Athol, Massachusetts. Say that five times fast! When I first started reading about vintage vises I quickly learned that Athol vises are among the most highly regarded and the company actually has a pretty unique story behind it.
In 1868 the Athol Machine Company was founded in order to produce a meat cutting device invented by Laroy Starrett. Within a few years, Laroy had patented a number of other devices, to include a line of bench vises. Before long Laroy and A.M. Co were on poor terms and Laroy was pushed out of the company. This prompted Laroy to start the L.S. Starrett Company, also in Athol, Mass, in 1881. Shortly afterwards a lawsuit and counter-lawsuit over patent rights ensued with Laroy ultimately victorious. A.M. Co. was forced to pay Laroy expenses and damages for years of patent infringement. That gave Laroy the funds to buy the A.M. Co as a subsidiary of his L.S. Starrett Co in 1905. In December of 1920 the name of A.M. Co was changed to Athol Machine and Foundry Company and it stayed that way until they ceased operations in 1963. From reading a number of articles about the event, it seems old Laroy got rid of the folks who forced him out, which is something of poetic justice!
For well over 100 years L.S. Starrett has been associated with extremely high quality machinery and tools, and their vises are no different. Regardless of whether it’s marked A.M. Co, Athol M&F, Athol-Starrett, or just Starrett, they are all the same family of vises, and all are extremely high quality.
With the company history established, it helps us date the vise pictured here. Since it’s marked A.M. Co, it’s pre-1921 and that easily fits with the story I was told by the seller. I saw it listed on Craigslist, but the picture and description was pretty poor, so I wasn’t quite sure what it was. The price was also on the high side considering the lack of detail available, so I didn’t act on it. After a few weeks the price dropped in half (from $200 to $100) and I had to run an errand right near where it was located, so I called the seller and set a time to look at it.
The seller was a gentleman who appeared to be in his 70s who owns a moderate size engineering and construction company. He told me that the vise was on the floor in the back corner of the shop for over 3o years, and it sat in the corner of his father’s garage for at least 30 years before that! It was filthy, but it didn’t have any significant damage/marks anywhere on it, so I paid him for it, and loaded it in the truck.
I got it home and spent hours with a wire brush, utility knife and old screw driver scraping away all the gunk that had accumulated on it over the years. Once I got it down to bare metal I primed it, painted it and put it all back together. I made no attempt to hide any of the marks since I figure it’s earned the right to show it’s battle scars. I should have mentioned it earlier, but the jaws are 5.5″ wide, and it weighs right around 100lbs.
Any time I show someone a picture of this vise, I point out one design element you won’t see on most any other vise made, and that’s the massive support for the dynamic jaw. The dynamic jaw is the part that moves, and it rides through the main body of the vise. On vises made for serious work they put a ledge/shelf at the front of the main body to support the dynamic jaw. On lesser vises you’ll often see cracks or welds where the dynamic support is. That usually happens after someone put something in the vise, and then hit it with a big hammer! With an Athol you’re going to have to work really hard to break the dynamic support because they are absolutely massive.
With all of that said, I think this old warrior is set for another 50+ years of service that would make old Laroy proud.
I just bought my first vise on Tuesday and its an Athol 624 if I remember right (its being shipped) so I really appreciate the company history you listed above. I plan to clean it up and paint it and would love to see some of the general steps and tools you use when cleaning the grime off these hunks of metal then what you use to lube them up after they are fresh and clean. I’ve thumbed through the vise pages on GJ but there is so much to digest for a new guy like me.
I understand its a new site and will continue to watch for updates as you’re able to get to them. Thanks for creating this site.
Thanks for the kind words Nate! I definitely plan to have a section dedicated to restoration tools and techniques. I’ll probably make that a section under the About page and call it something like “The process” so folks can follow along and get an idea of what works. More to follow!
Thanks for the great story on the vise. Great restoration. I have my father’s Yost vise that was on his farm workbench since I was a small child. I’m in my 60’s now. He probably purchased it in the 40’s in the Phoenix Arizona area as that was where we farmed. I don’t really know how old it is or where he bought it. I have it on my workbench now as we don’t have the farm anymore. I won’t restore it as it looks like it did when I was growing up & brings back a lot of memories. Still works as advertised and I will pass it to my son when the time comes.
It’s always interesting to learn the history on the older machinery.
I just purchased an older Reed vise and am looking at an Athol to purchase now. I will use them as working vises & not restore them however I think it is great that people collect, preserve and restore this type of older equipment. Each one is a work of art and has a story to tell.
Thanks for the kind words Wayne! I’m also a big fan of keeping vises in original condition when possible, and normally only restore those that are in rough condition, or if they’re more modern/contemporary vises. I’ve been lucky enough to find a couple of vises that still had the original paint and/or stickers. Most of those have gone to collectors who really appreciate originality, but two of them are on my very small “not for sale” shelf!
My wife gave me an Athol #90 that’s been painted over and in very much need of cleanup/restore. Great story on the Athol Machine Company, and great looking finished vise you have there. Can I ask what the paint color code is for the green you used in your restore?
Hi John,
Thanks for the kind words. The paint I used was Rustoleum Satin Spruce Green. I’ve used it on a couple of other vises, including a Reed, and it really turns out nice. On the Reed I used black highlighting on the letters, and on the Athol I used ivory appliance touch-up paint to give it more of a vintage look.
Nice job on a fine vise. My daily (small) user is an Athol 113, (Athol M&F CO marking). For a smaller vise that isn’t real massy, it is very, very solid. The moving jaw support is extreme overkill on this, being as wide as the jaw since it includes gussets that come above the shelf. This prevents holding long work vertically, but on a vise this size it isn’t really a problem. This makes for great support of the moving jaw all the way out, though.
I have really enjoyed sifting through your site today (day off, for once)
Thanks for the kind words!
hello I have a am & f co. 1115 pipe vise cannot find any info very large works excellent would like to know more about it
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for the note. I have to be honest here…I don’t really know anything about pipe vises. Based upon the description of the markings, it was made some time between 1921 and 1968, but that’s about all I know. Sorry I couldn’t be more help!
thank you for your comment I will keep trying to find out more info if you should find out more please let me know thanks
Great work on your restoration! I recently inherited my grandpa’s vise, which I also plan on restoring. No cracks, never been welded (or welded on). The jaws have seen their fair share of use, and I’m hoping that I can figure out a way to replace the jaw inserts (although they are so worn, I don’t see screws, I think they may have become one with the vise.)
which is marked “ATHOL MASS” on one side and “AMC No 71” on the other. I assume that it’s pre-1920, but I haven’t found references to, or pictures of, any other No. 71’s, or even any other Athol’s marked AMC. They are all marked AMCo. It has 4”x1” jaws and opens to 7” and weighs 22lbs. It looks just like the much smaller No 70, with what appears a slide in bottom, that looks like it’s intended to slide into a swivel base…but I haven’t been able to find a base like that, even for the 70. It’s an I-beam support (which again leads me to believe it’s older), and the front jaw is fixed (like the 70) and the back jaw moves back on the I-beam. (I can email pics, if you’d like.)
In your research, have you found any references to a No. 71? Or even just the kind of base this thing has? Or any ideas on age? I’ve been researching it myself, but I’m getting stumped.
I recently picked up an Athol 924 at an estate sale and I’m thinking of giving it a repaint. I couldn’t believe how heavy it was when I unbolted it and had to carry it 2 blocks to my car. I also have the smallest Wilton swivel bench vise I’ve ever came across. It has 2 ” jaws. It’s not a Bullet vise and made in Chicago. I posted a pic in the vise thread of Garage Journal. Nice site.
Thanks for the kind words!
I sort of inherited my Athol M&F Co. No. 614 vise back about 1957. I’m pushing 76 and quite sure the vise is much older than I am. Even so it still works daily in my shop and has never failed. It’s in better condition now than it was when I first used it as a kid. Good stuff.
I have a model #325 combination vise would like to know about it and if its worth anything
Hi Dean,
The Athol/Starrett combination models like that are great vises you don’t run across very often. Without seeing the condition it’s hard to place an accurate value on it, but if you send me a couple of pictures I can try to narrow things down a bit for you. [email protected]
Chris
I just picked up my first Athol vise just yesterday (Sunday, 06.30.2019). It is a 616 model and it is absolutely enormous, almost on a comical scale. Once home I [barely] put it on the scale and it weighed in at 150.8 lbs and it felt every bit of it when I was moving it. It has likely been sitting neglected for many decades. It is covered in light rust and grime caked on an 1/8″ thick. I had to wire brush the name makers mark to see if it was AM Co, Athol MF Co. etc. Come to find out its an MF Co version so its not pre-1921 but its likely right around that area based on its looks. So, shes every bit of 70+ years old I would say. Its going to get broken down, cleaned up and a light preservation done. At that point, its going on the bench as a conversation piece and light work. I have a 5″ Morgan for the real work. This Athol 6″ has done enough in its lifetime, time for it to take it easy. 🙂
Hi Brian,
Yeah, those 6″ Athols are something you really have to see in person to truly understand how big they are! Pretty much any 6″ jaw vise from that time period is going to be pretty huge, but few will be as strong as an Athol. Your 5″ Morgan is more than enough for the work almost anybody is doing in a home shop or garage, so now you’ve got two solid choices. That’s always nice!
My favorite vise out of my collection by far is my Athol 326X. It weighs in at 207 lbs and is built like a tank, excellent steel and design.
That’s a monster for sure! Hard to find anything stronger than a big Athol!
Great article! I really enjoyed reading it. I have a Starrett vise given to me by my father years ago:
https://i.imgur.com/RZJyYwt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KJseuDA.jpg
As you can see it was stamped Starrett but *not* Athol. It is stamped 015 on the other side. Curious if know now when they produced vises without the Athol stamp. Just trying to find some history out about it.
Also If anyone knows anywhere I could get new jaws for it that would get great! Thanks!!
Hi and thanks for the kind words!
I have to admit I’ve always been a bit confused about the more modern Starrett timeline, and from what I can tell, many of the experts are as well. What I’ve seen published/posted has been put together from Starrett catalogs that are dated. It seems likely that your vise is from the mid-1990s or it would have “Athol Mass” on the side below the word Starrett. Some folks have suggest that around that time they started outsourcing some models overseas, so they could no longer mark them as made in the U.S. I’ve seen earlier versions of your vise that do say Athol Mass, but look otherwise very similar, so that might be the correct answer. I’ve read somewhere that they stopped selling vises around 2002, or so, but there was no supporting documentation, just a discussion on an online forum with a vise enthusiast commenting. Sorry I can’t be more helpful there.
As far as replacement jaws go, it’s going to take some luck. You can always check eBay because from time to time some fairly obscure vise parts will pop up out of the blue. The other thing to do is to get really good measurements on the jaw dimensions, as well as the bolt hole spacing from center to center. There are some really common bolt hole spacing setups and there are a few people selling jaws that work for many different brands. The one gentleman I know personally normally has an eBay store with good pictures and dimensions posted, but he has it temporarily suspended because of the current Covid-19 pandemic. If you get me the dimensions I can relay them to him and see if it’s a size he has available. Hope that helps some!
Hi again! Sorry for delay. I got the dimensions from the jaws for my vise:
5″ wide x 5/8″ tall x 3/8″ deep
The hole spacing is 3 1/2″. If you could relay those to your contact that would be really helpful. Thanks and take care!!
Hi there, I have several old vises and just today I found one on the curbside for free, I took it Hon and it’s AM Co Vise same size as the one you show give or take. But mine has a slightly different design. It’s in my garage right now an I forget the numbers that are on it. It really needs to be cleaned up. Is there a way I can send you some pictures of it? Let me know what ya think? Thanks. I also have a several other vises. I’d like to show you. I believe I have 2 more that are made in Mass. I collect vintage tools from Massachusetts.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the note! Athol had several different models, and all were of good quality, so you probably scored a nice vise! You can send pictures to [email protected]. There were a lot of great tool companies in Mass years ago, so that could keep you pretty busy!
??
I have a Athol 643 1/2 ×3 1/2 ×6 Double swivel base vise I am trying to find out some information on the vise i hear it is very rare
Hi Laura,
Sorry for the delay. I tried replying and I must not have clicked the right buttons afterwards and just saw it never posted. The 643 1/2 isn’t a common model, but it’s probably not something I’d say is extremely rare. Swivel jaw vises were always something of a niche market so they didn’t make that many of them, and unfortunately, they are a much weaker design so many were damaged by people trying to use them like normal vises. I’ve also seen quite a few that were modified to prevent them from swiveling….welding in place, bolts screwed into the pin hole, etc, etc. All of that makes them less common now, but it also really relegates them to fairly light duty and are more of a specialty item. Since it’s a 600 series number you can narrow it down to sometime between the early 1920s and later 1960s. After that they changed the name as well as the model numbers. That’s all that comes to mind right now. If you decide to sell it, there are actually some collectors who specialize in swivel jaw vises, so you shouldn’t have a problem there!
Thank you for your help just one more question could you give me what you feel is a good asking price
Just picked up an Athol machine co vise today and wondering where I can find info about it. I believe it’s a model 636?
I operate a small smithy and provide tours in the summer so I really like to know the history of my equipment.
The individual I bought it from had picked it up at an auction in Minnesota and restored it. They said they didn’t know anything else about the vise.
Hi,
I’m not familiar with a model 636, but I have seen a 626. If you send me a picture of each side I might be able to help more. [email protected] should work.
Hello Miviseguy. You mentioned a Athol model 626. I’ve recently got the chance to buy one. Were they a very popular model? Also, is there anyway to determine the year range it was manufactured in?
Its a beast at 180lbs.
Hi Adam,
Sorry, I must have missed this comment. The 626 is a great vise, but not one you run into all that often because of the size. I wouldn’t say they weren’t popular, but are so much more than almost anybody needs that they wouldn’t be a high volume item. Most welding and fabrication shops today use vises that are around 75lbs. The US Army uses Wilton C2s that weigh 95lbs on the trailers doing field maintenance on M1 tanks, so it takes some pretty big work to need anything the size of a 626. The other thing is the really big vises are very tall, so you almost have to mount them on a stand rather than your work bench or they’re too high to use for all but the tallest people. As far as the age goes, you can do some Google searches and probably narrow down when Athol changed their numbering system. I don’t recall offhand when that happened, but I have seen some of that information posted. If you find anything, come back and update me please!
I have an Athol Mfg. Co. Bench vise 6141/2 with 41/2″ – 6″ We are having a garage sale the end of the month. What price should I ask for it. It weighs a ton and we had it since 1960.
Hi Pam,
Sorry, I must have missed this post and it’s after the end of the month, so I assume you sold the vise. It’s really hard to gauge value without seeing a picture, and there is quite a bit of variation based upon location. In some areas they just don’t have many quality used tools compared with other areas, and that really drives up the price. I suspect a decent 614 1/2 with no damage and decent jaws is worth at least $150 almost anywhere, but that’s just a guess.
Hi there! Great info here. I am looking to replace a vise I used to have access to in an apartment I lived in when I first got married. It was an Athol 624X. I am having a hard time finding any information on this particular number vise. I’m finding the “X” is usually found on vises that begin with 3s and not 6s. I have a pic of the old vise and it doesn’t seem to have pipe jaws or pins for them either which is what I think the “X” signified. Any help is appreciated!
Hi John,
I’m not certain, but I think they used the X during a certain time frame, and it might coincide with the name changes over time. I don’t believe it has anything to do with pipe jaws as I’ve seen several models with an X that didn’t have pipe jaws. You’d have to do a Google search for something like “Athol” and “X” then see what images come up, then compare the markings on the side to see what timeframe they go with. I want to say the last couple I saw were marked with the Athol M&F company markings, but that’s just going off memory. Sorry I don’t have a better answer! I have seen some other brands that published a list showing old versus new names, but I’m not sure if Athol ever did that. If I find something along those lines I’ll be sure to update this.
Thanks so much for the response! I’ve seen a few lists showing old names and new names for Athol vises like you mentioned but have yet to find any solid leads on a 624X specifically. I know they made them! lol. Just can’t find anything about them and have yet to find one with the exact markings like the one I am looking to replace. I’ve seen a few “624N” vises via Google searches, etc. They seem to be more common and have similar markings and look almost exactly the same except for the base. But, similarly, I’ve yet to find a solid source for exactly what the “N” designates. My best guess right now is that it’s a reference to the swivel base, which seems to be a bit larger and heftier on the “N” models than on either the “X” vise I am hunting down or the other “624” vises (with no letter). But, like I said, that is just a guess. The hunt continues…thanks again for your help and enthusiasm. Much appreciated!
Hey John,
That certainly could be a possibility with the X meaning a variation with a different base. Athol did go through some slight changes over time, and they aren’t often well documented, so it wouldn’t surprise me a bit. I looked at three different 5″ Athols a few days ago, all fixed base, with the same model number, and none were exactly the same as far as markings go!
I’m thinking that with so many variations in numbering and in markings, getting rough dates for Athol vises should be pretty easy if only a master-index existed. I understand that’s a pretty big “if” though and putting together a master-index seems like it would be no small undertaking, if it’s even possible at all.
Does anybody know the original colors for an Athol vise? I’m planning a restoration.
Hi,
I have never seen anything official, but the earlier versions were likely black and the later versions were a light blue with some texture. In between I’m not really sure. Paint color comes up a lot and the problem is that there weren’t many color catalogs back then, fewer color pictures, and any examples existing with original paint are quite rare, and still subject to decades of fading, so it’s all a bit of guesswork. Sorry I don’t have a better answer!
I have purchased a big old Athol vise that appears to have a date of 1830 on it. It too have encrusted gunk on it. It sivele an has an under the bench locking mechanism.
Hi Jeff,
That date is probably 1880 as LaRoy Starrett wasn’t born until 1836. 1880 is actually the year Starrett lists as their founding year, so that probably fits. Either way, you’ve got an old vise there and the style with the swivel lock under the bench is definitely an earlier style. More often than not they are missing parts, so if you have the whole thing it’s a great find!
Continuing last post….it swivels. Has an under the counter locking mechanism. Seems kinda cool. I think it is a 16”. Weighs a ton.
It may be 1930. I would like to post a picture. Can I do that here?
Hi Jeff,
Unfortunately, I don’t have any way for anyone else to post pictures. I did a little more checking on patent dates, etc and there are none I can find associated with Athol, Starrett, or any of the various combinations of names that would fit 1880 or 1930. More than likely, it’s 1880 as that’s the date they use as their founding date and that was in the heyday for that style of vise with the locking mechanism under the bench.
Thanks so much for the information. By the way …all the parts seem to be there. Any suggestions how to sell it? It’s just to big and heavy for my needs.
Hi Jeff,
Right now Facebook Marketplace seems to be the best place to sell old tools. Craigslist still works, but doesn’t seem to have nearly as much traffic. Good luck selling it…I’m sure someone will be thrilled to have it!
Just took apart my dad’s old beater/welding/leave-it-outside vise. Cleaned it up and found A. M. Co. Athol, Mass. U.S.A. #81 1894. Wow! Cool!. Unfortunately it has a chunk knocked out of the anvil area but, in spite of all the dings, it still works. It won’t look as nice as that beauty of yours, but, it’ll see some more use and maybe a little more TLC in action. Is 1894 actually the date of manufacture? Thanks for your great info.
Hi Jim,
That’s a great find! I have seen a number of Athol vises with 1894 on them, but I’m not sure if it’s the year they were made. That year doesn’t match up with any patent dates, or any pattern of dating vises that I’ve seen used by Athol, but that’s not really definitive. Athol made a major expansion to their business and factory in 1894, so my guess is they were celebrating that in some fashion. It’s possible they decided to add the date for vises made the first year in the newly expanded facility, or something along those lines. Either way, your vise is pretty darned old and still on the job, which is great to hear! Thanks for sharing!