charlie b wrote:
A frugal buddy and I attended the SF Bay Area Wood Working Show
....
by the Bessy booth and asked why they are making a cheaper version
of their clamps for WoodCraft. "We aren't." was the answer.

So are the WoodCraft green "Bessy Type Clamps" actually made
by Bessy?

Well, if you read the Woodcraft article carefully, it doesn't actually
say they are made by Bessy, only that they (WC) "had the opportunity to
work with Bessey to develop a Woodcraft line of parallel clamps." It
goes on to point out they aren't the same as the K-Body so one would
presume they bought a design or engineering services from Bessy and are
_probably_ having them made for them. What is confusing is the Bessy
logo used as it is. See
http://www.woodcraft.com/articles.aspx?articleid=243

Is also possible, of course, that they are also actually made by Bessy
and the guys working the booth simply aren't aware of all the deals the
front office has cut...that wouldn't be at all surprising, either.

Whatever the answer is, they aren't K-bodies, but a parallel jaw clamp
of differing design details. Does appear from the words they aren't a
product of patent-avoidance, though, as that wouldn't lend to the use
of Bessy at all in the marketing...