Lodi MFG Co. Saw Vise

[Dave Matson]

Chris Schwarz posted on the woodworking magazine blog a few days ago about a Lodi Manufacturing saw vise he picked up at a MWTCA meet. Several readers requested more info about the vise, so here a few (poor cellphone) pictures of an example. Its works well. My only annoyance is the method of securing the vise. I believe it is meant to attach directly to a workbench edge using the two barbed pinchers. I just mounted it on an old 2x3 and clamp it down. It stays solid and does not require one to shift a saw during sharpening.

[Johnny Kleso]

Nice find, I never seen one of those before..

I have seen a super beefy model but non in that duty size...

[Marv Werner]

Dave,

Interesting saw vise. In the old days when carpenters depended entirely on handsaws, most of them sharpened their own saws at the end of a long work day. Your vise was well suited to their needs. All they needed was a plank or beam to attach it to using the dogs. They didn't need to find a certain thickness board to clamp it to. Very handy on the work site.

Marv

[Buck Sloan]

I have a lodi saw vice that my Dad used for many years and he always said that it was easier to use and done a better job that his other vices, he would clamp it to his bench where it was solid and sharpen his saws by the hours.
Buck100_0459.jpg

[Don Orr]

That's definitely a good looking and functional vise. It might be nice if someone could reproduce it now seeing as how there are so many people getting back into handsaws these days. Wish I had the means to do it my self. I imagine the patent expired some time ago. What with modern steels it probably would not have to be made from cast iron. I'm thinking like the Gramercy vise.

Hint, Hint Rob Lee!?

[Joe Shahan]

In cleaning out my Mom's garage after she passed in February, we found one of these. We've been wracking our brains trying to figure out what it is. Finally figured it out when I found this post via a series of Google searches. One result showed one sold on eBay, saying it was a fence puller. This particular one was my grandfather's, I believe, on my Dad's side, and he probably used it too. I think I will attach it to my shop wall and mount one of the old saws in it. Thank you for solving the mystery.