as users and don’t complain. They don’t compare to top shelf vintage vises but will usually get the job done.

I agree that $100 is too much.

 

[1982fxr]

The u is just part of the logo.

That is basically the same vise they now sell under Wilton for I think around $150 or so new. Not a heavy duty beater but pretty handy to have if complete.

 

[SGKent]

and there is a chinese made copy also that everyone sold the last 10 years.

 

[1982fxr]

I'm sure that Columbian Is Chinese too. There a several versions of that vise, with several different quality levels even though they all look basically the same, they are not.

In my experience that Columbian is one of the better versions.

 

[SGKent]

the ones in that general style I have seen in pieces are the ones someone tried to use the anvil and it shattered the back of the vise. As a general rule unless you are fixing a small belt buckle, setting a small rivet etc, get an anvil to pound on. A piece of RR track is really a good cheap solution for that.