acxlll Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I've always wanted a a stubby, massive anvil with thick waist and slightly convex face. The closest pattern that matches would probably be a french 'pig' anvil. If only it had a solid base instead of those tiny feet... Well whatd'ya know, here's what i managed to score yesterday :) She comes in at 105kg (230 lbs) and cost me an even 100$. Great condition, with no major damage and nice rebound. In our country 95% of all anvils are soviet standard models, they're cheap, plenty and ugly. About 4.9% are pre-soviet era eastern european cast iron with carbon steel face... they are ok, but the quality is not the best, most of them has issues with face delaminating or missing big chunks. The remaining 0.1% are the exotic foreigners (germans and swedes mostly). So imagine my surprise when I saw this french babe up for sale! The guy who sold it said he found it tearing down some old barns, he thought it was a regular piece of soviet junk. I can't even imagine how it got here considering how far away France is and how little connection whatsoever we've had with them. Any European guys know anything about the age/make of this beauty? And here is the regular soviet chunk of steel for comparison (97kg cast steel). Seems that is wasn't hardened, so rebound is XXXX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausfire Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 That has to be the bargain of the year. You did well. Let's see what you make with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Well done sir. Why not edit your profile to show your general location - you never know you might have an IFI member near by. That looks like a lovely anvil. A real chunky monkey. How is it for rebound/ ring? Will that hardy hole present you any troubles for tools? I understand the hole is curved? All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Is that the German S&S stamp on there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Very nice anvil! I really like that design because, like you said, it's got great lines. The french pig anvils are very nice and I like them better than London-pattern anvils. Your find, though, is definitely unique and quite attractive. I'll look forward to seeing what you forge with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpankySmith Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 $100? I think I'm going to go crawl away somewhere and cry. WHY can't I find such deals?!?!? Awesome for you, though, I agree that's the deal of a century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acxlll Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 It rings like steel (no cast iron thunk) but not as obnoxious as the soviet one. I guess that's because the shapes are thicker and there are less thin/corner areas for high pitch sounds. The face is hard and rebounds very well. The top lettering is very weak, almost unreadable, it might say S&S or it might be S and a bunch of numbers. I can't really tell. Is S&S a german anvil maker? Finding a deal like this is actually quite simple, just keep checking the classified ads in 500km radius 3 times a day for 6 months and snatch it up a couple of hours after it's put up for sale... Now that actually sounds like something a crazy person would do :) but I guess i am a bit 'nuts' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 S&S = Sichelschmidt & SchlasseGerman anvils that were advertised as "unbreakable".The ones I've seen were top notch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 a French pattern German anvil?... interesting. it's true that I saw even a Swedish made French pattern anvil. that interesting feature that some of the French anvils have, is the horns convexity that continues over the face. you have a surface that evolves from convex to flat. o some used ones you have even a slight dished area. so, congratulations, nice anvil. I'm a big fan of the French anvils. (un)fortunately I am some 2000 km far from France... French anvils are generally of very good quality. you can find a lot of them in very good condition. or maybe the smiths used them the right way. if you want to get really sick, just visit http://www.leboncoin.fr/annonces/offres/ile_de_france/occasions/?f=a&th=1&q=enclume and scroll down trough tenths of pages full of anvils. from time to time (quiet often) you can see fantastic occasions. at any time you can buy very nice anvils to prices up to 150 euros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acxlll Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 S&S = Sichelschmidt & Schlasse German anvils that were advertised as "unbreakable". The ones I've seen were top notch. Interesting... German maker seems more likely than French. It could've been brought back after either of the world wars as spoils. There looks to be a similar model somewhere further in this pamphlet, perhaps made for export - '> Hard to tell though. a French pattern German anvil?... interesting. it's true that I saw even a Swedish made French pattern anvil. that interesting feature that some of the French anvils have, is the horns convexity that continues over the face. you have a surface that evolves from convex to flat. o some used ones you have even a slight dished area. so, congratulations, nice anvil. I'm a big fan of the French anvils. (un)fortunately I am some 2000 km far from France... French anvils are generally of very good quality. you can find a lot of them in very good condition. or maybe the smiths used them the right way. if you want to get really sick, just visit http://www.leboncoin.fr/annonces/offres/ile_de_france/occasions/?f=a&th=1&q=enclume and scroll down trough tenths of pages full of anvils. from time to time (quiet often) you can see fantastic occasions. at any time you can buy very nice anvils to prices up to 150 euros. Wow, that link can make a man crazy... So much choice and the prices are not half bad. I'm glad that I am also more than 2000 km away :) Found a few that are very similar to my anvil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 well, looking more attentively at the marking, it seems that's not S&S, but S&Cie (S&Co. in Frech), so it's an original French one. In which country do you live? BTW, those feet on the "pig" anvils aren't so tiny. I have a "pig" anvil and is very stable. I think that pattern is the most demanding to forge from all the anvils. those who forged them were really masters of the craft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakesshop Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 S&S stamp doesn't quite match the marks on my S&S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acxlll Posted October 17, 2014 Author Share Posted October 17, 2014 well, looking more attentively at the marking, it seems that's not S&S, but S&Cie (S&Co. in Frech), so it's an original French one. In which country do you live? BTW, those feet on the "pig" anvils aren't so tiny. I have a "pig" anvil and is very stable. I think that pattern is the most demanding to forge from all the anvils. those who forged them were really masters of the craft. The pig feet are pretty and I don't doubt that they are very difficult to forge. I just like the solid base as it seems a more practical solution. I live in Latvia btw. S&S stamp doesn't quite match the marks on my S&S. You are right, the marks are not that similar. Perhaps it is a French made anvil after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 it's sure 99.99999% french. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero_sum Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 http://www.leboncoin.fr/annonces/offres/ile_de_france/occasions/?f=a&th=1&q=enclume and scroll down trough tenths of pages full of anvils. from time to time (quiet often) you can see fantastic occasions. at any time you can buy very nice anvils to prices up to 150 euros. Thank you for posting this link...I mean I am looking at 100kg plus anvils if good shape for 300 euros or less! It is so good compared to the market in ireland that it would pay for the short ferry and the petrol to pick it up. People want 300 euro for a 80 pound anvils that have lost chucks from their edges here, some sort of inflated garden antique mentality. I luckily got mine free from my uncle because it was my grandads and he like the idea of someone in the family using it again after 40 plus years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matei campan Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 the anvil richest area in France, the best prices and anvils are in the north-western area of France just over the water from Britain, well not so close to Ireland. I saw many GREAT anvils for the prices of 100 and below. an year ago I almost bought a over 250kg double horned anvil, with upsetting block, in perfect condition, just needed to be wire-brushed and oiled. I failed just because the transporter could only pass by the seller in the afternoon, and the seller was available only in the morning, and had a second buyer... I even saw a 118cm long, 35cm (that was was well over 300kg), not the "pig pattern", but the one with wide base as the one in this topic, at asking price of 150euros, in perfect condition, which stayed unsold by months... and so on. and if you can imagine, two anvils of around 150kg for 25 euros... those were sold within days. and the french anvils doesn't seem to have delaminating, severe chipping, and other issues common on the London pattern ones I'm seeing on this forum (or is just selective observation). I only saw two anvils with delaminated chunks but hose seem to have been struck by bombs during the war... and the face plates are THICK, something like over 1inch, the horns are hardened... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 Hmm my oldest Granddaughter; is in a French immersion program at school; I wonder if she would like to visit France.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 I was given one of those to use at my forging station at the Forcalquier Conference in Provence in 2012. I will see if I can find a photo or two. Before the event I saw it in Stephane Chevalier's forge and thought it looked wonderful. I was told it was a farrier's anvil. I can thoroughly recommend the Forcalquier event, they held another this year a couple of weeks ago but I could not go, but am hoping to next time. As a dedicated tool making and power tool using (hard work avoiding) type of blacksmith, I have still not forgiven Stephane for only telling me that they were banning power hammers from the event AFTER I had agreed to take part! :) Still as a master at least I did not have to swing a sledge! Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madwing Posted October 17, 2014 Share Posted October 17, 2014 i agree with matei, it's s&cie. take a look at this website: http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/anthropology/collections/index.asp?xAction=Search&RecStyle=Full&Page=20&OrderBy=CatNums&Category=[any]&CollectionName=[any]&GlobalRegion=Europe&PageStyle=Multiple&PageSize=20 and go to catalog no. CAS 0389-1205. they have a measuring mug marked S & CIE. it's a measuring mug. there are three french silversmiths that used that mark: Séraphin & Cie, Schall & Cie, and Sauvezon & Cie. they also used these marks (dated) respectively: a scarab (1910), a cross ring (1907), and a basket (1878). french for anvil is "enclume". i couldn't find anything more. beautiful anvil, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Evans Posted October 18, 2014 Share Posted October 18, 2014 I found a couple of photographs of the anvil I used in Provence, my strikers are Boris Klein (France) and Maud Latot (Belgium). Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everything Mac Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 So when can we get some pics of this anvil all mounted up and in use? I passed up a lovely little 30kg French anvil a while back and regret it now. All the best Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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