I wish you were closer to me I would trade a complete post vise for this vise, I can’t ever seem to find a decent one like this, have a pile of other vises .
I’ve rehabilitated many post vises some that were just blobs of rust that only vaguely resembled a post vise.
heat, penetrating oil , hammer blows, and after finally dissembling used electrolysis to finish the job.
I’m sure that vise is worth more than the world to you, I have my grandfathers mousehole anvil and single barrel shotgun and they are my most prized possessions. I love that you are putting it to use.
This is a middle aged Columbia post vise . The way the jaw arms are flat sided . The spring is not original and also the mount may be a replacement. The old columbians have chamfered edges of the jaw arms ,while the new ones have welded upper jaws to flat bar lower arms.
My dad gave me my grand paws mousehole anvil , it is my most treasured possession. I have other far more valuable anvils , it’s the one I care for, and more protective of any.
I made a stand that the ends of the anvil are clamped in with wood and the entire bottom is embedded into contstruction adhesive. Killed the ring and is completely fixed in place.
My mouse hole anvil was bought by my grandpa, went to my dad then to me . It was over a hundred years old before grandpa got it and I will most likely leave it to my grandson . It barely looks used but has much done on it. With proper use it should last many lifetimes.
I used construction adhesive put on about 1/2 inch thick, let it start to cure some then set the anvil in it without messing with it for a couple of days ,no rocking and turned the ringing of the anvil into a thud.
Here’s my new outside table and later build Columbia post vise , the spring isn’t correct and the leg is cut, but it was free so I can’t complain. I seem to attract Columbia post uses these days.
I guess 1800s. The ones made later,1900s have unbeveled legs and the mount is more simple. As stated before the screwbox, and mount could be from another vise which is common.
This looks like an later model Colombian. The unbeveled legs ,the flat pivot plate, the screwbox is open and short. All describes a newer columbian vise.