Groz 9" Front Vise - $89.99 - Free Shipping

[Tom Miller]

I scurried over to Woodcraft.com to order the Nova Chuck, and found the front vise I've been looking at is also on sale, with free shipping.




If you order over $100, you can enter a coupon code for $15 off, and you get a $10 gift card to boot. (Thanks autiger1!)

Coupon codes: 10164 or 10161 (one is for $15 off $100, the other is for $5 off $50)

Regards,
Tom

[SARGE..g-47]

A little off topic Tom, but I confirmed that Groz purchased the Record molds when Record closed the door. I have eye-balled several and the casting seems to be fine.

Regards...

[vaking]

Also a little off topic - I have a vise from Garrett Wade that looks exactly like this. It is made in China and I did not know it was Record knock-off, but now looks like Record is moving all its manufacturing to China. In other words - that Chinese version will probably appear soon under the name "Record". Garrett Wade no longer sells it. I bought mine because I trusted the name "Garrett Wade" and I was not disappointed. That "Toe-in" feature is a nice touch.

[perpetualapprentice]

Groz or Anant?

A little off topic Tom, but I confirmed that Groz purchased the Record molds when Record closed the door. I have eye-balled several and the casting seems to be fine.

Regards...

I'm confused...
Highland Hardware Anant Vise

[vaking]

Anant vise looks differently. For instance - the dog on the vise seems metal but on the Groz it is plastic (this is one case where plastic is supposed to be better so it does not damage the work).

[Tom Miller]

I'm confused...
Highland Hardware Anant Vise

Yeah, that's what I'd heard, too. Obviously there are a few "look-alikes" out there, but I was under the impression that Anant was the closest thing to the successor of Record vises.

I was planning to get a Record 52 1/2 or 53 a few years ago, when they suddenly disappeared. I've been flip-flopping on what to get since then, and liked the fit/finish of the Woodcraft/Groz well enough that this sale price tipped me in favor.

Regards,
Tom

[BrazosJake]

I saw a long thread over at Sawmill Creek on the Record vise subjet, and I think it was Joel Moscowitz from Tools for Woodworking who commented Record was over and done with it.

[SARGE..g-47]

My mistake and apology Perpetual and Tom! It was Anant that Highland carries that bought out the Record molds. I had ask them directly two week-ends ago when there to pick up a BS blade. And it was the Anant I viewed as they have carried it for several years now. Mental slip on my part...

The Groz looks to be a knock-off also, but I have never seen it physically.

Regards...

[bigsteel15]

Sure look the same to me.

http://www.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=170738

[Tom Miller]

Sure look the same to me.

Yep, there are a lot of them out there that have essentially the same look (in particular, the casting of the front jaw, and the QR lever): Anant, Shop Fox, Groz, Enco, etc. How different they are in other areas, I do not know.

Sarge, I wish I was in your shoes and had a chance to see the Anant up close. I've seen the Groz at Woodcraft a while back, and made a mental note that "it would do".

I just got the Groz last night, and have only pulled it out of the box. (I hope I don't have to return it, as I had to cut out a 9"x12" piece of cardboard from the box for my daughter's school project. ) Boy, is it a lot heftier than the Jorgensen pony vise I currently have. I really hope there's a noticeable difference in the toe-out on tightening, but I'm pretty sure there will be. I had already added some toe-in in the front face plate I made for my Jorgy.

I was surprised to see that, instead of a 10" jaw opening on the Groz, it's a whopping 14" opening! Glad I didn't pass on it for having too small an opening after all (I'll lose a good 3"-4" to mounting & face plates).

I hope to get it mounted this weekend.

Regards,
Tom

[SARGE..g-47]

Tom..

I don't think you will be dis-appointed at that price. I purchased the Groz engineer squares after butting them up to Starretts at Highland. We all had a good laugh as you might have been able to sneak a .001 feeler gauge through, but I doubt it. The Groz quality is good with what I've seen of it and you can't argue with the price.

Same with the Anant over-all. Both companies are in India and have the cheap labor. The cast iron may or may not have the same grade or the threads on the screws might not be quite as solid grade as the English Record used? But.. I don't think that will make a large difference as both are designed almost exact with the Record which I have had my hands on often.

I ha' ve always contended that every tool company has "hit and misses" and barr none (Mini-Max-Festool-Felder-etc. included) on that statement. I would not at this point purchase a Grizzly 15" or up thickness planer, but... I wouldn't hesitate on a Grizzly 8" jointer in any configuration as it is as efficent as any with quality and the best value on the market, IMO.

I purchased an Anant #5 Jack plane and Anant #4 smoother as a gift several years ago to introduce my BIL to hand planes. The #5 required about 4 hours of fine tuning the bottom and sides to get them flat. And it still is a piece of junk (at least the one I got),IMO. The #4 was flattend on bottom and sides with 45 minutes and with a new hock blade cuts as well as my Veritas and a Lie-Neilson I used on occasion. Go figure at $29.95 at that time.

Again.. I have a feeling you will not be dis-appointed and I am surprised that the 9" had a 14" opening. That is what the old Record 53 E (if memory serves me correct) had. Plenty of room to plane the jaw faces to a 5* degree angle larger at the top with that room to work with.

Regards...

[HarmsWay]

Lee Valley used to sell the Record models, and their travelling Wood Show display still has one on a bench. I was looking to buy one because it worked very nicely and a friend has one he's happy with. The show sales guy said Record wasn't making them anymore. The factory couldn't pass environmental standards, I think he said. Anyway he said their replacement was made in Europe somewhere and seemed to be just as good. I bought one. It isn't. Crappy finish and poor action. I should have returned it but I took too long. I'd recommend holding off buying a vise like that until you or someone you trust sees it in the flesh.

Bob