April 26, 200818 yr I have two, paid $35.00 in the'80s in Santa Cruz Ca. for the smaller one 51/2" jaws marked 133 Attorney St. N York Goldie The other one is 6" no name paid under $50.00 same time period
June 19, 200817 yr The only vise I have paid for is a 70 lb Peter Wright, bought at a barn sale for $50.00. 2 years ago, Very good shape.
June 19, 200817 yr brand: no idea it was so beat to xxxx when i got it it was scary size: 150lbs Condition: pretty bad. ive fixed all the bumps and huge creavases(no clue as to how they got there they were like and inch deep and 3 long)... price: 25$, but u can find these things in junkyards all over colorado, + alot of older people have em to. Edited June 19, 200817 yr by geofthesmith talking about the wrong anvil
June 19, 200817 yr I think I paid 100$ for a 4 1/2 or 5 inch vise. I bought it from a local smith who really needed the cash for lame legal reasons. He helped me fabricate a new spring and mounting brackets as well.
September 7, 200817 yr Picked up a 101 pound no name post vise today! (well... me "and" another guy actually picked it up...) It's got 6" jaws. Good condition. 40.00 at a local garage sale. Western Wisconsin.
October 20, 200916 yr I had one of my post vises given to me by dad, the other I offered 100.00 for and was turned down by a friend. Then same friend had to move and said take what you want I'm outa here. Low and behold, there was my vice for free. Niether vice has markings, both are 4". Humphry
October 20, 200916 yr Columbian 4.5", good condition - $30 Columbian 3.75", fair shape, missing mounting plate and spring - $10 Columbian 4", fair shape - $20 Peter Wright 4.5", approx 75 lbs, good condtion - $125 No Name (identical design as the Peter Wright) 7 3/8", 170 pounds, excellent shape - $130
October 20, 200916 yr One of my students picked up a 4" post vise frame for US$1 IITH ticket and bought a used screw and screw box for $30 (including S&H) so his first post vise will be $31 + making the mounting bracket and spring.
October 20, 200916 yr I picked up a 4" leg vise in 2005 for $35. No markings, good condition. Excelsior, Ted
October 21, 200916 yr I have bought and sold a lot of vises (50? maybe more)... I dont know how what you paid has anything to do with what its worth... I paid $450 for a real nice 8" vise that I spent quite a bit of time building a nice base for and after a year or two sold it for something less than that ($425 I think, I really just didnt like it much) I have a really nice 6.5" that I just put into service that I paid $50 that I wouldn't sell for $400 I have a 9" 215lb vise I paid $500 for and have turned down a $1500 offer on. I have a 7" that Id be happy to get $150 for... an 190 lb 8" Colombian that I got as a freebie in a trade but wouldn't take less than $650 for In my humble opinion this is a fairly undefinable thing... There are so many variables that its imposable to set a "standard" value. Id gladly pay $200-$300 for a 5" German high cheek vise... I know the big parallel jaw Fishers will bring $700-$800+ in really nice shape.. and like my 9" monster... Its worth what ever someone will pay. I know there are bigger vises out there but no one I know has ever seen one in person. When you are talking about a "standard" 3" to 5" vise that is in ready to use condition around here you would expect to pay (from me at least) $80-$150... If its really nice maybe $200 Once you get past 6" its really just all about the vise. It could be worth from $150 to ?? who knows.. maybe a couple grand if it was the end all be all.... On a side note I can tell you that in the Northwest the price of a good post vise as dropped quite a bit. A few years back a nice 6-7" vise would bring $300-$500 at the blacksmith swap or conference... today those vises will only bring $150-$250 The last swap meet I took half a dozen vises to sell, priced them half of what I would have a year ago and only sold one ( I have since sold the rest of that pile, so I feel pretty good about stating "value", someone thought what I was asking was fair) Anyway Im a tool junkie and a cheap one at that. I wouldn't pay what something is "worth" unless I really needed it.. I only buy bargains.. so if I bought it, In my mind its worth more than what I paid and that almost always turns out to be the case, or at least I can find someone who is willing to pay more than I did...
October 21, 200916 yr I bought a 4" at a flea market in MD for $55. Of course it had no spring or mounting strap. I probably got screwed, but they aren't as easy to find around here. My 6" post vise was a gimme - if only I'd gotten that one first!
October 23, 200916 yr I found this GW (?) Yost bench vise at the scrap yard yesterday. It is a 4" vise and is marked 104 GW Yost, Meadville PA...works great and appears mostly unmolested. Price - $5. Best tool found so far at local junk yard.
October 23, 200916 yr Generally I don't buy a vise with a worn screw; but for most folks they won't wear one out in their lifetime.
October 24, 200916 yr I just saw this and had to jest... my vices came free! sex drugs and rock 'n' roll just cost dignity and self respect! A.
October 24, 200916 yr Here are some of my vices, average cost would be about Edited October 24, 200916 yr by imagedude
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