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Some 48 years ago I lost many of my tools in a garage burglary
Among the replacements were these two parallel jaw clamps and the parallel jaw hand vice.
All three apart from being very old are rare of their type. The miniature 2" Moor & Wright being the least so.
The large wooden 10" jaw wooden ones are Victorian ( at least) but may be rather older looking at the darkening of the wood. The Moore and wright can not be earlier than 1906 and probably between the wars.
The much rarer Billings & Spender Hand vice is between 1915 1nd 1926 when that particular stamped logo was in use. What I find amazing is that I have been using it all that time on a fairly regular basis and it has no rust, the blacking is still very good there are few marks and no wear to the jaw serrations. It was made from Drop forged steel and must have been hardened, as the steel is very difficult to scratch. It is also very unusual to find Hand Vice with a parallel action... I have never see an another.
The large Victorian Parallel clamps are also in unusually fine condition with no wood worm, splits, or more than very superficial marking. The little more and wright has had some slight rusting but like the big brothers is in fine working condition.
Billings And Spender were a tool manufacturer at that time specialising in drop forged steel.
They were established in the mid 1800's In Hartford Connecticut USA and made outstanding tools.
Among the replacements were these two parallel jaw clamps and the parallel jaw hand vice.
All three apart from being very old are rare of their type. The miniature 2" Moor & Wright being the least so.
The large wooden 10" jaw wooden ones are Victorian ( at least) but may be rather older looking at the darkening of the wood. The Moore and wright can not be earlier than 1906 and probably between the wars.
The much rarer Billings & Spender Hand vice is between 1915 1nd 1926 when that particular stamped logo was in use. What I find amazing is that I have been using it all that time on a fairly regular basis and it has no rust, the blacking is still very good there are few marks and no wear to the jaw serrations. It was made from Drop forged steel and must have been hardened, as the steel is very difficult to scratch. It is also very unusual to find Hand Vice with a parallel action... I have never see an another.
The large Victorian Parallel clamps are also in unusually fine condition with no wood worm, splits, or more than very superficial marking. The little more and wright has had some slight rusting but like the big brothers is in fine working condition.
Billings And Spender were a tool manufacturer at that time specialising in drop forged steel.
They were established in the mid 1800's In Hartford Connecticut USA and made outstanding tools.
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