Replies

1. 
   Knotscott | Nov 07, 2005 10:49pm | #1

   I recently upgrade from a $20 Harbor Freight type to a Record vise and am very pleased with the improvement. It's definitely under $80, and is made in the UK so should be available to you.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 08, 2005 01:21am | #3

   Record vices are defunct, after a period of trying to manufacture more cheaply in eastern Europe.  Apparently the molds went to Anant in India, and are being sold through Highland Hardware in the U.S.  The eastern European company is now manufacturing vises for Lee Valley Hardware, though the pattern is not the same as the old Records. 

   Heard good things about both, but I have an original 52D that I'm not getting rid of soon. 

   Was the one you purchased "new Old Stock", or is someone out there counterfeiting Record Vises?  Or did I get the story mixed up? 

   Edited 11/7/2005 5:23 pm ET by SteveSchoene

1. 
   Knotscott | Nov 08, 2005 02:33pm | #5

   Hi Steve - No wonder it was clearance priced!  It's a 52 something...maybe 52D.  It's got the quick release.  Not top of the line, but sure does a nice job.  I've seen what I think is called Groz at Woodcraft that looks similar. 

    

1. 
   Patto | Nov 09, 2005 02:01am | #6

   Scotty,

   If it is an original 52D from record's english foundary, there wasn't anything in the style that I know of better. The OS foundaries prduced C**p (and I like to save my cursing for when it is really needed)

   Dave

1. 
   Knotscott | Nov 09, 2005 05:06am | #8

   Hi Dave - It just says Record 52, Made in England. No suffix on the 52. Any idea what that means?

2. 
   Scrit | Nov 09, 2005 03:22pm | #9

   The "D" suffix means that there's a built-in bench dog, "1/2" (as in 52 1/2") is just an in-between size (between the 52 and 53).  Sorry to hear about the demise of the Record vice - with Paramo's also gone (2 years back) that means no more British vices :-(

   Scrit

   Edited 11/9/2005 2:01 pm by Scrit

   Edited 11/9/2005 2:02 pm by Scrit

3. 
   Patto | Nov 10, 2005 12:06am | #10

   Chaps,

   my delay in answering this was going back over a couple of old cataloges, more questions than answers. Mine is a 52 1/2D on the vixce (purchased in '87 I think). I only have catalogues going back to 2002, but they advertise british made Record vices with the suffix ED. This suffix is retained in current catalogues. The sizes were 52 - 7", 52 1/2 - 9", and 53 - 10".

2. 
   Yogi | Nov 07, 2005 10:49pm | #2

   Have you looked at ShopFox?

3. 
   Troy | Nov 08, 2005 07:23am | #4

   I have the big lee valley face vise that you add wood jaws to and it has worked well so far. The price was pretty good.

   Troy

4. 
   jako17 | Nov 09, 2005 02:20am | #7

   If you look around in the UK you will find that there are quite a few Record vises available on the second hand market.They often come from schools that have had their woodworking programs eliminated by the somewhat rediculous obsession with safety  brought about by the EU.Roughly where abouts are you in the UK?

   
   

   ---

   Edited 11/8/2005 6:23 pm ET by jako17

5. 
   cowtown | Nov 10, 2005 10:54am | #11

   search the online auctions for Woden, ( yes, only one "O" ) an older UK mfg seemingly absorbed the the Marples/Record/Ridgeway mergers of the 60's or 70's. I'm not entirely tuned in to their full line of vices, but do know that they include masssive WWing vices , smaller versions, and even mechanics vices, almost exactly paralleling the Record line.

   I looked in Ebay for recent and completed sales to try to point you at one, but to no avial. But I'm sure that these may be available through reputable UK used tool mongers, and hopefully within "pick-up-able" distance, cause you certainly don't want to pay any shipping costs on one of these beasties.

   Is you near Salsbury? There's a pretty good full spectrum old/used tool store there. I forget the name right now, but could search it out if you was flummoxed.

    

   Eric in Cowtown, Canada....

    

   Eric in Calgary

1. 
   Scrit | Nov 10, 2005 02:38pm | #12

   Doesn't the "E" refer to quick release?

   Woden were based in Wednesbury in the West Midlands (England) and were owned by members of the same family (the Hampton family) who set-up Record (originally called C & J Hampton Ltd). They were taken over by Record sometime in the mid to late 1960s and most of the Woden line of tools disappeared by the early 1970s. They mad a full range of sash cramps, T-bar cramps, G-cramps and of course vices. There is still a road in Wednesbury called Woden Road.

   You might also find in your searches vices by Marples (who were originally a competitor to Record but were also absorbed around the same time as Woden, I believe), Paramo (who were licensed to produce Record vices during WWII as a second source for the British War Office) and Parkinson (who seem to have disappeared around the time of WWII). If BugBear s around I'm sure he can either flesh-out the details, or correct my errors!

   Scrit

   Edited 11/11/2005 6:24 am by Scrit

1. 
   Knotscott | Nov 11, 2005 02:15am | #14

   I'm still confused about the suffixes. Mine's a 52 with no suffix, but it has an adjustable dog and the quick release. Maybe I should have a suffix engraved so I won't be self conscious about it anymore... :D

2. 
   cowtown | Nov 11, 2005 09:56am | #15

   I wasn't aware of the C B Hampton brand. Guess I just gotta keep going further back.

   I did get a hernia mounting my 189/B3 though. Too bad a bench has only 4 corners.

   Thanks for the info.

   Eric

2. 
   Buster2000 | Nov 10, 2005 10:14pm | #13

   I recently picked up a new Made in England Record 52 1/2 Vise at Lee Valley in Calgary.  They had them on their clearance rack.  It was still a bit pricey, $189 Cdn.

   So new ones are still out there to be had...