Anyone using the Anant bench vise?

[Maurice Metzger]

I really, really need to make a new bench. I was thinking about using the Anant copy of the old Record bench vise for a face vise. Anyone have any experience with this vise?

Later:

Oops, ready, shoot, aim. I did a search and found a review by Brian Hale. Maybe he has some thoughts after using it for a while. I'd welcome anyone else's opinion also, and any recommendations for a bench vise.

- Maurice

[Brent Smith]

Maurice, why don't you give Joel at Tools for Working Wood a call. Even though he sells it, he's a straight shooter and will give you his honest opinion of the vise.

Brent

[Alan DuBoff]

Maurice,

I saw some Anant vises at Hardwicks up in Seattle over the past few days. They looked ok, but I didn't look very closely. I did look at one of the machinist vises that looked ok by Anant.

I own one of the LV quick release, that is similar, and I'm very happy with it. It's a record clone, good quality made in Czech.

[Brian Hale]

Hey Maurice, I've been using that for awhile now and i'm still pleased with. There is one issue that bothers me...... every once in awhile, after i've used the quick release feature, the vise will "skip". What happens is i'll place a board in the vise and close it using the release lever and tighten it up. Just at the point where i'm starting to put pressure on the board, the handle jump an 1/8 of a turn or so as if it skips over one tooth in of the screw. This happens about one in 20 times and really is no big deal.

Otherwise, the opening size is wonderful, plenty of power crush a piece of pine and very sturdy.

I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have...

Brian :)

[Maurice Metzger]

Brian, your original review answered most of my "upfront" questions, I'm glad you're still happy with it - that was my final question, was it holding up.

Thanks,
Maurice

[Brian Hale]

Let us know if you decide to get one!

Brian :)

[Vince Sandy]

For what it's worth, my Record 53 does the same "skip" thing as Brian described, so if Anant cloned the Record it sounds as if they did a good job of it.

Vince in NC

[Brad Kimbrell]

I am in the same boat in needing a nice bench. I plan to build the Lon Schleining version from the Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking.

The Veritas twin screw on the end and then I have the choice of a standard Record 9" or the Pattern Makers vise in the Japan Woodworker catalog. I believe that it is a copy of an older vise that is no longer made.

It is about $225 and rotates in every direction.

Is it worth the money and does anyone here have any experience with one of these beasts?

[Alan DuBoff]

I am in the same boat in needing a nice bench. I plan to build the Lon Schleining version from the Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking.

The Veritas twin screw on the end and then I have the choice of a standard Record 9" or the Pattern Makers vise in the Japan Woodworker catalog. I believe that it is a copy of an older vise that is no longer made.

It is about $225 and rotates in every direction.

Is it worth the money and does anyone here have any experience with one of these beasts?Brad, I don't have too much experience with the emmert clone yet, although I do own it (it's not mounted yet). I am also making a bench similar to the one Lon Scheining built in FWW #167, and his book has the same article. I'll be making mods to it. I will be using a twin-screw and the emmert clone as you ask about, and I have all the hardware and wood as well at this point. I just need to get my garage cleaned and organized before I start on the bench. I will use the bench for handwork, mostly, and both of those vises do compliment each other nicely IMO. There are quite a number of folks that have purchased the emmert clone and are happy with them.

There's several folks that have used that vise setup, with the twin-screw and emmert clone. One that comes to mind is Bill Webber's workbench at the following link.

http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/wWebber/workbench.htm

In Lon Schleining's "The Workbench" book, he shows another incredible bench with twin-screw and Tucker, and it's looks like a superb bench. If I had unlimited funds, I would have gotten the Tucker also. But I just couldn't justrify the extra $$$s in this case, especially given the fact that others have been very pleased with the emmert clone.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Hi Brad, A patternmakers vise takes up a lot of room, but is invaluable if you do a lot of work with irregular shaped pieces of wood or any carving. I have several friends who have the Emmert clone made in Taiwan. It is a bit rough in the castings and some folks have taken it apart and gone to work on it with a mill file to soften edge, remove flash, and otherwise clean it up. An hours works and then a quick repaint job will pay good dividends if done before installation.

[tod evans]

I am in the same boat in needing a nice bench. I plan to build the Lon Schleining version from the Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking.

The Veritas twin screw on the end and then I have the choice of a standard Record 9" or the Pattern Makers vise in the Japan Woodworker catalog. I believe that it is a copy of an older vise that is no longer made.

It is about $225 and rotates in every direction.

Is it worth the money and does anyone here have any experience with one of these beasts?

brad, i`ve been using the "clones" for about 8yrs and am happy with their performance. see this thread;
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27093&highlight=pattern+makers+vice
.02 tod

[Alex Berkovsky]

I am also trying to decide between the Anant (http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6250) and the Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=49980&cat=1,41659) vise. The only big difference I see so far is the quick release mechanism. I wonder how they compare as far as quality is concerned.

[Alan DuBoff]

I am also trying to decide between the Anant (http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6250) and the Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=49980&cat=1,41659) vise. The only big difference I see so far is the quick release mechanism. I wonder how they compare as far as quality is concerned.The Lee Valley is much better quality, fit and finish, IMO. I own the LV 10 1/2" QR vise from the link you posted, and it's a great vise.

Some folks have mentioned not liking the way the QR mechanism works, you need to twist it 2 rotations counter clockwise to get the release active.

I can't remember if the Anant has the QR release like the LV or not, some of the original Records would disengage with a 1/2 or full counter clockwise. Other Record vises had a QR lever on the bottom front of the vise which disengaged the QR, similar to how some of the Chinese and possibly Groz work.

The Avant vise I saw in Seattle at Hardwicks recentely was not near the quality of fit and finish that the LV is. I know the LV is made in Czech, not sure if the Avant is made in china or not, most likely.

The Groz is not a bad vise also, but not quite as good in fit and finish as the LV, but I may be bias as that's what I bought after evaluating the Groz and LV. I believe the Groz is made in India, if that matters at all. Fit and finish wise, the LV is better than any of the other available vises, no matter where the vises are manufactured. My $0.02.

[Alex Berkovsky]

...I know the LV is made in Czech, not sure if the Anant is made in China or not, most likely.

The Groz is not a bad vise also, but not quite as good in fit and finish as the LV, but I may be bias as that's what I bought after evaluating the Groz and LV. I believe the Groz is made in India, if that matters at all. Fit and finish wise, the LV is better than any of the other available vises, no matter where the vises are manufactured. My $0.02.
Alan,
Anant, like Groz, is made in India. I just had to return a Groz back to Hartville Tools after it arrived broken (had it sitting in a box for 364 days - the warranty was for 365). In fact, they stopped carrying the 9" vise since there were a lot of returns for the same issue. FWIW, I didn't like the finish on the Groz vise.

[Joel Moskowitz]

When we tested vices we tested a lot of Indian made vices. what we found is most had a lot of play in the jaw - that is it felt sloppy and crude. Anant was the exception. it's fit and finish was about the same as later record vices and almost as good as my personal record vice from the early 1980's. The Anant has no slop to speak of.

[Alan DuBoff]

Alex, I take Joel's word the Anant is decent. I didn't get to look too closely at it, was certainly not going to buy another one, so there wasn't much interest in it.

When I bought the LV QR, Rob Lee told me that if I didn't like it I was at no obligation to buy it and could send it back and they would even pay the return shipping.

[Alex Berkovsky]

...When I bought the LV QR, Rob Lee told me that if I didn't like it I was at no obligation to buy it and could send it back and they would even pay the return shipping.Alan,
Since I wanted to buy a scraper set from LV, I decided to include the QR vise with the order. It's good to know that LV will take it back if I don't like it and even pay the return shipping.

[Alan DuBoff]

Alex, also the shipping is a flat $12 from LV, so it will only cost $12 for both your scraper and vise, and whatever stuff you want. It is on a per order basis.

You can check this other thread out to see how I have mine mounted:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=34854

[Tim Matherly]

about the cost but the Jorgensen is a great vise. Tim in Hoptown