Found a 4 1/2" vise over the weekend on Craigslist ($135)

Is the spring original...Im thinking i see most vises with a piece of spring steel between the vise legs or what ever their called.

Is this a columbian and would anyone know an approx. age?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance...Bruce 

Yeah, that looks like a replacement spring that someone welded in when the original broke or got lost.

The vise body looks columbian but the screw/screwbox does not---may be a marriage.

At least its not as xxxxxx as the one I picked up,it is missing the spring and I think one wedge. I,ll post a couple pics then you can see how they go together.

Mine was broken at one time and the back jaw twisted up and out of shape. Instead of heating it up and twisting it back to shape they just welded it up ,the jaws are a way out of wack so I,m cutting her open and going to heat and try and twist back in to shape.

Yours should be a easy fix {Ya rite LOL} The wedge is just a chunk of flat bar with a slight taper on the edge.

The spring if you can find a old small trailer or car leaf spring  you should be able to make one up jmac

 

 

of course mild steel will work for the spring too; just forge it so the bending is in the elastic region