Lewey, I winced when I read your injury report. I have done that myself, several times in the past - them swiss tools is sharp! As we get older, we get smarter (hopefully). I have always been on the constant search to come up with more efficient ways to get things done, especially whe there is a vloume of work to complete. Vising has alway been a sticking point for me. I have tried many different systems, and although they are always good for something, I have never been completely satisfied
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Have you heard of Grip-All Jaws? This gentleman makes these units one by one, by hand, and sells them out. Very good for clamping unusual shapes (great for figure carving), but still not so good for sticks and canes. I actually endorsed the products and did a review on them in Woodcarving Illustrated, and in turn received a unit of each type. I love them for other work, but again, not so good for sticks. We tried a few things, but ehhh.
Check out the site:
http://www.gripalljaws.com/
As I mentioned before, I came up with something that suits me well. Simple but effective, and very similar to an old foot-pressure clamp that, I believe, bow makers use...? I am in the office now; when I get home, I will post the image.