Wilton Date Code, Just Thinking Outloud Here...

[GhostintheMachineShop]

So I've recently acquired an early Wilton No 4. We know it's early from the patent pending and fish hook logo design as well as the acorn nuts on the swivel base. In my research after the purchase I learned of the date code mystery- date of manufacture or date of warranty expiration.
Now, and correct me if I'm wrong please, if my vise is patent pending and the patent was granted in '42, then the 2-945 has to be a warranty expiration ya? If it were born in '45 the patent was no longer just pending right? Prolly something I don't know cause certainly I'm not the 1st to put this 2 and 2 together.

Anyone have any idea about the 2?

 

[exmaxima1]

There's a long thread about this subject yet it is safe to say that your vise was officially made (or completed) in 1945. There is only a short period in the late '50s where the date code represented the warranty expiration.

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

I'll look for that thread and see if there is any mention of this math.

So that would mean they put out a vise labeled patent pending 3yrs after the patent was granted?

Every other '45 I've seen (or purported to be from '45) the logo is different and they have the brake shoe swivel base clamps. The fish hook logo, again from what I've read, is sposta be the earliest ya? Well if they began making vises in 1940 and selling or sending them to the government in '41 and this is in fact an early version would it not stand to suggest this is earlier than '45? I respectfully hafta disagree exema 1, all indications point to 2-945 being a warranty expiration, so far in my research. I know some were labeled as expiration dates specifically but that doesn't mean the earlier stamps were not in fact expiration dates as well.
Don't get bunched up, not saying I'm right cause more research is def warranted but so far there's more evidence of this vise being manufactured in Sept of 1940 (for sale or sent to the war machine in '41) than it being made in 1945.
I know Wilton vise threads prolly been beat to death and I'll definitely do more digging before I'll guess "definitively" what year it was born. Any and all input greatly appreciated.

 

[exmaxima1]

Here's the thread:

Wilton Bullet Vise date stamping. show yours with or without EXP on slide

ALL: Wilton bullet vises had a 5 year warranty (guarantee) date stamped on some of their vises then went to the actual date they were built sometime in the early 60's or maybe late 50's. also the dates stamped on some of the early vises did or didn't have a EXP or a Guarantee also stamped on...

www.garagejournal.com

And you should add your vise to the database as it might very well be the only one with a 2-945 date code

 

[GhostintheMachineShop]

Thx man. Done