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Thread: REVIEW Anant 10.5" vise

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    REVIEW Anant 10.5" vise

    Just a quick review of the 10.5" vise i recently got from Highland Hardware. Model 53ED.

    This is (supposedly) a copy of the Record vise of old which is currently produced in India. The jaws are 10.5" wide and open to about 15". It's a quick action vise that uses a half-nut which is released by a lever located behind the handle. Squeeze the lever and the vise can be opened or closed by sliding the front jaw in or out. The screw threads are cut such that, if needed, you can close the vise without using the half-nut release lever by just pushing it closed, although this would seem to put unneeded wear on the screw and sounds horrible.

    The vise has 4 mounting points (for 1/2" bolts) for attaching to your bench but these required a little work. The holes on mine weren't the best in that area and the holes were a bit small, but 5 minutes with a rat tail file and the bolts fit nicely. The back to mounting points are open end ed slots which make it easier to mount. Just drop 2 bolts through the bench top, add your nuts and slide the vise onto them. One small complaint is that there isn't enough room to use washers under the nuts but i don't see that as a big deal.

    The vise comes with a dog in the front jaw which is held in place with a thumbscrew. The face has a machined cross hatch pattern and is made of steel. It doesn't retract completely into the jaw however, leaving ~3/8" sticking out the top. I think this is a poor design, having that much steel sitting above the bench top is asking for trouble as you slide material around your bench. It's easy to remove it by taking the thumb screw out but them it's one of those things that's easy to loose. There is also about 3/16" side to side slop between the dog and the hole it's mounted in which may be a problem in use. Most likely I'll make a new one at work one day.

    The vise requires a 3.5" thick workbench top in order for the front jaw to remain flush with the top. A spacer could be fabricated if your top is not that thick.

    The front jaw is ~1/2" thick and the rear jaw is ~5/8" thick. The jaws are toed in nicely.

    Currently the vise sells for $129.99 and Highland Hardware charged me $12 for shipping, which i thought was cheap for something this heavy.

    In use the vise feels very solid and the motion is smooth but a bit stiff, which i assume will improve with use. General fit and finish is average to good.

    I'd rate this vise 8.5 out of 10.

    Brian
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    The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

    The penalty for inaccuracy is more work

  2. #2
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    A couple more pics.....
    Attached Images Attached Images
    The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

    The penalty for inaccuracy is more work

  3. #3
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    Very nice review Brian! It looks like that vise could hold a car!

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the nice review and pics, Brian! Bravo!!! I got lucky with my 9" vice. Picked it up at auction for $12.00!!! Only problem was, I had to take the PO... "bench" it was attached to! Sounds like the Anant is a decent vice and a reasonable price, as well. Basic as they are, those wood vises are indispensable in a WW shop! What do you plan on facing it with? I used some 8/4, White Oak, with about 3" overhang on mine and love it!
    Cheers,
    John K. Miliunas

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Hale

    The vise comes with a dog in the front jaw which is held in place with a thumbscrew. The face has a machined cross hatch pattern and is made of steel. It doesn't retract completely into the jaw however, leaving ~3/8" sticking out the top.
    I have the Record version of that vise. It, too, was not able to fully retract the dog. No need to make a new one; 3 minutes with a hacksaw fixes the problem. You don't even have to take the dog out of the vise.

  6. #6
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    Here's a couple shots of the vise installed. I used some 1" pine for the jaw faces and just like you John, they extend about 3" past the jaws. I also notched the faces so they fit flush with bench.

    Jamie, does the dog in your vise also have side to side slop? I'm curious if it's a problem when you use it.

    Brian
    Attached Images Attached Images
    The significant problems we encounter cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

    The penalty for inaccuracy is more work

  7. Anant 10.5" vise review, update?

    Hey Brian,

    I found this site after doing a 'google search' for reviews of the Anant version of the Record 53 vise. I see that almost three years ago you commented on the one you had just bought. Now that you've had it for a while, what do you think of it? Is it still holding up? I am thinking of buying one, but I'm still a little hesitant - I know that it looks like a Record vise, but is the quality there? Is the steel properly tempered so that it will hold up to years of use? Is it worth taking a chance on, or should I:

    a) Buy one of the Czech made ones that Lee Valley (are you there, Rob Lee?) carries?

    b) Wait for a pricey used Record 53 to show up on epay?

    c) Anyone going to England? Good used ones are very cheap on English epay, but shipping one here is quite expensive. I almost bought one two years ago, and the nice English seller even inquired about various ways to ship it to me here in Maryland, unfortunately even then the cost was between $275.00 to $315.00.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Milner View Post

    (snip)

    ....or should I:

    a) Buy one of the Czech made ones that Lee Valley (are you there, Rob Lee?) carries?

    (snip)
    You rang?

    My understanding is that the Czech company we buy ours from was the the company that worked with the folks from Record (Irwin) to produce the vises once they moved from the UK. They hit the all of the quality points - but couldn't get the prices low enough for Irwin... Irwin then went to Asia, where they could get the price, but not the quality... and abandoned the line...

    I do know we're pleased with the ones we're selling....

    Cheers -

    Rob

  9. #9
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    Hi Brian. Hi sounds like you did a really good job on the install. Congrats. I approached the problem a little differently.

    I just finished installing an authentic Record 53ED in my newly built bench. The top is 2 1/4 inches thick. I used a piece of maple to "shim" the vise lower such that the top edge of the stationary jaw was level with the bench top. That jaw resides in a grove that makes the jaw face flat to the edge of the bench top. I also used lag bolts to mount the vise under the bench top. The entire vise, minus the moving jaw, is hidden behind the bench apron. Personally, I didn't like the idea of putting bolts through the bench top.

    BTW, those 4 lag bolts, the two lag bolts that keep the top centered on the base, and the 4 bed bolts that mount the Veritas twin screw vise, are the only mechanical fasteners used in the bench. Everything else is Titebond 3 with a goodly number of mortise&tenon, dadoes, and 'let-ins'. Some day I will get some pictures....
    Last edited by Ken Garlock; 09-06-2008 at 11:18 AM.
    Best Regards, Ken

  10. So, what are they selling in England?

    Hi Rob, and thanks for the response.

    I'm glad to see that your company still carries what seems to be a quality Record type woodworking vise. Do you know if the Czech company that makes them is tempering the steel properly? I don't mind paying extra for a well made tool. That's my main concern about buying a Groz or an Anant, or any vise made in India or China, I just don't think that the quality is there.

    Here's my other question: Why are we being told (over here in America at least), that Record woodworking vises are no longer being made? When I looked into this two years ago I was surprised to discover that English tool wholesalers are still selling an "Irwin Record Woodworking Vice 10.1/2in with Quick Release & Dog" See, http://www.toolbank.com/p/REC53ED
    When I contacted some of these dealers to ask where they were being made, I was told "...in France." by one, and "...in south-east Asia." by another, and even still in Sheffield (?!) by a third. So, does anyone know where these are really being made, and why they are no longer available over here in the states? Is it just that Record/Irwin/ Rubbermaid no longer wants to pay the shipping costs, or what? Mike in Maryland

  11. #11
    I cannot comment about the Anant, but I have a ~8 yr old Record 53 that slips ~25% of the time I try to crank it tight. This also happened with several of the imported vises at work/school. The screw on all of these have the triangular thread just like the ones pictures. IMO, this is not the best solution to this problem. I don't know if it's wear or what, but the triangular threads and matching 1/2 nut are sometimes unreliable. I've replaced most of the vises at work/school with a vice from Rockler that has an acme threaded screw, a 1/2 turn backwards disengages the nut. We've had a couple of these vises for over a year and neither has ever slipped. The Rockler vice has a nice action and good fit and finish as well. I don't recall where they're made.

    -kg

    http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17246

  12. Which Record 53?

    Hi Kevin, and thanks for the reply!

    Which type of Record 53 vise do you have? Apparently they made several varieties over the years: (correct me if I'm wrong)

    53 = ?
    53E = quick release, helical cut buttress thread.
    53ED = same as the 'E' but with the front dog.
    53P = plain screw (Acme thread?), no front dog.
    53PD = plain screw with the front dog, still available in England:
    http://www.toolbank.com/p/REC53PD

    I'm not sure where the Rockler is made, Taiwan? China? But it sounds like it has an Acme thread and the traditional American type quick release mechanism.

  13. #13
    I looked closer, it's a 52-1/2 not a 53
    The only markings I could find on it are:
    Record
    52-1/2
    Made in England

    It's got the lever QR and buttress threads

  14. #14
    Highland Hardware in Atlanta has a "in store" sale on the Avant 53 vise, normally 149., on sale $99. I picked up one this weekend and plan to mount it tomorrow. For that price, I think it's a good deal.
    "Seldom wrong, but NEVER in doubt!!"
    Registered EZ "Trac Head"


  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Harley Reasons View Post
    Highland Hardware in Atlanta has a "in store" sale on the Avant 53 vise, normally 149., on sale $99. I picked up one this weekend and plan to mount it tomorrow. For that price, I think it's a good deal.
    Did they have anything else on sale, Harley?

    Sarge..

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