What happens if your bench vise breaks, your backup vise isn’t quite perfect for what you’re doing and neither is your other vise ? There could be terrible consequences , which is why every workshop should have at least 4 bench vises, preferably 15.

I saw this one at a garage sale and just new if I didn’t get it home it would end up as a lawn ornament, rusting away in a circle of Home Depot garden center petunias.

There are 2 patent dates on the side. I looked them up and one ( patent number 808 ,960 ) is for the slide. Specifically, reinforcing the slide with a steel bar in such a way that no air pockets form between the reinforcing bar and the slide itself.

The other patent ( 976,521 ) is for a swivel base handle that is adjustable for either left or right handed worker.

This vise was made by The Charles Parker Company of Meriden Connecticut.

They also made lamps, coffee grinders and shotguns.