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Kitting Out Your Workbench: Benchcrafted’s Drool-Worthy Vise Hardware

As we saw with Jay Bates’ excellent workbench build, you can create an inexpensive vise using pipe clamps. But just out of curiosity I looked into the high end to see what’s on offer, and it appears that Iowa-based Benchcrafted makes some of the most highly prized U.S.-built vises on the market.

Benchcrafted’s designs, created by company founder Jameel Abraham and his father John, are both beautiful and highly functional. They’ve eschewed the standard T-handle in favor of a much more efficient wheel, which might seem an odd choice until you see the videos below. “I just want to make something because I think it’s neat. My interest is to create useful things and hope they sell,” Jameel told Popular Woodworking. 

“When I’m in the shop working I want tools that are highly refined and work well. That’s what appeals to me and that’s how I approach products for Benchcrafted." Take a look at their sexy tail/wagon/end vise:

Moving to the front of the workbench, Benchcraft offers this gorgeous Glide leg vise, which features three handles (so that one never needs to reach down too far) and a St. Peter’s Cross mechanism to keep it parallel:

These are manufactured in the U.S.A. to high tolerances and don’t come cheap. The hardware for the cast version of the tail vise will set you back $295, whereas the machined version will run you $369; the Glide leg vise rings in at $369 for the cast version, $479 for the machined. I’m going to start saving up now.