Which Engraving Vise to get...

[Motome]

So I am finally getting to the point I want to invest in a decent vise. I have been looking around, but there are so many options, and having never used one I don't know what to pay for and what not. I have switched from hammer to a pneumatic, but I haven't used it much. Beyond that I know I will be doing coins, and probably guns in the future. Any thoughts on what to get? Do I need a positioning vise? I don't yet have a microscope, but that may be in the future. I am looking on eBay, but I know to stay away from the Chinese ones. I am leaning toward a palmvise, or a GRS standard, simply because of cost, unless I get a deal on an antique from eBay. What should I be looking for?

[Dave London]

If guns are in the future I would get a Lindsay Goliath 30 pound vise, you can add a turntable later as well as the microscope.
for coins and jewelry the palm control vise is excellent

[MikeDubber]

Choosing the correct engravers vice is a very personal and specific process...it includes a complete understanding of what you will need to securely hold the subject while you engrave. I move from bench to bench for different setups and I engrave the items of the day using the Lindsay PC Vise for jewelry and other small pieces, my old 38 pound Laturneau block for mid weight objects, and now, my most recent acquisition, the 90 pound Lindsay Titan.

I've recently read some back-and-forth commentary questioning why anyone would need a 90 pound engravers vise. Well, the answer is that everyone does not. But for my money, the Titan is the perfect size for larger objects -things that need to remain absolutely rigid and vibration free throughout the engraving process. I can depend on this vise to hold things rigid like the large frame Colt Python. This piece is held in inside vice jaws, and some of the engraving areas are off the center of the vise. I've always experienced vibration and movement with lighter vises when cutting these kinds of areas.

So, going back to the initial conversation, first you need to choose a quality vise - and probably not a Chinese knock off. You are going to have to depend on the weight, smooth rotation, accuracy and overall quality of this essential piece of engraving equipment every day. Yes, the Titan is considerably heavier than the Goliath or the Tourneau, but when it's in use you don't feel all of that dead weight, you feel the same smooth rotation that you feel in smaller vises. What you don't feel is vibration or movement in your engraving object.

If your goals are to engrave firearms, the Lindsay PC is likely not large enough to hold many gun parts. The Lindsay Goliath is a sound choice, because it has the capability for hold small to large objects. For those of us who have specific needs to hold large and heavy pieces for fine engraving, the Lindsay Titan works better than any vise I have ever owned.