I have two very fine machinist vises mounted on two corners of my main bench. On the third corner is four inch  post vise.

As Das Wulf and others will tell you - Very useful and quite different in application, in my view, from the other types.

Robert Taylor

If what the seller said was true originally, that the jaws close but to not open- then the screwbox *theoretically* should be fine - in other words working.  If your pivot bolt/rivet area is froze up all that would happen when you backout the screw is that the screw and washer would... well backup leaving you with enough sludge rust whatever in the pivot point to counteract the pressure of the spring which normally would force it back.  Daswulf and Jeremy K already alluded to this but I just wanted to reiterate if what the seller says is true then your screwbox is not the issue. 

The vise looks pretty nice and not beat up for sure and the fact that you don't have to drive forever to get it is worth some extra money to me so I would buy it if i needed one.  That's my 2 cents. 

Bengriswold, I agree that it looks nice but buying off the internet and having it shipped, one picture of the screw would put my mind at ease and seal the deal if it were me. I've been burned on Internet deals before and maybe I'm just a bit more cautious these days. 

Makes sense to me too.  Best we can do is share is our experience and Goro has gotten loads of help- now he just has to sort through it all do what's best for him (and hopefully let us know).  Appreciate all the skilled people on this forum.  Glen's oversight and the awesome wealth of knowledge here is the only reason I have a vise much less anything to contribute.  

-Ben