On Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:30:03 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:

I have two Record vises (too bad they're outa bizness); maybe you can
find a used one.

If they are out of business, I wonder who makes them. You can still buy
them here,

Irwin bought Record and closed them pretty promptly. There's still
plenty of old stock around in the UK though.

I wouldn't buy any woodworking vice except a Record, Paramo, Woden or
Parkinson's Perfect of similar style. For the ones the OP posted, the
first is just a joke - far too small, a bit flimsy, but mainly it
doesn't have enough clearance between the guide bars and the ends of the
jaws. It's just no use for anything beyond miniature-making.

The second is nice (single large guide bar gives more clearance) but
it's also $200. You shouldn't pay less for a cheap copy, because single
bar vices need to be well made or else they're rattletraps.

Since I built myself a bench with moving bench dogs in the top (with a
bought-in steel vice screw in oak frames) then I've rarely used a vice
for woodworking at all. The dogs are generally much better.

I've never bought a new woodworking vice. Round here old Records
practically grow on trees. They survive well and old ones restore quite
easily. New maple jaw faces are a good idea though (use MDF if you have
to, but fit _something_).

I've also got any number of metalworking vices (literally ton quantities
going for scrap in the past), but I have found myself buying Czech-made
swivel-base or two-axis rotating vices, just because they're affordable,
well made and more flexible than a classic English metalworking bench
vice. Whatever you get, get some some vice jaws too (red fibre, plastic
or even lead).

Get a vice with a wooden bar handle, not steel. If you do have heavy
steel, wrap rubber bands around just before the end knobs. Your trapped
fingers beneath a falling handle will thank you...

--
Cats have nine lives, which is why they rarely post to Usenet.