Holdfast?

[Charlie Ross]

Does anyone know how to get a hold of Phil Koontz or Jake Pogrebinsky? It sounds like Phil/Jake or Gramercy the best place to go for holdfasts. Gramercy is out of stock, and I can't seem to find any kind of contact info for Phil or Jake. Unless anybody has another place to go for holdfasts?
Thanks

[Jamie Bacon]

I have one from this fella in North Carolina. Very well made. They used to be much less expensive though. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Holdfast-Woodworking-Tool-Clamp-Antique-Bench-Dog-/271067495271?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1ce1bb67A

Also, The Best Things has hold fast listed on their site. Don't know if they're in stock or not. http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/williamsburg_holdfast.htm

Also, Peter Ross makes them for sale I believe.

[Tony Wilkins]

I got mine from peter ross. More expensive than Grammercy but I like supporting craftsmen. He makes three or four different kinds. I got a 'regular' one for a 3/4 inch dog hole for $85 and up to $185 for the massive Roubo one he does. Get one of his dividers while they are at it, they's purdee too.

[greg Forster]

Mark Atchison, blacksmith at Plimoth Plantation (see Peter Follansbee joiner's notes/holdfasts). I bought a pr. about 3 yrs ago, along with a bench hook. Very, very nice.

[Jamie Bacon]

I got mine from peter ross. More expensive than Grammercy but I like supporting craftsmen. He makes three or four different kinds. I got a 'regular' one for a 3/4 inch dog hole for $85 and up to $185 for the massive Roubo one he does. Get one of his dividers while they are at it, they's purdee too.

Do you happen to know how much Peter gets for his dividers?

[Tony Wilkins]

Do you happen to know how much Peter gets for his dividers?
I paid 125 for a 6 inch.

[Jamie Bacon]

I paid 125 for a 6 inch.


Thanks. That sounds more than fair for a hand forged pair of dividers from someone of Peter's talent.

[george wilson]

The Williamsburg hold fast looks very nice. Every part of it is very correct. I still have my hand forged one made there in the 70's. At the time we had a good maintenance area blacksmith who made mine. It is very heavy duty. I should post a picture.

I have seen perfectly good craftsmen whack daily on their holdfasts with a steel hammer. I NEVER,NEVER do this. It mushrooms the head over,like a very beaten old cold chisel. It work hardens the steel right in the sharp corner so it will eventually crack. I only ever hit mine with a wooden mallet.

That "The Best Things" Williamsburg holdfast is a terrific bargain!! Who ever makes them is working too cheap. Buy yours soon,before the price goes up!!! REALLY.

[Charlie Ross]

Now to the hard part of deciding which one to get? Since I just became familiar with what a holdfast even is :rolleyes:, it’ll be a bit of a guess. I'm a little new at Neanderthal, I'm enjoying the learning curve. Thank you all for your help!!

[John Coloccia]

I wonder if Harry is still making holdfasts? I have a couple from him that are very nice. They're not beautifully machined and polished like many, but they actually work extremely well....unlike many.

[paul cottingham]

I wonder if Harry is still making holdfasts? I have a couple from him that are very nice. They're not beautifully machined and polished like many, but they actually work extremely well....unlike many.
+1 for Harry's holdfasts.

[Zach Dillinger]

Just FYI, Phil and Jake are no longer taking orders for holdfasts. This went around on the Old Tools list a couple of months ago.

[george wilson]

Zach,do you mean that the Wmsbg holdfast is no longer available? There are a lot of smiths and former blacksmith employees there,so I don't know who's making these nice hold fasts.

[Zach Dillinger]

Zach,do you mean that the Wmsbg holdfast is no longer available? There are a lot of smiths and former blacksmith employees there,so I don't know who's making these nice hold fasts.

No, the original poster asked about Phil Koontz and Jake Pogrebinsky (aka Jake the Russian). These two guys made very high quality holdfasts for the Old Tools list members for a number of years. Late last year, they announced they would no longer be taking orders so that they could work on their own projects. So, I just didn't want the OP to think that was still an option.

FYI, to the OP, I have a pair of the Grammercy holdfasts and they are nice. But I did just (like 15 minutes ago) order the Williamsburg holdfast from Lee. I like the looks of it, looks right for my shop and I like the idea of buying something hand-made.

[Jamie Bacon]

Hey Zach, what size holdfast holes do you have and how thick is your bench?

[Zach Dillinger]

Jamie, my main bench is 4" thick birch. The holes started out as 3/4", but they've been reamed out a bit since the bench was new, so they are probably closer to 7/8 by now. The Grammercys grab just fine in all the holes in that bench (excepting a 1" hole that was done as a test, that ones a gamble and doesn't always grab tight), and in my 2" thick Continental style bench (which was my first woodworking project years ago). I've even used them in the square dog holes on the Conti bench, they work fine.

I started out with the cheap cast iron holdfasts from Woodcraft, they do not work at all in either bench.

I look forward to trying the Williamsburg holdfast and will post about it once it arrives.

[Charlie Ross]

[QUOTE=John Coloccia;2038793]I wonder if Harry is still making holdfasts? QUOTE]

Harry?

[Jim Koepke]

I wonder if Harry is still making holdfasts?


Harry?

Harry Strasil Jr. made a few batches of holdfasts in the past. My biggest regret was not buying two pairs back when I could afford it.

jtk

[Scott M Perry]

Question for you holdfast guys: How do you size one of these? I want one, but seems like they'd be sized specific to hole size and bench thickness...

[Zach Dillinger]

Scott, they are ideally sized to bench specs, but most of them will work in a wide range of tops. Like my example. The Grammercys works in my 4" thick top. They also work in my 2" thick Continental bench, including in the square dog holes. They also work in my 1.5" saw bench. I'm sure the Williamsburg one will work as well in a wide range of tops.

[Charlie Ross]

Well I did it... Their out of stock till the end of the month, but I went with the Grammercys for $35 a pair. Since I don't know much about holdfasts, i went with what had the most good reviews with a good price. Thanks!

[Andrae Covington]

Well I did it... Their out of stock till the end of the month, but I went with the Grammercys for $35 a pair. Since I don't know much about holdfasts, i went with what had the most good reviews with a good price. Thanks!

They should serve you well, and at a very reasonable price. They don't have the traditional look of the (justifiably) more expensive hand-forged ones, but on the other hand won't break like the brittle cast-iron ones made in Taiwan.

You may want to add some leather to the pads to protect your work. An old tip I picked up from someone here.

George discussed why hitting them with a metal hammer is not really a good idea. He uses a wooden mallet. I use a deadblow mallet.

If your workbench top is of a wood that likes to splinter, you may want to chamfer the holes. Or just go after them with a small rasp or file to ease the edge.

251253

[Mel Fulks]

I had a couple from Taiwan .Broke with first couple blows of mallet.

[David Weaver]

I've broken the cheap ones, same as mel. Coarse grained things when you look at the break. Ordered the gramercy spring steel versions like some above, and really like them. Like Zach said, I haven't yet put them in anything where they don't grip.

[Dan Alt]

Well I did it... Their out of stock till the end of the month, but I went with the Grammercys for $35 a pair. Since I don't know much about holdfasts, i went with what had the most good reviews with a good price. Thanks!

I'm not sure if someone has brought this up already, but Joel offers some tips for using the holdfasts in one of his older blog posts. (link (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/251/Some%20Tips%20on%20Using%20Our%20Gramercy%20Holdfa sts))

[Zach Dillinger]

I got my Williamsburg holdfast and it is quite nice. It truly looks 18th century, although I'm sure that's not a surprise to anyone. I'm having a bit of trouble getting it to hold tight in my 4" thick main bench, but it grabs up tight in the apron of the bench, which is 1.5" thick pine. I'm thinking the HF shaft might be just a bit too short to work well in such a thick bench. I will make a modification or to and try it again. Or I may just use it in the skirt and keep the Grammercy holdfasts in the top itself instead of switching them back and forth. Either way, the Williamsburg HF from The Best Things is a lovely piece.

[george wilson]

I have had no problem with my hand forged holdfast holding in a 4" bench top. But,it is a custom forged piece,not the Wmsbg. one you can buy. Does the Wmsbg. offering have too short a shank?

I suggest taking a checkering file and filing some horizontal checkering lines on the back side of the holdfast shank,and on the lower front side where it grabs the bench. If no such file available,just use a bunch of triangular file grooves.

[Derek Cohen]

I glued leather to the pad of my Grammercy holdfasts. This works well to prevent marring the work piece.

The other holdfast that should be considered, while non-traditional, is the Veritas. Excellent tool.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[george wilson]

Leather pad is a good idea.

[Zach Dillinger]

I have had no problem with my hand forged holdfast holding in a 4" bench top. But,it is a custom forged piece,not the Wmsbg. one you can buy. Does the Wmsbg. offering have too short a shank?

I suggest taking a checkering file and filing some horizontal checkering lines on the back side of the holdfast shank,and on the lower front side where it grabs the bench. If no such file available,just use a bunch of triangular file grooves.

I've done that to other holdfasts in the past, I just haven't had time to try to adjust this one to work for me, it just came in two days ago. One technique I've used in the past is to take very coarse (say, 60 grit) sandpaper and rough up the shank. This has worked for me and that is probably what I will do to the Williamsburg holdfast.

[Bill Fleming]

I really like the ones I have from TFWW - work well, clever design, right price.....

If they are our of stock I can't imagine it will be for long....

[Stew Hagerty]

Does anyone know how to get a hold of Phil Koontz or Jake Pogrebinsky? It sounds like Phil/Jake or Gramercy the best place to go for holdfasts. Gramercy is out of stock, and I can't seem to find any kind of contact info for Phil or Jake. Unless anybody has another place to go for holdfasts?
Thanks

Hey, I just got off the phone with T4WW (I was ordering some other stuff) so I asked, and he said that they just got in 2 TONS of holdfasts. So order away. They really are the best I've ever found.

[James Owen]

Lie-Nielsen also just introduced their hold fasts.

[Mike Cogswell]

Lie-Nielsen also just introduced their hold fasts.

I was just going to post the same thing. They're in the new LN newsletter.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=Holdfast

[Jim McGee]

Auriou Forged holdfast

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/auriou-forged-holdfast.aspx

[Chris Griggs]

"The Forge De Saint-Juéry, where Auriou's exquisite hand-stitched rasps are born, now makes a hand-forged bench hold down for the discriminating bench owner and woodworker."

I like how they make a point of saying its for the discriminating bench owner and woodworker.... as in those are two different potential buyers.

LOL, they must have done there research on the boutioque tool buyer market!

I don't like to discriminate so I won't be buying one of those.

[Harold Burrell]

Auriou Forged holdfast

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/auriou-forged-holdfast.aspx

Just one of those things would about double the total cost of my bench! :eek:

[Carl L Goff]

Well, I ordered 2 holdfast's from Lie-Nielsen today and they said they would be shipped Mon. I hope they work ok. Will let you all know how they work when I get them.

[Dave Cav]

I just ordered a pair from TFWW.....

[Jamie Bacon]

I got my Williamsburg holdfast and it is quite nice. It truly looks 18th century, although I'm sure that's not a surprise to anyone. I'm having a bit of trouble getting it to hold tight in my 4" thick main bench, but it grabs up tight in the apron of the bench, which is 1.5" thick pine. I'm thinking the HF shaft might be just a bit too short to work well in such a thick bench. I will make a modification or to and try it again. Or I may just use it in the skirt and keep the Grammercy holdfasts in the top itself instead of switching them back and forth. Either way, the Williamsburg HF from The Best Things is a lovely piece.

Hey Zach. My bench is a Nicholson style with a 1.5" thick top so sounds like this might work really well in my bench. Assuming your apron has 3/4" holes.

[Zach Dillinger]

Hey Zach. My bench is a Nicholson style with a 1.5" thick top so sounds like this might work really well in my bench. Assuming your apron has 3/4" holes.

Yup, the apron has 3/4" holes. I'm sure it will work great in your bench. Haven't had time to modify it to work in mine yet, but I'm sure the sandpaper trick will do the job.

[greg Forster]

253525​ true handforged holdfasts picture

[Jamie Bacon]

253525​ true handforged holdfasts picture

That looks like a very nice, low profile, holdfast. Your work?

[greg Forster]

Nope, Mark Atchison's work; bought these a few years ago and they work great in my 4" thick bench top.
These replaced a pr. of Gramercy's, which I confidently sold to another ( I'm sure quite pleased) woodworker.

For a quality, economical holdfast that actually works like it should- Gramercy is#1;
for something with real panache- Peter Ross or Mark Atchison.

[Carl L Goff]

I got my lie-nielsen holdfasts to day. I have a 4" thick workbench and when I tried them out they worked fine. I am going to like them very much.