Thanks for the recommendations! I have a caliper (I reload&cast) and scribe. Oddly enough I don't have a vise. I'd rather not get a heavy duty vise given my government issued nomadic lifestyle - would a clamp on vise, parrot vise or something like that be strong enough to push against for filing?
My wife rolled her eyes when she saw me pricing sanders
Good to know a fellow caster! Been casting close to 30 years now.
Regarding vises, I understand you not wanting a 60+ lbs vise. Simply go as large as you feel comfortable with.
Your vise selection will be determined by the size and nature of your projects.
I would look at a medium-sized bench vise; something in the neighborhood of 10 lbs or better.
Jaw capacity is a large issue here- you want one with enough capacity to handle the widest item you work on + jaw pads.
Fortunately, for most knifemaking purposes we do not need large capacity.
Another (vise) issue is versatility. For many people, it's nice to have the ability to have the vise adjust in angle, rather than the worker adjust angle of the file stroke.
This is what makes items like the Parrot Vise, PanaVise, etc. very attractive.
At the risk of upsetting current owners, I have to recommend staying away from the Parrot Vise. At first it seems like a good concept- the same mechanism that tightens the jaws also locks the rotating head assembly. But the quality on mine was so poor that even though the jaws would tighten, the head would still rotate. Others have stated problems with cheap castings (broken mounting flanges, etc.).
So if you want that type of versatility with quality and durability, consider the PanaVise line. Check it out on BossDog's page here:
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/tools-hand-power-panavise-line-c-96_46.html
Or later down the road, when all of this becomes more an obsession rather than a hobby (and it probably will), consider purchasing or fabricating one of these:
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/knife-vise-swivel-base-p-1715.html
James Terrio made excellent mention of a simple 2x4 with C-clamps. Simple and cheap, yet very practical, strong, and durable.
Even an el-cheapo medium-duty bench vise will work for the overwhelming majority of your needs, and it doesn't necessarily have to be permanently mounted. But I would try to avoid the clamp-on vise that uses a single screw underneath for mounting- these types of vises tend to shift under heavier pressures.
Back when I worked on jobsites, I needed a portable setup. My bench consisted of a 24"x48" plywood top resting on breakdown sawhorses. The little 3-1/2" bench vise was permanently mounted to a 8"x8" piece of 3/4" plywood, which was then C-clamped to the benchtop.
The "portable vise setup" (vise, platform, and C-clamps) weighed less than 15 lbs, and all of it fit in a flat rate box. Had less than $20 invested in it.
Simple as it seems, that method served me well for near 20 years.
BTW, if SWMBO is rolling her eyes about the grinders/sanders, don't forget to mention the increased efficiency and harmony you're trying to bring in to the kitchen. You know, sharper kitchen knives (to make it easier on her), better-looking kitchen knives (for her), higher-quality kitchen knives (for her), knives made by you (expressly for her, of course), etc.
If you're the primary kitchen dweller of the family, then please disregard the above, as I don't know what else to say except hopefully she's the outdoors type!
On a final note,
THANK YOU for your military service.
Good Luck,
Rob