CW Product Review: Graham Tools Vise Soft Jaws

Man not only has his vices, he also has his vises, which brings me to another useful item from Graham Tools: the Vise Soft Jaws (part #001; $20). These polyurethane inserts slip over the steel jaws of a bench vise and are secured by two rare-earth magnets embedded in each piece. The Jaws are soft enough that you can clamp delicate or easily scratched parts (plastic or painted pieces, polished or chromed engine covers, etc.) in the vise without the risk of damaging them, yet they are hard enough to hold less-fragile items firmly in place.

As with the stethoscope, Graham Tools is not an exclusive marketer of soft vise jaws. But I like these because they are wider than usual (most others I've used are 4 inches wide) and can easily be cut with a hacksaw to fit narrower vises. What's more, their serrated faces do a better job of holding delicate parts in place with only light clamping force, and their rare-earth magnets secure them to the vise more firmly than do the weaker magnets on other soft jaws I have.