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This is a 4" Trenton vise. It has a stamp ORIGINAL TRENTON 40 and weighs exactly that, about 40 lbs. While it was rather grimy with up to 1/8" layer of dirt stuck to it, it was almost not rusty at all. Complete disassembly and a little cleaning with solvent, oven cleaner and a stationary wirebrush did wonders. The point of a blacksmith vise is to be able to withstand heavy pounding that is given to parts that are held in it. Here's a good example of a Wilton 400S vise that disintegrated due to repeated pounding -- and this is despite them being very premium vises made of cast steel! AnvilFire has a good discussion of featured of blacksmith vises. Unlike bench vises, these are wrought iron forgings and withstand heavy pounding without cracking.
