6 replies to this topic

[stuarthesmith]

I have owned this anvil since 1976. I bought it from a prince of a blacksmith named Jim Porteus, who was the resident blacksmith at the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum for decades. While visiting the museum, my parents and I related to him that I was serving an apprenticeship in a tool forging shop. Nice man that he was, he invited my family and I to dinner at his house, in nearby Oneonta, NY. After dinner, he took us down to his blacksmith shop, which was in a barn that he coinverted into a blacksmith shop and HOME. He was also an excellent carpenter, and his wife was an expert weaver, who also had her studio in that converted barn. Sitting on the floor was a beautiful "400 pound Fisher Eagle", which he kindly sold me for 300 dollars. I just took a good look at it the other day, 36 years later. There is a "4" on the front leg, and a "5" on the rear leg. Wow, the anvil is 450 pounds, not 400! Below are pictures. How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg!

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[Thomas Dean]

Probably because he was so excited that he HAD one and had aquired it from a person that he still admires....Nice score! Some folks gain WAY more than 50lbs in 36yrs, I'd say this weight gain is from muscle due to hard work and not fat!

[Farmall]

When you get that 500 # hay budden, I'll be glad to store that 450# Fisher for you. Obviously, you won't need 2 of that size!

[njanvilman]

I have owned this anvil since 1976. I bought it from a prince of a blacksmith named Jim Porteus, who was the resident blacksmith at the Cooperstown Farmer's Museum for decades. While visiting the museum, my parents and I related to him that I was serving an apprenticeship in a tool forging shop. Nice man that he was, he invited my family and I to dinner at his house, in nearby Oneonta, NY. After dinner, he took us down to his blacksmith shop, which was in a barn that he coinverted into a blacksmith shop and HOME. He was also an excellent carpenter, and his wife was an expert weaver, who also had her studio in that converted barn. Sitting on the floor was a beautiful "400 pound Fisher Eagle", which he kindly sold me for 300 dollars. I just took a good look at it the other day, 36 years later. There is a "4" on the front leg, and a "5" on the rear leg. Wow, the anvil is 450 pounds, not 400! Below are pictures. How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg!

Stewart

Have you weighed it? All of the 450 Fishers I have seen have a 45 on one leg. They never marked their anvil on two different legs(although with Fisher there is always a first time for anything).

[Timothy Miller]

I had a 450 it was a bit torch scarred. According to the the old company brochure reprinted in "Anvils in America" the only difference between a 400lb fisher was the 450lb is it is 3/4" taller all other measurements were the same.

[Colleen]

How can someone go nearly 4 decades using an anvil and not notice the "5" on the rear leg!

Did you recently get glasses, Stewart?

[stuarthesmith]

I wear glasses specifically to see your sweet posts in here!