Unknown vintage vise purchase

[kipsvintage]

Hi there, new to the forum, picked this beauty up the other day & it is missing the I.D. tag on it & was wondering if anyone might be able to give me some clues on a MFG. Its been passed down from fro generations, its in real nice condition, thanks for any help. Kip.

 

[1982fxr]

Basic Chinese import sold under many brands. Complete with kick *** stand.

 

[disston]

The stand is worth more than that vise. Did they come together?

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Basic Chinese import sold under many brands. Complete with kick *** stand.

Although Yankee versions of that came out around WWI, hard to say without the plate.

 

[1982fxr]

Although Yankee versions of that came out around WWI, hard to say without the plate.

Disagree, don't need a plate to know what that is. May have been Olympia badged.

 

[crguy]

Although Yankee versions of that came out around WWI, hard to say without the plate.

The US makers of similar vises were proud to put their names on their products.

 

[kipsvintage]

Basic Chinese import sold under many brands. Complete with kick *** stand.

Sorry to hear that, it looks way more industrial American to me, anyone else have any ideas? thanks.

 

[Shiftless]

It is not a classic vintage American made vise.
Those had quite a few different name tags. Lots of guys are happy with how they perform so It’s not a big deal that it was made in Taiwan or ???

I see that you just joined GJ. There are more than a few of us vise fans here. Check out this vise thread. I think it is one of the biggest thread on Garage Journal.

The VISES of Garage Journal

Very nice! Given it's age, are the current pack of forged steel offerings that look like this (i.e. from Heuer, Bessey, Yost, Gedore, Capri Tools and Fireball ) all "influenced" by Paramo? Or are there other designs of similar or earlier vintage that these vises have based their designs from...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[kipsvintage]

Yea, i like the swivel point to the pipe clamp feature, so i guess your right, just wated a second opinion on it, i kida date it 1960's 7o's? thanks

 

[Modern Garage]

Sixties, seventies could be right. You have more info than we have just knowing it's passed thru a couple of members of your family.
As to quality, it's a vise and it will hold parts unless someone abuses it and breaks it - just like an American made one. Asking about vises here can be like asking about a Malibu at the Corvette club meeting - you'll get a LOT of opinions but they may be useless for your personal application. It's your vise and it's your history so carry on.
Joe

 

[Shiftless]

Right! ^^^^^
Just as a Malibu and a Corvette will each carry you to your destination, the vise in question here will hold a work piece and a Wilton C3 or a Reed 4C or a Starrett Athol will also also hold a workpiece.

 

[1982fxr]

Yea, i like the swivel point to the pipe clamp feature, so i guess your right, just wated a second opinion on it, i kida date it 1960's 7o's? thanks

Probably 90s at oldest. More likely early 2000s. The styles of the import changed over the years. Handy style to have though. I keep one around.

 

[Hoorn]

@kipsvintage to convey that the vise style you have is indeed an overseas made "vise of many brands" here is an example.

This Westward vise is essentially what you have right down to the swivel base foot pattern, swivel locking lever pinched ends, and raised anvil. Note the degree scale riveted on behind the jaws, your vise has those same rivet holes in the same location.

This is/was the same vise branded under Westward, Olympia, Columbia, Irwin, Forward, etc. and has been around since the late 1980/90s. It is not from the 1960s or '70s era.



On the other hand, your Clizbe Brothers Manufacturing cast iron pedestal is a very uncommon grinder stand most likely from the 1940s and no later than the 1950s. Clizbe Brothers started in Chicago in 1888, moving to Plymouth Indiana for expansion reasons in 1899. Their initial focus was sickle grinders. The company more or less fizzled out by the late 1950s as they did not modernize.

Here is another M14 pedestal with a quenching bowl bracket. Yours has the flange this bracket would be attached to.



And some old advertisement memorabilia. The very old grinder you have on that plywood looks very much like the one in this ad:



Just know your pedestal is definitely considered vintage, extremely uncommon, and worth keeping.

 

[Roberts210]

It is definitely an Asian vise. Possibly Taiwan, which are better vises than Chinese. Japanese made some good vises too. But good, old, USA made the best ones. And almost every USA manufacturer cast their name onto their vise.

 

[RTM]

Here is one of the “name” vise, with their name cast in. Notice the lack of sticker panel where the Yost is cast in. Still made in China tho.

750-DI, Multi-Jaw Rotating Combination Pipe and Bench Vise, Swivel Base

Meets NSN 5120-01-520-9328 Made of Heavy Duty Ductile Iron Vise is equipped with (3) three sets of replaceable, hardened steel jaws Parallel serrated jaws, pipe jaws and V-jaws for holding both round & flat stock Vise head rotates 360° with locking at every 30° or (12) twelve different locking...

yostvises.com

I forget who were the USA made were, but I think if you check out the big vise thread for double rotating vises, you will find them.

 

[TailGunner3000]

It is definitely an Asian vise. Possibly Taiwan, which are better vises than Chinese. Japanese made some good vises too. But good, old, USA made the best ones. And almost every USA manufacturer cast their name onto their vise.

Although I agree old American made vise are great, I can say I've used Polish, German, and British vises that were at least as good as their American counterparts. I'm sure there are others.

 

[Mike'smeatshop]

I found this Home 204 marked China and I have seen the same vise marked Japan. I wonder what gives there? I know China and Japan are not friendly.

 

[slowtwitch73]

There's another thread where I listed many of the names vises like that have been made under.

Some of them are quite good...