Gerard Scanlan
Established Member
Just like many other woodworkers I have a odd collection of clamps varying from budget clamps and orphans to properly planned purchases. However I have always been reluctant to spend a lot on clamps and I always regret it when I am clamping up. As if there wasn't enough stress involved, there is the addition of fiddling with mean screw threads on clamps and coaxing others to believe in themselves, not to give up their right of existence, and just hold it together.
It is strange that I was so in disregard of clamps because I was happy to spend money on sets of chisels of which I only use a couple regularly. On hand planes and handsaws. Must have been a blind spot I suppose, but I don't imagine I am alone here.
Hundreds of offers for Bessey clamps had started popping up everywhere I looked no doubt thanks to cookies etc. I was almost sold on a tempting discount when by chance I stumbled across the company Piher.
They are based in Northern Spain (the heart of metalworking) and they make really serious clamps. They come with a price tag that would have made me put off buying them in the past but they are a lot less expensive than a Bessey equivalent.
With Bessey you buy into a whole multifunctional clamping system so that explains the premium.
With Piher you just get really good clamps.
I bought 4 to road test them and I will be ordering more and other sizes soon.
I plumped for their corpus clamps. PRL 400's which is a bit misleading as the jaws can open to 600mm on this particular model. There are 450mm and 300mm versions too.
I know that most people could not think of a duller subject than woodworking clamps but frankly that is because they have no imagination. We see clamps and know what we can make using them. I can really recommend these as more affordable, European made, top quality clamps and they do exactly what you need them to do and without a fight.
It is strange that I was so in disregard of clamps because I was happy to spend money on sets of chisels of which I only use a couple regularly. On hand planes and handsaws. Must have been a blind spot I suppose, but I don't imagine I am alone here.
Hundreds of offers for Bessey clamps had started popping up everywhere I looked no doubt thanks to cookies etc. I was almost sold on a tempting discount when by chance I stumbled across the company Piher.
They are based in Northern Spain (the heart of metalworking) and they make really serious clamps. They come with a price tag that would have made me put off buying them in the past but they are a lot less expensive than a Bessey equivalent.
With Bessey you buy into a whole multifunctional clamping system so that explains the premium.
With Piher you just get really good clamps.
I bought 4 to road test them and I will be ordering more and other sizes soon.
I plumped for their corpus clamps. PRL 400's which is a bit misleading as the jaws can open to 600mm on this particular model. There are 450mm and 300mm versions too.
I know that most people could not think of a duller subject than woodworking clamps but frankly that is because they have no imagination. We see clamps and know what we can make using them. I can really recommend these as more affordable, European made, top quality clamps and they do exactly what you need them to do and without a fight.
