I built my first and only woodworking bench several years ago when i was first getting started. Id call it my first legitimate woodworking project. At the time, i was on a very tight budget and i cheaped out on the bench hardware. I installed a lee valley large front vise on the end of the bench that also serves as a tail vise. I then had aspirations of making a less expensive leg vise using lee valley's tail vise screw. Long story short, i couldnt get the cobbled together leg vise to work without racking horribly. Even after installing a bottom support with pins. I ended up removing this "leg vise", and ive been using the front vise ever since. It works OK, but has a tendency to rack if workpieces are offcenter. Not really the vises fault, the chop is the width of my bench 26-28". Along with holdfasts and dogs, ive managed just fine for the last 6-7 years. My major downside is clamping long pieces. My bench is against a wall, so the front vise on the end isnt position to work long edges well. I will photograph the bench and it's position later tonight. Its a Roubo style with a cabinet under the bench for handtools.

Theres the back story, now on to the main discussion. I have the means now to add a proper vise to my bench. For the last year or two i kept tossing around the idea of making an entirely new bench with benchcrafted hardware--what i would have done originally had i had the money at the time. The hardware is beautiful and it looks like it performs at the highest level. The legvise hardware and crisscross add puts me around $500. There would also be a bit of retrofitting to install it. On the other hand, i recently saw a video of a guy using an Emmert, which left one heck of an impression. I have never handled one, i just knew they fetch pretty high prices on the used market and that they are a big and heavy front vise. The ability to tilt and swivel seems incredibly versatile. I dont know i would use that feature often, but for the times i did use it, im sure it would help a lot. Im currently working on a maloof rocker, and i can see it being nice to hold the arms in place at an angle while i go at them with rasps. I think this vise would be a little easier to install on my bench than the criss cross glide, and it will be a little less expensive judging by my craigslist search. Im slightly leaning toward the Emmert to save some coin, and hopefully have an easier time installing it. Looking at the BC glide, i think i would need to empty out the hand tool cabinet, and then flip the bench on its side so i could create the recesses for the criss-cross mechanism.