Show us your bench vice(s)

[Vono]

Nice! i have my great granfathers woden vice no 2 in the shed mounted on the bench. But my main vice is a pristen parkinsons no 8 (ther the best in opinion) View attachment 327395

Cool thing to have one with a family link
Any chance of a picture of the Parkinson No8 ?

 

[Will1964]

Cool thing to have one with a family link
Any chance of a picture of the Parkinson No8 ?

Sure sometime at the wekend il go and get some picks

 

[Will1964]

Hear it is. 50 quid off facebook will redo the paint at some point i might do it grean

 

[Will1964]

And for good meshure a record no 5 ive just done. I made soft steal jaws because the old ones where shaped like a banana

 

[dannysheff]

Woodworking, not bench, but two separate T J Syer London QR vices for sale on eb just now --
interesting as the first and rarest of the 3 QR vices patented and made in the Bradford area 1870-80s.

I bought one many years ago - use it all the time.

These are stamped model 2A, as is mine - makes me wonder about model 1, 2, 2B, etc? Anyone know more about these?

 

[ranger08]

Has anyone ever heard of the vice brand "comet"? appears old and well made

 

[Will1964]

Not realy but saw this a while ago on ebay
They where made in england.

Edit. I Have a comet screw driver from the 1960s

 

[GRW]

Attention Vice Fiends.
Someone in Bridgend has a Swindens Rotating Head Vice up for sale.
(I know nowt, but even I know they are rare and desirable).
It looks well-used.... and the seller (on FB Marketplace) is wanting 250 notes

 

[Helgus]

Hi,
I was told that this forum is the best place to ask my questions about the Paramo QR vice I bought and refurbished two months ago. I’m wondering if someone can tell me approx. how old and what model nr. the vice is (pictures below)?

I’ve done some googeling and the closest I came to put a modelnr. on it was a «Paramo No.41 QR Vice» but unlike the few pictures I found on this model my vice has bevelled edges on the «insert part», a rounded end of where the handle goes through and only the «Paramo» name stamped into the main body of the vice.

The other and smaller Paramo vice I bought from the same person also has bevelled edges on the insert part but have a model nr. on the main body.
If it helps the experts out there I noticed that the vice was originally green when I was degreasing and wire brushing the vice.

PS: I thought I was the only guy in the world collecting bench vices but when reading some of the posts in this thread I know I’m not alone.

 

[MattF]

If you look at Cwazywabbit's signature, he has links to some catalogues which'll likely help you narrow it down.

 

[Helgus]

If you look at Cwazywabbit's signature, he has links to some catalogues which'll likely help you narrow it down.

Thank you for the reply. I will check his catalouges out

 

[Farside]

That larger Paramo is the twin of mine, and the only number I ever found was a single digit stamped into a jaw.
It's in this thread, a few years back. The green is original factory, as far as I know, and was possibly military green.
The bevelled edges to the slide are highly unusual; I think I've seen them on one other make somewhere over the past few years.
I suspect the vice was un-numbered because that was the only model in production right at the start.

Here it is...

We all have our vices...

Paramo 4-1/2" - lot of history there. I was after a Record QR, but was let down and found this - just as good and decades of life in it yet. A rub down, bit of paint and a good greasing and it'll be good to go. I just turned my back and the dirty old sod was trying it on...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[ranger08]

got to love the shape the knob on the paramo, nice resto what colour did you use?

 

[ranger08]

would anyone happen to know what the number means under the record name on a number "34"
this one says 37

 

[Helgus]

got to love the shape the knob on the paramo, nice resto what colour did you use?

Thank you. I used Hammerite Dark Blue Hammer Effect.

 

[Helgus]

That larger Paramo is the twin of mine, and the only number I ever found was a single digit stamped into a jaw.
It's in this thread, a few years back. The green is original factory, as far as I know, and was possibly military green.
The bevelled edges to the slide are highly unusual; I think I've seen them on one other make somewhere over the past few years.
I suspect the vice was un-numbered because that was the only model in production right at the start.

Here it is...

We all have our vices...

Paramo 4-1/2" - lot of history there. I was after a Record QR, but was let down and found this - just as good and decades of life in it yet. A rub down, bit of paint and a good greasing and it'll be good to go. I just turned my back and the dirty old sod was trying it on...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

Thank you for your reply. My vice also has a digit stamped into the jaw «3»

 

[GRW]

View attachment 329205Hi,
I was told that this forum is the best place to ask my questions about the Paramo QR vice I bought and refurbished two months ago. I’m wondering if someone can tell me approx. how old and what model nr. the vice is (pictures below)?

I’ve done some googeling and the closest I came to put a modelnr. on it was a «Paramo No.41 QR Vice» but unlike the few pictures I found on this model my vice has bevelled edges on the «insert part», a rounded end of where the handle goes through and only the «Paramo» name stamped into the main body of the vice.

The other and smaller Paramo vice I bought from the same person also has bevelled edges on the insert part but have a model nr. on the main body.
If it helps the experts out there I noticed that the vice was originally green when I was degreasing and wire brushing the vice.

PS: I thought I was the only guy in the world collecting bench vices but when reading some of the posts in this thread I know I’m not alone. View attachment 329206 View attachment 329207 View attachment 329208 View attachment 329209 View attachment 329210 View attachment 329211

I have a 4" jaw Paramo a lot like your smaller one to look at (shape of the rear jaw body etc), but the "Paramo" logo is vertical (turned thru 90-degrees).
I also have a Record 35P steel vice, and that has a kind of raised slide top and a sort of curved slider body.

 

[CwazyWabbit]

I have a Fortis F6 with that style of slide, on the Fortis there are also grub screws that push onto pads on the sloped sides allowing you to take up slop.

Picture is from when I bought it, it's cleaner now.

 

[GRW]

I have a Fortis F6 with that style of slide, on the Fortis there are also grub screws that push onto pads on the sloped sides allowing you to take up slop.
View attachment 329373
Picture is from when I bought it, it's cleaner now.

I really fancied a Fortis all-steel. Just missed out on a minter for 40-quid once .
Then I found the above 35P (plain screw) steel Record up for grabs, and just 5-miles away. It sits now on a tripod vice-stand I made from scrap, so I can wheel it out when I need it. Its a 5" Jaw, light (compared to a cast iron at least) so (relatively) portable.

 

[dannysheff]

I have a Fortis F6 with that style of slide, on the Fortis there are also grub screws that push onto pads on the sloped sides allowing you to take up slop.
View attachment 329373
Picture is from when I bought it, it's cleaner now.

Ignoring the manky yellow and dirt, if it's as well made as it looks and the QR works well, then the build and the slide refinements must make that about the best bench vice there is.

I know a swivel base and/or jaws would make it more collectible, but they have their drawbacks.

That looks a pretty perfect bench vice, good for a few generations.

I do think Paramo were very well made (poss just a notch up from Record and Woden post WWII?) what do folks think?

As for the early years - can't beat Parkinson, but then again some of the earliest unnamed woodworking vices, prob from Bradford, will last forever.