Bench vise, buy old or new?

S

Sharp Steel

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Aug 10, 2009
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Not a knife maker, but would like to get a good bench vise.

The Internet breaks multiple ways on which are good ones. The review pages for the "Top 10" vises seem to agree on the some of the same brands/models. Some reviews swear by a cheap Irwin, but others suggest going into the $300-$600 range for a brand new one (Wilton maybe?). If you read the reviews on the recommended models, there is always one showing the vise snapped in half saying not to buy the made in China vises (which is where a lot of the older brands are produced now apparently). Have to wonder what they were trying to grip to cause cast metal to break like that? You don't usually torque a vice down on something to grip it, unless they were trying to warp or bend the object.

Some recommend buying vintage only, but you might have to refinish/rebuild one of those. Saw a batch on an auction site which were refinished and they looked pretty nice. Averaged in the $250-$350 range for those, but they did not have a small square anvil plate (I think that is what you call it). Would be kind of cool to own a really old vise, though.
 
Check flea markets, estate sales, and even pawn shops. I have a big Wilton with copper faces on the jaws, a monster 150# shipyard vise, and several cheaper types. I paid around $50 each for the two good ones and probably $10 each for the cheap ones.

Choosing a vise is a matter of use. If you are going to use it for heavy metalwork and bending, get big and good. If it is just to hold things while welding, gluing, drilling, get a cheap HF vise.

No matter what type you get, remember that the flat area is not an anvil unless it is designed that way like my 150 pounder. The flat area is for hot/cold cutting and gently hammering things flat, not for heavy pounding or forging. Hammwer too hard on it and you are likely to break your vise. Same goes or hammering hard on the jaws.
Also, never hammer on the handle to make it tighter. Hand power is all it needs.
 
I agree with Stacy, get one used at a pawn shop or garage sale.
 
What size are you after, over here we go on jaw size. two, three, four, five, or 6 inches. Our gold standard are Record Vices, a four inch vice is quite heavy but suitable for general use and will move a light bench around if you apply some welly to the vice. The second hand market is full of stuff that has been bought on a whim and hardly ever been used. Usual price range is 25-35 Sterling. Quick release is a nice feature, as is a rotating and locking base. You can make your own soft jaws, a brass set and another brass set with leather glued on the face.
I cant see how "what it looks like" should matter really, if you will be using it there will be paint on it, flux. solder, various burn marks, gouges due to slipped grinders, hammer dents, drill holes etc etc. More important is a good fast thread with no damage and an un-fractured casting, give it a few taps make sure nothing is cracked.
 
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the #1 thing about a vise is the jaws close flat.. i have like8-12 of them .. 1 lives outside for cutting out blade shapes from hardened blanks.. not all rusted up
i think it is a Wilton or Pony 4 inch wide.. many are for my next workshop build.. i have3 inside the current one..
id say get the vintage ones .. only if you can inspect them in person... just make sure the jaws close tightly
 
Thanks for the suggestions. Not really sure what I want, but that 550p is definitely in the running. :):thumbsup:

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
No matter what type you get, remember that the flat area is not an anvil unless it is designed that way like my 150 pounder. The flat area is for hot/cold cutting and gently hammering things flat, not for heavy pounding or forging. Hammwer too hard on it and you are likely to break your vise. Same goes or hammering hard on the jaws.
Also, never hammer on the handle to make it tighter. Hand power is all it needs.
Click to expand...

That is good advice. I called the area an anvil plate not knowing its real name. Learn something new every day.
 
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Tom Lewis said:
At a flea market I got a Wilton for $30.00. It had been painted several times, but other than that it was in great shape.
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I restore old kerosene tubular lanterns, many of which have been badly painted over. I use Easy-Off oven cleaner, which is lye, to quickly clean off the old paint. May be of interest.
 
I got very lucky, have a friend that is a metal worker/welder, he had several Wiltons, he gifted me one of them.
 
I need to get a nice vise. The one i have now is literally the cheapest one i could find on amazon.

Lets just say i got what i paid for....
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Another good vise to have in the shop is a woodworkers the vise. You put whatever face you want on it. Wood, UHMW, specially shaped pieces of wood, aluminum, etc. The wide spacing is also great for assembling hidden tang handles and such.

Here is a video of one being installed on a workbench.
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I use one for my quench plates.

I think i should get another woodworkers vise and use it with proper wood jaws, or some kind of soft jaws. And mount it.

Could definitely get some use out of that.
 
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