I keep having this problem with my jaws locking.
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When <A HREF="/21centbs/bios/peterson/index.htm">William Petersen invented Vise-Grips</A> as universal  tongs, little did he know that his invention would later become the most commonly used clamp for welding and that welders, rather than blacksmiths would have dozens in their tool boxes.
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While Vise-Grips were not the immediate success with blacksmiths that Petersen expected the invention took off with mechanics, the tradesmen that were rapidly replacing blacksmiths at the time.  
Today, many blacksmiths who are not brought up in the trade using tongs find Vise-Grips a very good substitute.  And Frank Tabor found them a good source for a welder's cartoon.