well, I stumbled upon this at the flea market and grabbed it since the only other vise I have is a teeny tiny little bench vise that's mostly just CUTE. ;-)

I haven't cleaned it or carefully looked it over, but am curious if anyone knows anything about its type/origin, etc.


the jaws are 4" and I haven't weighed it.


here's the mount, if that helps I.D.

Age/Ancestry are hard to tell on post vises.  Some of them have the name stamped or cast in place, but who can say what's under all that paint.

 

I can tell you that you've got a mighty fine piece of equipment, though!  The serrations on the jaws are almost new and I don't see any signs of abuse.

 

You are missing the wedge, but that's an easy project for a smith and it'll be fun to say that you made it.

Hard to see in the shadow under the jaws if there is an indentation on each side, but from the location of the two round pin holes, there was probably a set of pipe jaws that went into pockets under the flat jaws.

 

That, and the overall severe plain look (no chamfer on the legs, no file work or back cap on the screw box) makes me think it is an early to mid 20th century product. 

I have the exact same vise, but it has seen a lot more work and is a nice rusty color

Mine also has no markings or indication of where it is from. The only difference is that I am in South Africa.

Razzputin, your mounting bracket is similar, but the ears over the screw, the screw box itself, and the lack of pipe jaws indicate a very different date and/or maker.

 

Yes, all vises and all pickup trucks look alike, until you get to know them personally.

Mounting brackets are not vise specific as they are loose parts and can transfer between vises easily or get lost and replaced---I've done a dozen or so mounting brackets over the years; yet made none of the vises they are on!

 

However the simple lines and the plain screwbox lead me to *guess* Columbian.  Check carefully under the paint on thetop part of the  back jaw as they are sometimes marked there.

I was offered a "Nice Shape" 6" post vise recently from a hobby  shop selling out to go South.

Usual story "Perfect" etc. asking $165.00.  Saw one this spring at a tailgate event they want $650 for.  Any thoughts on the value of a "Nice shape"   6"?

Difficult to say. It might be a composite. The basic conformation is Columbian, but the forged mount plate is old style British.

 

The "ears" are missing, the two projections that normally protrude from the exterior side of each jaw. The only vises I've seen like that were later models from Quikwerk/Warren Tool out of Ohio.

 

The protruding portion of the screw box is of a shape that I've not encountered.

 

Sayings and Cornpone

Growing up, we were so poor that for breakfast, we had soda crackers. For lunch, we drank water. For supper, we'd all sit around and swell up.

You are missing the wedge that locks in the gib key on the mounting bracket.  With out this part the mounting bracket will have slop in it.  A sloppy vice will make sawing, chiseling and filing a joy to undertake. 

Bought my last nice shape 6" at Quad-State a couple of years back for US$50---they are usually up around $350 or so there so I did not hesitate an instance and had to lug the 100# vise back to camp panting and gloating

yup,columbian,i think.