TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 Has anyone ever noticed dates stamped on their post vises? My big vise says original Trenton and lower is stamped 1902, i got curious and I looked on a couple of post vises I picked up last weekend and one of them has 1909 stamped on it but I couldn’t find a brand name on it, the other one had no markings at all, So I was wondering was Trenton the only one to date their vises? or did iron city, columbian, fisher, Indian chief, or any others also do the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 The flash on your camera is glaring out much of the detail. An oblique light source brings out textural details like stamped characters in much better relief. Chalking and wiping the surface helps a great deal as well. I've never seen a leg vise stamped with a date but there were so many people making them in the late 19th and turn of the 20th century I wouldn't be surprised at what was stamped on one. Neither of mine have name nor date. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 thanks for your input Frosty! I’m just curious if anyone out there documenting manufacturing marks on tools may have noticed anything, I googled different post vise brands but I didn’t find any pictures of dates on any vises I just found pictures of various brands with their marks, I didn’t have the flash on but the sun is shining in the shop, I’ll try and get better pictures this evening, I tried the chalk trick but I think it hurt more than helped, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 My Fisher #3 chain vise has the date (1918) stamped on the inside of the static jaw. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 Thank you Stash! That gives me another place to start looking for marks on post vises. Also that answers my question so Trenton was not the only company to date their vises. Has anyone else found date stamps on any other brands Or even no name post vises? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 18 minutes ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said: Has anyone else found date stamps on any other brands Or even no name post vises? No but I HAVE found tramp stamps on dates in my single days. As is so often the case the search was better than the finding. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 5, 2021 Author Share Posted July 5, 2021 I’m talking about stamps on a Totally different kind of vice/vise Frosty! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted July 5, 2021 Share Posted July 5, 2021 That was then. Try and keep up with the thread will ya? Seriously, I haven't even led it off topic. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 2 minutes ago, Frosty said: That was then. Try and keep up with the thread will ya? Seriously, I haven't even led it off topic. Frosty The Lucky. Not off topic yet! But I have the upmost faith in your ability to do so! Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 Lets see I have a 6" post vise with an 1899 stamped on it, Moving jaw right over the "ski jump" No other markings I've noticed. Weights seem much more common, 100, 45, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 That’s the same location I found dates on these. And they had weights stamped under the dates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 My vice has no markings on it. Quick question though, what are the ski slopes for? I have been doing this long enough that i can look at the most random object and usually say that would work for____. So figuring out a way to use them is no problem, i was just wondering if they have a specific purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 My take is that they are to deflect a miss with a hammer to make it not hit the handle or screwbox as they are the more "delicate" parts of the postvise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 I want to take a moment here to correct my post. My Fisher vise has the date (1918) CAST into the inside of the static jaw, not stamped as I wrote. As soon as I posted, I questioned myself, got the chance to check, and here we go. Lets now return to the previously scheduled program. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 7, 2021 Author Share Posted July 7, 2021 Stash would it be possible to get a picture of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Ill see what I can do- it's dark out there! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stash Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 Here ya go. Note the cast serial number at the bottom of the pic. On the dynamic jaw the number is stamped. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 8, 2021 Author Share Posted July 8, 2021 Wow that’s nice and clear Stash, I’ve tried several times to get a better picture of the dates on those two but they are worn to far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I'm pretty sure they used to sell replacement movable jaws so be aware there's a small chance the info on the movable jaw might not be original to the vise in every case. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 That’s good to know pnut, thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnut Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I don't think it's very common but you never know. I believe they were available in the Sears and Roebuck catalog but I could be misremembering what catalog I seen them in. Pnut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 I’ve heard people refer to those reproduced Sears catalogs, I guess I need to order one for reference myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I have several reprints; 1897, 1905 and 1908, I have a minature one too; but as it doesn't include the blacksmithing pages I don't remember the date on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 I look around and get me a few of them, they sound like they have some good information, I’ve been enjoying anvils in America so far so I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading them to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 9, 2021 Share Posted July 9, 2021 I never knew that Sears Roebuck sold replacement screw/screwbox's for post vises till I found them in an old catalog. They were a pretty good chunk of the cost of buying a new vise from them too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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