Moxon Vise

If you’re unfamiliar with a Moxon vise, it’s a benchtop vise designed for doing handwork, such as cutting dovetails. One of the first places this style of vise was shown was in Joseph Moxon’s “The Art of Joinery” from the 17th century — hence the name. Most Moxon vises clamp to the bench with clamps or holdfasts and ours features a small benchtop with dog holes for extra accessories. For tasks such as chopping the waste out of dovetails or for carving, you’ll appreciate the extra height. The heart of any Moxon vise is the pair of hand wheels that move the front chop to clamp workpieces. Here, we’ve opted to go with the best — a Moxon vise kit from Benchcrafted. Yes, they’re a splurge, but they’re worth it in my opinion. If you’re a more frugal woodworker, you could make your own using hardware from McMaster Carr.