Wilton Tools 28819 | Wilton Tools 28819 675U, UTILITY VISE 5-1/2IN JAW W/SWIVEL BASE

Shop Wilton Tools for Automotive Kit in Canada 

As America's leader in industrial workholding equipment and striking tools for more than 80 years, Wilton Tools has a reputation for quality, durability and reliability that is unmatched by any other brand.

From 1941 through 1945, the new Wilton 40S machinist vise was manufactured in Chicago and sold solely to the US Government. Most vises were used in munitions factories or in manufacturing of equipment used during WWII.

After the war ended, the government dumped their surplus of tools and equipment into the marketplace at huge discounts. Because Wilton vises were only sold to the government, and did not have a distribution network in place, the surplus of vises now flooded the marketplace from the government, and nearly forced Wilton out of business.

Hugh Vogl, together with his son Alex who began working with his father in 1951, set out to build a solid distribution network. They decided to start with the automotive supply distribution network which was on the post war rise. Simultaneously, they decided it was time to expand the Wilton product line. In 1950, the 540 light-duty carriage clamps and 900 series heavy-duty machinist clamps were added to the line. These clamps were tested to deliver the maximum possible strength for each once of weight with a body made of refined malleable pearlitic castings with tensile strength ranging as high as 80,000 lbs psi. With spindles machined from high quality cold rolled steel stock and fitted with generously proportioned handles all sizes were equipped with modern precision cut acme threads.

Wilton Tools has undergone many changes, process and development from as early as 1400's until now and is, still ongoing holding many rich and significant histories. Throughout all the changes, over 73 years, the original bullet vise designed in 1941 by Hugh Vogl is still the largest selling industrial vise in the marketplace.

That's the meaning of Holding Strong Since 1941.