I wanted to add to this and mention the Glacern Machine Tool vises as an alternative to the Kurts. Their castings are done overseas, but all their finish grinding and such is done domestically. Everyone I know that has one is extremely happy with them, and most of them have Kurts also, say they're comparable. They utilize the same downward force clamping style as the Kurts. They're basically designed as a direct competitor, but they're not as well known currently.

They're a bit cheaper than the comparable Kurt's retail, although sometimes you may find a coupon that mitigates the difference, and in that case, I'd go with the Kurt. GMT also runs some pretty awesome specials sometimes, so it's worth comparing the two. Also the standard model Glacern has features that line up with the higher end Kurts in many cases, so you can't usually compare the cheapest Kurt to the GMT.

GMT also has very nice R8 Spindle keyless drill chucks, with a guaranteed TIR of less than 0.0015", which is a great alternative to an Albrecht or Jacobs, and run about $130 on sale.