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View Full Version : What's the story on Record??


James Carmichael
03-18-2004, 5:51 PM
I've started looking at vises and near as I can tell, the Record 52 - 53s seem to be the best, but I'm confused about what's become of them.

I see them on Ebay and listed on UK websites, but it appears no one is selling the vises, clamps & planes in the U.S. anymore (though I still see new Marples stuff under the Irwin name). Irwin's website (http://www.irwin.co.uk/) still lists them. LeeVally list's them, but says they've been discontinued and has no more of the big 53s. What's up??
Richard Gillespie
03-18-2004, 8:12 PM
As I understand it, Irwin, after buying Record tool line has discontinued most of them. Last month I saw a thread where an auction was scheduled to sell the manufacturing tools record used to produce their items.
Dennis McDonaugh
03-18-2004, 10:00 PM
Richard, I believe Irwin will still offer most of Record's products, only now they will be made in China, instead of England.
Joel Moskowitz
03-19-2004, 12:02 AM
The entire factory was auctioned off. The buildings are to be leveled (with one small exception) and the tooling that was usable was carted off to China.

Record which in its time gobbled up some of the great names of the English tool industry, has finally been gobbled up itself. :(

Expect production to evenually resume. In China - possibly with some assembly done in the UK for somethings- maybe not - under the Record or Irwin labels.

Will the vices reappear - no idea. I have been told conflicting stories every few months.
James Carmichael
03-19-2004, 8:37 AM
The entire factory was auctioned off. The buildings are to be leveled (with one small exception) and the tooling that was usable was carted off to China.

Record which in its time gobbled up some of the great names of the English tool industry, has finally been gobbled up itself. :(

Expect production to evenually resume. In China - possibly with some assembly done in the UK for somethings- maybe not - under the Record or Irwin labels.

Will the vices reappear - no idea. I have been told conflicting stories every few months.

Thanks for the info, Joel.