Unknown Vice maker

[Viceman]

Hi All, Wish I had found this site years ago, 70 now and recently retired but spent the last 40 years of my working life as a proffesional fret worker, mainly producing jigsaws and alphabet sets, so many questions during those years !. Now downsizing and clearing the remaining tools which once formed my workshop from my garage, I have a metal vice which I know was in my Father's workshop when it was cleared sixty years ago, so very old, the only markings it has on it are OB BRITISH MAKE, I have done quite a lot of online research but cannot find out anything about this item, any help would be very much appreciated.
( Two pictures attached ).

 

[dannyr]

Looks like a Parkinson (big vice maker in Shipley 1870s-1960s) Handy -for some reason they usually didn't cast in their name to the Handy range but put it on a label only - they not only had various markings over the years for this range (up to 9in wide jaws, weighing 200+lbs) but also variations in shape.

Record, Woden, Marples, Paramo, Ward and others made/sold very similar, but usually cast in their name. The shade of green on yours is very like that used by Marples, and Parkinsons were usually red but sometimes green or other.

0B is the size (2 1/4in to 2 1/2in wide jaws?) - variously called 00, 1A, 0A, 0

The only slightly strange wording is 'British make' rather than made or made in.

 

[Viceman]

Looks like a Parkinson (big vice maker in Shipley 1870s-1960s) Handy -for some reason they usually didn't cast in their name to the Handy range but put it on a label only - they not only had various markings over the years for this range (up to 9in wide jaws, weighing 200+lbs) but also variations in shape.

Record, Woden, Marples, Paramo, Ward and others made/sold very similar, but usually cast in their name. The shade of green on yours is very like that used by Marples, and Parkinsons were usually red but sometimes green or other.

0B is the size (2 1/4in to 2 1/2in wide jaws?) - variously called 00, 1A, 0A, 0

The only slightly strange wording is 'British make' rather than made or made in.

Thanks very much for that info, I will now try to find out a bit more if possible about it, I guessed that it may be something on the rare side as I have it for sale and the interest has been way above that which I expected.

 

[Nigel Burden]

It looks like a Parkinson Handy. The patent number is often the only marking to be found on these vices. I had one that was marked 3 on one side and the patent number on the other. It's something like 689021.

Here is a link to a Parkinsons Vices catalogue.

The design may have changed a little over the years.

Parkinsons Vises : List No. VV.4 : J. Parkinson & Son Ltd. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Nigel.

 

[Nigel Burden]

Here is a better image of the catalogue.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9iwuyy1vzrwvszs/AAApmsWFvTmKRWUj53V7eiwla?dl=0&preview=1940-Parkinson-C
The patent number is 689821.

Nigel.

 

[Viceman]

Here is a better image of the catalogue.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9iwuyy1vzrwvszs/AAApmsWFvTmKRWUj53V7eiwla?dl=0&preview=1940-Parkinson-C
The patent number is 689821.

Nigel.

Hi Nigel, Many thanks for your info, unfortunately the new link comes up with ( Error 404 not found ). There is so much info in those old catalogues I could be looking through them for ages as I know I have several other old tools somewhere in my garage or shed. By the way I have inspected my old vice with a strong magnifying glass to try and find some remnants maybe of a number but nothing found at all. John.

 

[Nigel Burden]

Hi Nigel, Many thanks for your info, unfortunately the new link comes up with ( Error 404 not found ). There is so much info in those old catalogues I could be looking through them for ages as I know I have several other old tools somewhere in my garage or shed. By the way I have inspected my old vice with a strong magnifying glass to try and find some remnants maybe of a number but nothing found at all. John.

Hi John,

You could try asking on the Mig Welding Forum. There is a very long thread "Show us your bench vices," and there are some very knowledgeable fanatics over there. That is where I got the second link from. There are also one or two on this forum who are pretty knowledgeable as well.

Nigel.