‘Workmate’ Model 625, combined vice and workbench, made by Black & Decker, UK, until 1979. This model replaced for the first time the aluminium die castings from earlier models with steel pressings to reduce cost.

The Model 625 Workmate became the mainstay of high volume manufacture of Ron HIckman's 'Workmate'. It was much cheaper to produce the Workmate in steel than using aluminium castings. There were other advantages too: if a workmate was dropped, there was a risk that an aluminium casting would break, whereas steel would bend first.