akasrick
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Roy, That makes sense; Canadian/British finishing touches on "overseas" casting from Erie! All speculation of course...lol
Reeds never used such a system for retaining the screw, as far as I know. The style on your 103 is the same used all the way to the "R" series when they add the adjustable collar in the nose.
I am also curious whether you will find a date stamp on it.
Matt, yes RAE is/was a Canadian company based in Hamilton, so not that far from Erie PA.
Here's a link to a bit of company history
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One of my vices is vises: RAE Revisited and the OTACO connection
progress-is-fine.blogspot.com
Maybe there was some collaboration during WW2?
I tore it down today to refurb it, one difference from the Reed I have is that the spindle is secured in the slide with a spring/washer/cotter pin set up, similar to the Record/Paramo/Woden design, as compared to my Reed 103 which has a collar/set screw design.
My Reed has a 12/21 build date so I have no idea when they started or stopped using this design.
I'll be on the lookout for a date stamp similar to the Reed when I get it cleaned up.
Cheers, Ron
Glad someone knows take a good picture!What interesting timing! I just finished cleaning up my Reed 104 1/2, made 5/36. I had thought to myself months ago when I started stripping it down and cleaning it that this marking on the nut reminded me of the Stanley Four Square logo. Snapped these pictures when I was lubing things up for final assembly tonight.
Got it mounted on the bench just about an hour ago!

Hey Kevin, thanks for bringing over the new cleaned up pictures! I forgot to get the specs for you. I just weighed the vise and it’s comes in at 29lbs with a max opening of 3 1/2” which i don’t think Iv ever seen a vise with wider jaws than the max opening before. Have you seen that before? I wish that ad from 1876 listed the max opening!Charles Parker #42 Filers vise. 4" jaws and weights 33lbs. This guy is old and in great shape.
Quote from the owner.
"This is one for the history books! This is one of the earliest Parkers ever made and it’s a Filers vise to top it off (my favorite of course). It was made between 1854-1867 and is in amazing condition for its age. Jaws are incredible and the dynamic jaw has remnants of the Parker 1854 patent stamps. I left the 160+ years worth of patina which looks black if not in direct sunlight! Not sure they even gave it a model number it’s so early. The earliest ad with a Parker Filers vise is from 1876 and definitely more modern with the new collar design and handle tensioner. I included a pic of the earliest ad and the 1854 patent showing this was Parkers collar design the Howard Iron Works copied which is probably why they patented a new collar design in 1867. This thing belongs in a museum! "
Me too.Uhmmm...I just noticed that the photo of "The Gem" 804 vise is a completely different vise than the Parker photos.
So it is a Yost "The Gem" 804 vise and a (1960's-1970's) Parker machinist vise, -2- completely different and independent vises.
You almost duped me.
The taper pin is down on the other side by the other swivel lock.Dave, can you show a pic of the jaw swiveled? I'm not seeing it, at least on the green monster.
Matt, I was still stumped as well. A search of this thread turned up pics of one disassembled. The nut is on a swivel inside the static, with clearance in the sides of the static to allow the dynamic to swivel. Note, the range of swiveling isn't as much as most other swivel jaw vises.
I'll happily pay scrap + a small premium for them!But you are right, they swivel a few degrees less than other swivel jaws. Guess i should go scrap them lol



