When I evaluated vise hardware in FWW #205 (“14 Bench Vises”), I chose the $230 Veritas Twin Screw as best overall. But now that I’ve tested Lie-Nielsen’s version, I have a new favorite. Admittedly, $285 is a lot to spend, but I think a good bench vise is the most important tool in my shop and what you get from Lie-Nielsen is extremely well-made hardware that will likely last your lifetime and your grandkids’ too.

Lie-Nielsen’s vise has a couple of major advantages over the Veritas. First off, the wooden jaw completely encloses the chain mechanism. I’ve nicked the aluminum chain cover on the Veritas while cutting half-blind dovetails, which isn’t good for the cover or the saw. Lie-Nielsen’s sealed design also prevents dust and dirt from gumming up the works. In addition, Lie-Nielsen’s single handle takes up less room and is easier to work around than the pair of handles on the Veritas.

You can make the wooden vise jaws yourself (it’s a pretty simple pattern) or buy hard maple jaws from Lie-Nielsen. They’re available in 8-, 12-, 18-, and 24-in. sizes and they sell for between $60 and $90. The jaws I tried were perfectly machined and nicely finished.

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