Patent application? Is there anything protectable in there? I would have thought that the use of a rapidly adjustable jaw that then grips against teeth before being finally tightened is a pretty well worn design concept. I thought you were taking that and making it on a scale that better suited lighter weight, multi material "maker" working than the traditional wood and metal working that traditional vises have been developed for. I'm not particularly against protecting intellectual property but intrigued as to what wizardry the vise may now contain!  

I'd say there is a bit of magic in it!  We'll see how protectable it is.  It was an effort to get the core mechanism to produce the user experience we are looking for.  And, now that it is.. the vise is over-performing.  So, patenting has come as more of an after-thought.  We're not worried about someone taking the idea... but, a patent might be useful if a bigger company wants to buy the design.

I agree you potentially have a neater valuation if you get your patent. I hope the process doesn't eat into too much of your hard-won startup funds. Looking forward to an introduction to the inner workings.