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Kitting Out Your Workbench: Benchcrafted's Drool-Worthy Vise Hardware

We've got a crush on these vises

By Rain Noe - April 27, 2016

in Hand Tools

As we saw with Jay Bates' excellent workbench build, you can create an inexpensive vise using pipe clamps. But just out of curiosity I looked into the high end to see what's on offer, and it appears that Iowa-based Benchcrafted makes some of the most highly prized U.S.-built vises on the market.

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Benchcrafted's designs, created by company founder Jameel Abraham and his father John, are both beautiful and highly functional. They've eschewed the standard T-handle in favor of a much more efficient wheel, which might seem an odd choice until you see the videos below. "I just want to make something because I think it's neat. My interest is to create useful things and hope they sell," Jameel told Popular Woodworking.

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"When I'm in the shop working I want tools that are highly refined and work well. That's what appeals to me and that's how I approach products for Benchcrafted." Take a look at their sexy tail/wagon/end vise:

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Moving to the front of the workbench, Benchcraft offers this gorgeous Glide leg vise, which features three handles (so that one never needs to reach down too far) and a St. Peter's Cross mechanism to keep it parallel:

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These are manufactured in the U.S.A. to high tolerances and don't come cheap. The hardware for the cast version of the tail vise will set you back $295, whereas the machined version will run you $369; the Glide leg vise rings in at $369 for the cast version, $479 for the machined. I'm going to start saving up now.

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Craig Thibodeau

8 years ago

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I just finished a Roubo bench using the Benchcrafted Glide leg vise hardware and feel it's worth every penny. The effort required to make your own version of the hardware may cost less in materials but will cost lots more in time.

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Lignarium Lignarium

8 years ago

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They are beautiful but way too expensive. You can make a very similar one for half the money or less if you search for similar hardware like I did.

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- Rain Noe
  
  Lignarium Lignarium
  
  8 years ago
  
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  If that's true, please provide links and details.
  
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  - Andre Prudhomme
    
    Rain Noe
    
    8 years ago
    
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    Z
    
    It's possible to build something similar, but for most DIYers the impeccable quality of the benchcrafted vises will be out of reach.
    
    For instance, some people source acme threaded rods and add their own handwheels, but the cost of materials is still substantial and that approach requires access to machining equipment. Even then, the tolerances are not as tight as the benchcrafted solution, especially in the case of the wagon vise.
    
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