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Tom Littleton
November 26th, 2003, 02:16 PM
I am hearing, with alarming and seemingly reliable frequency, that Thompson
Vise Co. is going out of business(or has, at this writing). This is indeed sad,
as it seems that a huge percentage of tyers started with a Thompson model A
vise, many still using same. Any definite confirmation on this one, any
comments?
Tom

mmcgr
November 28th, 2003, 03:03 AM
Tom Littleton wrote:

> I am hearing, with alarming and seemingly reliable frequency, that Thompson
> Vise Co. is going out of business(or has, at this writing). This is indeed sad,
> as it seems that a huge percentage of tyers started with a Thompson model A
> vise, many still using same. Any definite confirmation on this one, any
> comments?
>
Tom

That particular incarnation of the company may go under, but the
trademark, the design and the dies for making the model A vises will
likely in time pass to other hands, and we'll see it again. I doubt that
the current owners can trace much of a connection beyond what I just
said to the original owners and designer. I expect it's come and gone
several times the the hundred or so years the design has been around.

The really unfortunate thing to have happen would be like what happend
to the old Pflueger Medalist reel. The old ones were fairly cheap but
made of good robust materials. Currently they're made in China out of
very soft aluminum it doesn't take much of knock to bend the frame out
of round and bind the spool. I supect it's not the const of a harder
aluminum alloy that's the problem. Rather it's the dies for cutting the
parts last longer with the soft stuff.

Mike