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I Forge Iron

Vice information


Dionne

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Hi, 

My father passed away in November and we are trying to value and identify items he owned.  This vice measures 3 ft. 2 inches tall with a 6 inch jaw width. We were able to open to approximately 9 1/2 inches.  Can anyone supply information from description and measurements?

Thanks in advance,

Dionne Use’ Blanchard

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No markings on it that I could see..... The only thing I could relate with other posts was the shape of the anchor into the piece of wood, shape of knob on same side and the fact that it had that "extra" piece of curved metal in between jar arms.  My dad had a lot of neat things he accumulated in his 89 years... but we have no clue the value or what he paid.  I have people interested but don't want to screw or get screwed with the value.  

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Asked my husband who is the "metal person" since he is a welder.  He isn't sure and said he is thinking iron, but since it's weathered a wire brush may help decide.  We are about 1/2 hr away from location of vice, so he can check next trip.  

 

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 He said the same... probably iron.... but the question made him doubt his assumption.  We have gotten rid of a lot of scrap metal with him sorting it all.  Dad had a lot of stuff accumulated in his 89 years of life LOL

 

 

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The value depends a lot of the condition of the screw which should have nice square threads on it.  Post vises/leg vises/blacksmith vises are described by the width of the jaws. So that would be a 6" vise, (the throw isn't very important as few people work stuff more than a couple of inches thick...)

It looks complete and in good shape.  Back when I was looking for them the "going price" was around $300 in Central Ohio.  I suspect it has gone up a bit lately though there was one for $250 out here recently---I thought that was such a deal I was tempted to drive the 381 miles each way to look at it; luckily another smith here picked it up so my Quad-State money is still ready...

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Thank you for your help and suggestions.  This site has been the most helpful for response, advice and knowledge.  Surely, I wish Dad would still be alive and guiding me to know what was paid, age, history etc. on all of his stuff.  He was proud oilfield trash mud engineer/consultant, gun collector/dealer, collector of antiques and keeper of all things he thought he just might "need".  His Industrial Arts Degree found him leaving me with a lot of old useful tools, gidgets and gadgets...... and loving memories... Thanks, from Bob Use's daughter....  

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Thomas... the early 80's were when things went down hill fast here.  He had long gone from roughneck, to mud logger, to salesman, to company owner and after things went to hell actually worked offshore. And he worked up until about 80 because the money was good LOL.  I did his obit and tells more.. Robert "Bob" C. Use'... worked hard all his life and wouldn't have had it any other way. 

Jim, I have a big industrial magnet just for that purpose.  Thank you so very much for your help.

 

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Yup we went from having over 1200 active rigs onshore USA to around 250.   Unemployment office told us we didn't even have to hunt for a job as there weren't any.  I hung around for a year and then went and apprenticed for a year to a sword maker in AR...Life is what happens while we are making other plans...

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Yup, early '80s bailed out of Wichita, after selling our high school rings for gas money for the Uhaul to get back to NC. 

"Will the last person leaving the oil patch during the bust please turn off the light?"

"What is the difference between an oil man and a pigeon? A pigeon can always make a deposit on a new 4x4 pickup."

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Yes, my husband spent from 1982 to 1986 basically never working...luckily we had savings. Dad's  & partners finally gave up in late 80s declaring bankruptcy.  He was fortunate in that he was able to do consultant work... the partners had other assets, but actually they never had the experience he did except in sales.  Since the BP spill, things have still never come back... lots of boats still dry docked just waiting. My welder husband went from shipyard welding to shop welding in 1986 and has worked for same company since then. But there work is for chemical plants. 

Yes John...remember that saying well.  But we were part of those Acadian/Cajuns that "came and stayed".  Granted you can't pay the electric company with potatoes.... but if you can't feed yourself in southeast Louisiana you better be in a wheelchair with no one to push you up to the bayou or out in the yard.  Complaints of "no money".... I can show you the "year we made $1200".  LOL  People do what they have to do.  Back then there was 6 wks of $120 wk unemployment....never even thought of "food stamps" and you didn't buy what you didn't have money to buy.  Can say it was simple living but it was logic. I could say "in the old days people worked", but the generations of give me started then too.  We were self sufficient but many of our friends, not.

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My Aunt used to work in HR for a factory in AR; well they were adding a line once and brought in some out of state folks to help with the hire-in.  She told me that one guy was from Corporate in NY and he came to her saying "These folks are lying to me---they said they haven't had a job in years!"  She had to explain that as country folk that may be true---plant a big garden each year,  have some chickens, run a trotline, always get your deer---or more...maybe do a bit of roofing or construction under the table.  It could be a number of years with no "official work history".

Me, I'm too lazy.  I'd rather work than have to WORK!  There was a reason we fought over several generations to get off subsistence Hill farms.  Never quite understood the "back to the land" folks in the 1960's.  Sure you can make a go of it; but it's a heck of a lot of work and little margin if things go wrong.  (My maternal Grandfather died young when a tractor overturned on him...)  

I have 13 acres of land in AR and think it looks right purty covered in trees...

 

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  • 1 month later...

Good evening Guy’s,

Last weekend I bought a Samson 3 1/2 in vise Icleaned it up ad it looks great on my bench, however, I also received a Columbia 045-M4.  Under the jaws it looks like you can put a pipe.   I am a rookie should I just clean it up or restore.  Can any one gives me advise on this one.  Thanks,  Mitch

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