Getting back to the topic. I guess I'm the only old-timer I know who actually hated the Thompson A I tied on a couple of years back, though I'm not sure I tied on an original, probably a knock off. My problem wasn't so much the jaws as I recall as much as it was the C-Clamp moving all over the place. Conditions weren't optimal either, motel room furniture. In the '60s I dreamed of owning a Thompson A, the vise I had back then was crap.

For me, a good vise has to hold the hook like rock. A multitude of vises fill that bill wonderfully. Of the lower priced vises I've owned I really like the Griffin 2A. It isn't especially "convenient", but built like a battleship and holds the hook very well when fiddled with enough. I still have it and use it from time to time. All the really cheap vises ($20 range)from my distant past have been thrown away, and rightly so.

I'm amazed at how many really good vises are out there in all price ranges. I think this thread points out that it is difficult to come up with a vise that's just no good at all in the over $50 price range. We can all argue about the niceties and ergonomics of the expensive vises, but it's hard to argue with the fact that all the mainline vises over $50 are pretty decent these days, and that's great.
Eric