Does any one know this vintage vise?

I recently got this vise and could not find any information. It seems to be rare with one single screw on type of bench vise. There is a marking of F outside, but with no manufacturer information. Please refer to the pictures. Appreciate if some one can help me. interested to know its value as well. Hope it is collectible. Thanks in advance.

Must be an Australian vise, because it's obviously made to use "down under"...

What is a "down under"? the screw on type? Educate me. thanks.

Looks like a Hollands, made in Erie, PA. Not valuable or collectible, especially given that it has been broken and repaired.

Andy

Thanks, I cannot see any Hollands made with one screw-on hole. How can you tell it was broken and repaired? I am new to this sort of things.

Andy FitzGibbon said:

Looks like a Hollands, made in Erie, PA. Not valuable or collectible, especially given that it has been broken and repaired.

Andy

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Concur......any vise which has been broken, and brazed back together, has no real economic value. That said, it may have a bit of 'utility value' for light work if used gently.

That one is simply a relatively late model version (from its general outlines) of the early (1850's to 1910-ish) style of swivelling vise, held to the bench by that one screw. Those were often made with cast 'key' configurations on the bottom surface, to engage a notched base plate which would be bolted to the bench. They were then held down with a fairly large diameter, thick washer, and a 'rams-horn' pattern of nut, designed to be tightened with a bar of suitable diameter.

cheers

Carla

thanks for your information. Very informative. Is it around 1900 or later? I may pay too much for that. Thought it was rare.

Lee Kim:

Take a look at the weld (or brazed) bead on the side of the vise. The weld (or brazed) bead runs between the two drilled holes on the slide or ram of the vise. Someone used that vise hard, maybe beating on a job held in the vise using a sledge hammer. The vise broke across the slide or ram. Whoever did the repair may have jigged the two broken pieces together by drilling the small holes and temporarily bolting a piece of steel spanning the break. This held the broken parts in position until the weld could be made.

The vise is beat up and well worn. The moveable jaw and slide (or ram) are likely made of a cast iron alloy, possibly containing a percentage of steel. Once broken, a repair by welding or brazing is not the most reliable thing. Cast iron alloys, once broken, can be welded or brazed, but depending on that part to have the strength of the original unbroken casting is not something I'd do.

The vise has the single long screw sticking out the bottom. This type of vise was meant to be mounted on anything handy, often on a temporary basis. Usually a nut with a pair of "horns" or handles was furnished, as was a large bearing plate or washer. Drill a hole in a bench top, saw horse, or other wooden surface such as part of a building under construction and clamp the vise to it with that large nut. If you needed the benchtop cleared, or were done at that jobsite, you took off the vise by means of undoing that one nut, no tools needed. Plumbers, pipefitters, and other mechanics who came to jobsites brought that kind of vise with them as a portable tool.

Thank you, Joe, Carla and Andy. Many thanks.

attache one more picture for identifying this vise. The outside has the bottle shape marking, any one knows which brand? Thanks.

Lee:

The "bottle shape" is known as a "keystone". It is a special piece of stone masonry, cut to lock the top of an arch (such as on a stone bridge, tunnel, or arch in a cathedral) together. The keystone is the state symbol for Pennsylvania, "the Keystone State". The vise might have been made by a firm in Pennsylvania. The other reason for the keystone symbol is it signifies a strong locking action. A few vise makers were in Pennsylvania, but I do not recall any of them using the Keystone symbol.

Joe Michaels said:

Lee:

The "bottle shape" is known as a "keystone". It is a special piece of stone masonry, cut to lock the top of an arch (such as on a stone bridge, tunnel, or arch in a cathedral) together. The keystone is the state symbol for Pennsylvania, "the Keystone State". The vise might have been made by a firm in Pennsylvania. The other reason for the keystone symbol is it signifies a strong locking action. A few vise makers were in Pennsylvania, but I do not recall any of them using the Keystone symbol.

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The vise is a Hollands, as I posted above. They were made in Erie, PA. I am not sure what the "F" stood for.

Most that I have seen are marked "Hollands" in small letters on the handle end of the screw. These markings tend to get obliterated by wear and abuse.

Andy

Thanks again for Joe and Andy. Very interesting. I just could not find information. I like this piece. Looks and feel solid.