Let us cut through all the hype and provide some hard numbers on the price of a vise. You know what you paid for YOUR vise, help us build a data base. Please list the following information

Brand (if available)
Size or Weight
Condition (Photo if it is available)
Price paid and year
Location and other details if you wish.

As the number posts increases, so will the data base. No more smoke and mirrors, no more hype, just REAL numbers.

Im gonna shoot this off from memory, The brand is Indian chief with 5" wide jaws and it was in great condition when i got it, screw was tight , handle wasn't bent... only minor problem with it is the back jaw is about a 1/16" higher then the front one, iv found some uses for that. I think i paid around 130 for it but that was with about 60 bucks of steel that we made the base for it. I think it was a good deal. This was In buffalo , NY

IroCity Tool Co
6 1/2"
weight heavy
good condition
free 2001


IronCity ToolCo.
6 1/2"
good condition
$30 2001

IronCity Tool
4"
excellent condition
$50 2001

Brand: Champion ( says Jeff aka unkle spike)
Weight: about 40 ish LBS.
Opens:4 inchs
Condition: Great (Me & Jeff aka unkle spike had to re work the spring)
Price: $50.00 from Ty Murch from Georgia
When Bought: 2007 (I bought it to be my christmas present from myself)

Well, when I lived in Columbus OH, 1989-2004, the going rate for a 4" vise was around $20-25 at the fleamarkets. I stopped buying them after I had 10 and only would upgrade when a good one came around.

I did buy a 6.5" jaw Columbian for US$50 that I had to take apart to load; bought another like it again for US$50 that I sold to a friend.

Since I moved to NM I've only bought 2 apx 5-6" vises at an implement auction for US$75 a piece and sold one of those to a friend for a bit more.

Unknown brand / model, bought on Ebay for $199.50. July 2004

5.5 inch Post vise from IBA member, $50 in 2005
3 inch bench vise $1 at yard sale 1989

Haven't found any data on mine. Bought on fleabay for

4-1/2" jaws; c. 50lb; screw cut square on lathe;

eBay Purchase $39.95
Pickup only so gas was about $40
5" wide jaws
41" tall
model - only markings were a 2, 3 and 6 or 9
weight - I'll edit the post
All parts were included
Area found was Berwick, PA

6" Indian Chief in excellent condition. Paid $175 for it in Reno Nev around 94-95.

4" unknown in good condition. Part of a pallet of smithing tools weighing around 1,000 lbs costing about $1,200 delivered to Anch. Picked it all up on the Olympic Peninsula from a neighbor of my Uncle's around 95-96.

There was lots of good stuff on that pallet and some I'd rather not have paid to bring home.

Frosty

I have 3, 2 were free and the 3rd was 12 dollars, and it was attatched to a welding table with a pipe vise attatched to it. I also bought a Columbian 5" for $35 and an older one of unknown lineage for $25, it looks more like a leg vise that mounts on a bench.

As with Andy, this is also from memory

Iron City
4 or 4.5"
light-medium weight
missing spring and mount
$20 in or around 2004

Columbian (I think...)
4-4.5"
Missing Spring
Medium weight
$20 2007

Columbian
5-5.5"
Complete Decent condition
Medium-Heavy
$25 2007

Columbian
5-5.5"
Medium Heavy
Slightly sprung jaws. Screw and box OK.
Inherited (Ok... so that doesn't really count towards the price database idea...)

-Aaron @ the SCF

3 in. (unknown brand) post vise........missing mount and spring....as is usual.........bought at flea market for $25

Bought last day of the longest yard sale in Dunlap, August 2006
$35 (only cash I had - helps when you dicker over the price!)

5" jaws - good condition
missing spring and attachment plate

The price you have to pay for a post vise will vary a lot, depending upon the source and location. I have paid from $2 for a very nice 4" (auction) to $150 and $175 for 6" plus vices. I have bought several other good vices from $10 to $50 (4-5 inch) also.

If you are looking for one, just be patient, go to auctions, big flea markets (old machinery get-togethers and tailgate sales. I'd expect $35 to $50 would get a fine vise these days.

My rule is $10 per inch of jaw width, so a 5" vise is worth $50. I'll go up to 20% more on this guideline only if the vise is complete and missing nothing, with a good box and screw.

hi,
my post vise is a 5" unknown model (probably nothing uncommon) with slight screw damage for $75. this is the best picture i have of it.



also, thak.ca is selling new 6" post vises from czechslovakia, similar to the leading suppliers, for $699.

I have 12 of them ranging from 4 inch thru 8 inch and have paid from 35 to 400 for them
When i find one or 30 or 35 dollars i put them in iron in the hat and they will usually bring better than 100 dollars toward the iron in the hat fund.
everybody wins.

Mike Tanner

6 inch Columbian with custom made bolt-down stand/table combo.

Got it in trade for work from the sculptor I work with.

60 lb no name leg vise, $40 at the Alameda Swap meet, needed help to carry it out. I consider that a downright steal in Northern California.

Here's a photo of mine as promised.

G'Day , this is my main shop vice , 7 1/4" , too heavy for me to lift ( lucky i had a POM aka Ian Lowe here at the time i brought it )
Paid $ 300 AUD middle of 2006 , had a 4" vice thrown in on the deal . also have 4 1/2" , 5" & 5 1/2" that i paid $ 25.00 AUD each for at a auction back in 2002

I haven't weighed mine but I would say around 70# or so may be more. It is an Iron City and has 6" jaws. I paid $12 for it at the salvage yard in 1973. At the time I thought I got ripped off since it was missing the spring but the guy at the junk yard got a valve spring from a Chevy engine and put in there and there it has been ever since. Some fool painted it silver and your right it is still silver. Ugly!

Several 4" light duty vices that I bought for 30-35$, one of which was a really sweet English made one with chamfered leggs and a nice fancy turned box.

On 5.5" with a broken foot and missing the spring and mounting bracket, but it was only 20$ it still weighs ~80#

a nice 90# 6" vice for 65$??? With everything there even;-)

my latest find a 100-120# 6" Columbian?? Hard to read but it was stamped into the chamfer on the front? leg? had the bracket, but no spring or clip and wedge no biggey;-) 65$

All were bought here in Indiana, I passed on a beatiful 5.5" 80# Ironcity??? that the guy wanted 85$ for... Should have snagged it too;-)

A guy I used to work with said he had a couple in his garage that he would let me have, I should head by his place and see if he still has them;-) before he does something silly like scrap them out...