Review—Gramercy Holdfasts

Just got mine hot from the Fed Ex man. I'd been lusting for the feel of steel in my calloused mitt. I have now had it for about an hour-and-a-half and I'm ready to give an in-depth evaluation of the ins and outs, ups and downs, wax-ons and wax-offs of a superior tool. My bench is about 2¼" thick hard maple. I have ¾" dog holes. I wedged a yellow pine 2x4 with my two new holdfasts and commenced to get medieval on the board with a half-inch chisel. One tap from the dead blow kept the holdfast holding fast. Releasing it took two or three blows.

Compared to the cast made-in-Taiwan models I own, these Gramercys are like some advanced alien life form competing against single-celled protozoa. I know, I know. This isn't what most people (including myself) want by way of a report of use but these are simple tools that are done right. They have already been reported on by professionals.

All I can really add here is that these work the way I had thought the made-in-Taiwan variety was supposed to work when I bought them. For a long time, I thought it was another example of my inabilities. I would try to lodge them into the dog hole and sometimes they would take, sometimes not. Even when they did wedge the board, once I began working on it they would loosen very quickly. I seriously did work out on the 2x4 with the Gramercy holdfasts; chopping, paring, sawing, nibbling on them with my incisors like a beaver; nothing moved. Gosh I've needed these for a long time.