who makes the best knife vise?

D

DHackney

Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Messages
178
Hi folks,

Can I get some suggestions on which of the knife vises available out there are the best?
I'm looking for one that I can put either end of the knife (blade or handle) into.

Many thanks,
Dana Hackney
Monument, CO
 
vice.jpg
here's one way to do it. Very ingenious I think

A knife vice is pretty simple

http://www.blacksmithrick.com/vice.html

http://www.popsknifesupplies.com/vise.html

http://www.handamerican.com/vise.html

My favorite is two pieces of plywood about 2" wide by 6 to 8" long with a spacer at one end so the "jaws" are about 1/16" or so apart the spacer/butt end is screwd together knife blade goes in plywood and the plywood goes in the vice.

I also use a vice silmilar to this one

http://www.oakandiron.com/Antler_and_Iron_II.html
 
Oh yeah. I rarely hold a handle in the vice. That's the last thing I do is the handle. Accosianly I find a mouse pad or magnetic soft jaws are sufficent for that purpose
 
for the links/pictures. I think the one you use is about the
easiest to fabricate. I'll have to round up some parts and
make my own.

I like that Oak and Iron one too, especially the hand made wing nuts - cool!

Thanks again,
Dana
 
The one that I came up with is unbeatable (IMHO).

You can rotate the vise 360 degrees at the base, you can swivel the head 360 degrees, and you can swivel the actual fixture 360 degrees.

It's simple, was cheap, and allows me to work on a handle at ANY FREAKING ANGLE I WANT! :D

-Nick-
http://www.wheelerknives.com

Normally I charge people to see this, but I'm feeling nice today :)

knifevice7au.jpg


knifevice24wr.jpg
 
Hey ,

Dont you mean (IMRO) Nick?

I have a cheapass Polish vise myself.

A little trivia. The word vise has only been used 485 times in shoptalk. :D
 
What's IMRO???

Whatever it is, it's probably better than IMHO. I don't believe in humility!!! :p ;) :p

-Nick-
 
Anyone happen to remember who makes that vise with the pool ball handles? Pricey, but nice. :)
 
And that handle he is showing in the vise is one of the finished ones! You ought to see them in the rough - they are still trees then.
 
I use one like Nicks i have UHMW lined on the in side the sq tube works great and thanks nick for the idea
Sam Fogler
 
dlpierson said:
Bob Patrick

He's got instructions to make one on the page too. ;)

Dan Pierson
Click to expand...
Thanks Dan, I've been trying to remember that one too! Now if I could just convert Canadan to US dollars I'd be set... Gonna have to spring for that one of these days... Soon as I get another bench to mount it to. :D I hate running out of room in my shop, already had to retire a lathe to make room for something else, what's going to have to go for a nice knife vise?
 
Okay, I was being a smart-a$$ before, but seriously, this set-up I use gives you 360 degrees of rotation/access in 3 axes.

Bob Patrick is a really nice guy and that's a slick vise, I've looked it over in person.

But you can have the set-up like mine for CHEAP... that vise is $30-55 depending on when you go to Harbor Freight, and the fixture was made from scrap pieces of steel.

There are aspects of the hand-work I do on my handles that I simply COULD NOT do without this set-up.

I often rotate everything so that the knife handle is sticking straight up toward the ceiling. Try doing that with most other vises.

-Nick-
 
I made this one out of scrap that was here in the shop at work. It was pretty fun to make and not that hard. Just a stick welder and a tap and you have it ;)
downspine2.jpg
 
NickWheeler said:
Okay, I was being a smart-a$$ before, but seriously, this set-up I use gives you 360 degrees of rotation/access in 3 axes.
-Nick-
Click to expand...

Nick, do you date the ugly girl just because she's cheap or do you tend to gravitate towards the pretty ones, too? :D :D I suppose, though, if you knew she rotated 360 degrees on three axes that *could* have some bearing on the decision, however! ;)
 
for the posts. Now I've got too many choices :confused:

I really like Bob's vise but it's beyond my pocket book. Brian, do you have some
instructions for fabricating the one you made? Looks simple but has a nice functional
design (yours as well, Nick). I'm a machinest dummy and need all the help I can get :rolleyes:

Thanks again guys.
Dana
 
Well, I did have to scratch my head but its fairly simple. I dont have any plans but I can try to skech something if you'd like. There is someone who manufactures one just like it but I cant remenber who. I just saw some pipe sitting sored that fit together and a light went off in my noggin........."theres my vise" I thought :D
 
some of us (granted, very few) lack the mechanical abililty for fabricating
ideas. If you get the chance (no big hurry) it would be great if you could
draw up some plans.

Also, off subject, I've been meaning to ask you how you go about getting those
fantastic hamons on your knives. Do you use simple steels and or O1 or...and do
you use clay? I'd really like to know how you achieve these beautiful lines.

Many thanks,
Dana
 
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