The vise came with a slotted top. I contacted the seller and he only replied that they are new devices. Since these arrived in the box with the product, I have to assume they are brand new "seconds". The vise works, but it's clear that this vise doesn't require a lot of torque or any sort of hammer blow. It's cheap to several other sellers selling it under their own name as I'm sure you saw when you bought it. The identical and slightly more expensive ones seem to have a better/nicer finish. The vise wobbles slightly when the object is closed. These vices are also good, but for very light work! In my opinion it won't be long before the castings don't crack. I'm going to leave it knowing that it will most likely break and then I'll replace it with a Panavise with the extra C-clamp part like I was supposed to have from the start. In the end you get what you pay for.