Simon James Holdfasts (Pair) with Free 19mm Auger Reviews

4.8 Rating 8 Reviews

Supplied in pairs, these wonderful holdfasts are made by engineer turned cabinetmaker and author Simon James, they have been very cleverly designed with careful attention paid to finding the optimal combination of angles, arm length and temper to work in any solid benchtop, apron or leg from 1" to 3½"" thick.They function superbly, and can almost be set with hand pressure alone, so with a bosh from a mallet they grip incredibly tightly.To release the holdfasts just bash them on the back and they will pop free.Simon checks and tests each holdfast, then marries them up in individually matched pairs, so you get very consistent clamping pressures from both.FREE Star-M F-Type 19mm Auger bit worth £11.50 will be included with every pair of holdfasts.
To fit 19mm (¾") bench dog holes
Overall length: 13½"
Clearance required below the top surface of the bench: 10½"
Capacity: 6-7"
Hand forged in the UK.
Video review by Sumoken here: https://youtu.be

Visit Product Page

“They work great, my bench is a bit on the tick side, so I had to use an over size bit on the bottom of the work top, but that's no big deal they work great.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Perfect name, the hold and they do it fast, with a quick release too. I am just a weekend hobbyist working on items like bookshelves, bathroom cupboards and small tables. I had been considering these for a number of years but thought them overhyped and more of a prestige tool. They are so not. I have 2 for years now and use them all the time. You know that thrill when a tool just works? - that's what I get when I whack top with the mallet and the wood just stays there. Another bosh and it's loose. The simple genius of our forefathers in very well-fracted piece of kit. I even augered another set of holes from front to back in the middle of my bench to accommodate how much I use them. I have a 4"- thick yellow pine workbench, just a self-build, with holes end-to-end across the top. I got tired of working out the tight fit bench dogs so widened some of the the original 3/4" holes to 20mm. These work a breeze in both the 19mm holes and the widened ones. I've seen options of leather socks, but find a piece of scrap wood, even thin ply with a rough face, serves me OK. There's about 10.5" of tail (below the level of the face of the clamp), so if you've got stuff under there, watch where you put the holdfasts, or have a clear out :o)”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 months ago

“Work perfectly on my 4 inch bench. Speedy delivery and reasonable price”

Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“Fantastic”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“These are great. They really lock things down on your work surface and easily tap out when you want to move things around. They are beautifully made and I like the sense of using an 'old-fashioned' tool that works so well.”

Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“When I received these I was impressed at the heft and quality - they have a nice rough surface which grabs well in my 3/4 inch dog holes with one firm mallet tap. The issue I have is that the tips don't lie flat on the wood in use - when secured down, there is still an approximately 10 degree slope to the holding surface. This means that all the pressure is concentrated on the tip of the holdfast, rather than spread out across the pad, which means it will dent your piece unless you use another block of wood as a sacrificial piece. I've tried gluing leather to the tips, but it doesn't make any difference.”

1 Helpful Report

Posted 5 years ago

“They hold really well, the finish is fantastic, just a really good quality product.”

Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

“Brilliant holdfasts, I have been using these since the day came out. Highly recommended”

Helpful Report

Posted 8 years ago