Chas. Parker is an old, old, old U.S. brand. But it is a machinist's vise, and not intended to be hammered upon. (Get a blacksmith's leg vise for that for the same money as you quote.) Especially not the big square slider coming out the back, tempting as that surface may appear for pounding. For a guide, check out the prices on Ebay under "bench vise," but remember if you win the auction and get a dud, nobody, not Ebay, not the vendor, not the FBI (interstate wire fraud), not the USPS (mail fraud) gives a solitary damn. Those coolie-built Chinese rotating vises are handy, but for light duty like filing only. The big prong in the back that makes it lock up in any tilt position is a fragile casting, not a heavy forging. The front jaw is secured by a dinky weld. The "anvil" on top is secured by cotter pins to the shell, the joint concealed by Bondo and the shell is a thin, fragile casting. The screws that fix the swivel position on the stand are cast, not steel, and will break under hand torque. You get what you pay for. The coolie-built Chinese marvel will cost about $30 at the flea market. A U.S. vise with the same features would run probably close to a grand new if you could find one.
