Chas Parker tools

[Francis Kennedy]

I realize this is a Site for Parker guns, but not sure where else to ask this question.
A friend, not a computer person/would not even know how to turn one on, has a Chas Parker vise. He is trying to find out about the company history of such tools. If any members are familiar with such, can you help me/him with this?
Again, I realize this is not a tool forum, so if the moderators deem it not appropriate, please delete.

Francis

[TARNATION !!!]

Found a number of references on google search for "chas parker vise" Here is some interesting information copied from this site

"The Meriden Enterprise Center is a large manufacturing plant that is home to over 60 businesses, located in the center of Connecticut.

The plant was the former home of companies such as the Charles Parker company, known for the manufacture of the Springfield rifle and the development of one of the early repeating rifles in the mid- nineteenth century. Charles Parker was born in 1809 and rose from poverty to become one
of Connecticut’s leading industrialists. He also became the city of Meriden's first mayor. He started his manufacturing career inventing and producing coffee mills in a small shop in 1832.

By 1860, he owned several large factories and employed hundreds of people, in and around Meriden. Parker products included hardware and house wares, flatware, clocks, lamps, piano stools and benches, vises, coffee mills, industrial machinery, and, after 1862, guns. Guns, however, never
amounted to more than 10 percent of Parker’s business. Charles Parker died in 1901 and his descendants carried on his businesses until 1957. The Great Depression of the 1930s took its toll on the Parker enterprise and it never fully recovered. Parker products have now become “collector’s items,” especially the Parker shotguns. The Charles Parker Company sold its gun facility and the rights to the Parker gun
to Remington Arms Company in 1934, and Remington continued the Parker shotgun line until World War II.
The attraction by collectors to the Parker shotgun comes because of the gun’s inherent quality and beauty.
The Parker gun is an American classic".

[Francis Kennedy]

Jack,

Thank you for finding that information. I never knew that Parker was involved with tool and machine sales. I am sure that my friend will find this fascinating.

Francis

[Bruce Day]

The Parker Story by Price, Mullins et al contains a chapter on all products of the Chas Parker Company, with illustrations and copies of catalog pages. TPS is necessary for any serious student of Parker shotguns and Parker things. TPS also answers the majority of questions posed on this forum.

[Bindlestiff]

I found some information in "The Parker Story" on vises for you. According to it, no other American manufacturer of vises produced more vises and vise models. Most models were offered in at least four sizes. They produced them for over 110 years and they ranged in size from tiny jewelers vises to huge vises in excess of 200 lbs.

There are about 10 pages devoted to vises in volume II of "The Parker Story" which gives a brief history of the vise business and shows detailed advertising of many of their offerings from the 1886 hardware and housewares' catalog and a Parker vise catalog.

A good reference if your interested in Parker vises.

[Bill Murphy]

Mr. Morin's (vice) of buying shotguns is, for sure, a vice. The (vise) on Mr. Morin's bench is, for sure, a vise. This is not a spelling lesson, but it it neccesary to use the "vise" version when searching internet sites, like ebay, for Parker vises. Parker vises are priced in the stratosphere on ebay but finding one near home may give you an advantage in both price negotiation and shipping charges. There is a reproduction of a 150 page Charles Parker catalog at ebay item #310209926636 for twenty bucks plus six bucks shipping. It is a neat book, full of information.

[Bruce Day]

I have a Parker vice and am still looking for a Parker vise.

Spent about an hour yesterday looking through an ancient tin ceilinged hardware store with shelf after shelf full of old stuff, some new old stuff still in boxes. We don't get much Parker hardware out here, it mostly stayed east, so didn't find anything Parker.

[Autumn Daze]

Maybe its an east coast thing but I had a Parker vise on my tool makers bench for 29 years and all the shops I worked in had Parker vises everywhere.In fact I have one down in my fabrication shop here at work! The very small 2" vises bring a premium on EBay.They are very cool. About my other vices.....na... lets stay on topic here....

[Bill Murphy]

Francis, if you will read the fine print at ebay, the "Paypal only" rule is just a scare tactic. Every seller I have dealt with has accepted my check. The sellers don't like the ebay tactics any more than the buyers do. I don't ask permission to avoid Paypal until I win the item. Ebay has enforced the "rule" by deleting the mailing address of the seller from the invoice. If you contact the seller, they will be glad to accept the check and provide their mailing address. Some sellers have gone to war with ebay by posting "No Paypal" on their ads.

[Kevin McCormack]

I have had at least a half dozen Parker vises over the last 10 years, mostly the large bench-mounted varieties. Best price I ever got was $125 for the standard large bench mounted version. In my experience the smaller the size, the bigger the bucks on resale. Best of all possible deals is to NOT have to pay shipping! BTW; they are a sure seller at gun shows and PGCA annual meetings if priced fairly!!