After reading Chris Schwarz's new book on Workbenches, I got inspired to try out a leg vise. I didn't have a vise screw to use, but did have one of those run-of-the-mill cast iron vises that was doing a pathetic job in the tail vise position.
So I crossed the two and added it to my soon-to-replaced-by-a-Roubo-style workbench. And this is what I got. I must say, I really like the leg vise. I got some more to do with it though.
You'll notice that in the closed position (4th pic), it's not flush. This is, of course, due to the angle the cast iron vise has to ensure it's top engages first. Now that it is on it's side, that angle doesn't work for me. I'll have to plane down the board to match that angle.
But the benefits over the traditional style is that there is no screw in the middle to impede a tall board from being clamped floor to bench top, as shown in the last picture.
This benefit is at the expense of not being able to clamp a tall board on the left side of the vise. But I'm not sure how often you would do that.
Please, any thoughts, suggestions, criticisms, let me have it. This was just scrap wood and a few hours, so nothing will hurt me.