The Dawn vision is to develop, manufacture and market premium quality vices, clamps, and associated hand tools, providing high level of customer satisfaction rewarding and challenging workplace for our employees and to achieve
sustained profitable growth through dedication to service, quality, innovation and continual improvement.
The Dawn objective is to provide our customers with high quality, high performance vices, clamps and associated hand tools which offer superior value for money. It is our firm belief that our customers seek from us a service which goes beyond the product itself. We will anticipate correctly, future market requirements and provide competitive service to customers.
Each Dawn product has features that show the application of sound engineering practice and indicates a true understanding of requirements. Each product is an added reason for the enviable reputation for reliability that the “Dawn” trade mark stands for. The Dawn reputation means exceptional quality, reliability and maximum efficiency, while the trademark can be regarded with definite satisfaction as one that an Australian company is proud to place on every manufactured article delivered from their progressive factory to show that it is Australian ‘from pig iron to paint”..
Dawn commenced operations in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg, Victoria in 1917 under the name of Dawn
Manufacturing Co. It was founded by four brothers named Blake, who were all engineers. The first products
manufactured were vices. After the first world war, Dawn grew considerably and was selling its products all
over Australia.
During the second world war, Dawn was supplying vices and clamps to the Australian Defence Department.
In 1959, the company was taken over by the G.N. Raymond Group.
The Dawn catalogue then included a wide range of engineer’s vices, woodworker’s vices, plumber’s vices & equipment, G-clamps, quick-action clamps and toggle clamps. In 1973, Dawn was acquired by Siddons Ramset Limited. In December 1991, Dawn became a unit of the United States owned Stanley Works Pty. Ltd.
In November 1998, Dawn regained its 100% Australian ownership. On February 1 2017, Dawn Tools was
purchased by new owners who introduced new management in August 2017 to promote and expand the
Dawn brand for the next 100 years.
Our 100 years experience and investigation into the design and metallurgical practice are embodied in the
fabrication of Dawn’s premium quality products. Our customers have given enormous support to our policy
over the years to produce Australian products that compare with the world’s best.
Cast Iron (Semi-Steel)
The most commonly used vices for workshops and garages. DAWN manufacture the most comprehensive range of vices with in excess of 100 years’ experience in manufacturing vices has gone into design, accuracy, and gripping capacity. DAWN vices are unequalled for quality and value.
Swivel Base
Where an operation needs to be approached from several different
directions, the robust swivel base enables the vice to be smoothly
rotated through 360 degrees, so the work need not be removed from
the vice and relocated. Two holding down screws lock the vice firmly in
any position. The swivel base assembly can be purchased separately to
suit any size of Engineers’ vice.
Super Grade Heavy Duty
Super grade vices are the strongest in the range of vices that DAWN manufacture. It gives positive grip without springing. The vice body and slide are made from spheroidal graphite (S.G.) or ductile iron. This material is similar to cast steel in tensile strength and yet supremely rigid; ideal for heavy-duty applications such as chipping, hammering and automotive and truck servicing.