knife vise/revised edition!!!

[Leftieshot]

Question for everyone.  What type of vise does everyone here use to hold the blade while doing any sort of work.
I started this venture with an old Craftsman vise I inheritted from my late father-in-law.  I made new soft aluminum jaws with a step in the top about .080" deep so the thickness of the blade is above the jaws.
Unfortunetly the vise had been abused severely before I got it and its time for a new one.  Is there a knife specific vise?  Or how can a standard vise be modified for knife making?
Feel free to post a pic of you vise.

[Lin Rhea]

A knife vise is the way to go. Here is what I use. The man who makes them is a good friend of mine. He supplies these to several of the knife suppliers around the country. It works for all but the very largest of blades and he's working on that. Currently I belive it is in Pop's Knife Supply and Sheffield's catalog for around $90. You'd have to look. Lin
 

[Leftieshot]

Thats a cool vise, definately a specific use.

[OconeeDan]

That vise that Lin posted is sold by Pops.  I use a panavise, available at all knife supply companies.

[sticshooter]

I have 3. One is kinda like Lins made it at work. Use it for holding the blade when sanding the handles<><

[Lin Rhea]

I also have what's called a parrot vise, but have not had time to mount it to my bench. I'm thinking it will be a good one for knives.

 I find good points to different vises, so like bows and knives, you can have more than one.

                             Lin

[kbaknife]

Here's my version of that same vise. I found a 2 foot section of square tubing on a job site some years back. Drilled some holes, welded some nuts on and used some other "dumpster" steel and welded up three of them. I doubt if I have 20 bucks in all three. I placed them at different heights and places around the shop for easy access.
 

As well, I made a work station thatt allows me to access the knife from all directions. I got tired of having a knife in a vise and only being able to access it as far as the front edge of the bench! (I think I said bad words??) Anyway, this allows easy access for approaching the knife from almost all the way around.
 

 

I also got tired of not being able to find the right file! This was made from an overhead light diffuser and keeps the files safe from banging into each other and lets me find the file I want.

[JEFF B]

now that there is a cool idea i like it  

[sticshooter]

Karl your shop is as clean as mine        <><

[tippit]

My knife vise mounts to a swivel base.  I do mainly small knives so it works great for file work and handles...tippit

 

[LC]

Well I made a knife vise inspired from my $50 dollar knife book. Been using it clamped in my vise for awhile. But after seeing kbaknife's post I decided to mount it on a old taxidermy deer mounting stand that I no longer use. So far it's working great. Can extend it out way past my bench so I can stand behind the knife and file and of course can rotate it 360 degrees.

[kbaknife]

That is a cool idea!!
I love stuff like that.

[Leftieshot]

I did end up making my own.  Thank sfor all the input.  I'm currently working on one that will hold (completely) a 12" blade.

[Leftieshot]

Well they are finished.  I really enjoyed building them and have already used the small one.  I don't know how I made knives with out it.  I did have to raise it 10" to get it higher, but WOW what a nice bench tool!!!!

Here's the 12" model I built for bowie sized knives.  This dude is HEAVY!!  I came up a bit short but is still 11.5" deep and 2" max. inside the jaws.

And here's the smaller one riding piggy back for comparison.


Oops, I still need to install the rubber jaw pads!

[OconeeDan]

Wow, that is nice Leftie!

[Leftieshot]

Thanks Dan, even welded it myself.  Hopefully they hold!

[Lin Rhea]

Shore is nice. It would be great for large bowies.
                  Lin