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Wow, that's cool, I haven't seen that stamp before.  Thanks for posting it!

The huge flats on the feet are very different.

It has the farrier's clip on there as well.  S.D. Kimbark Co. started the farriers pattern anvil, some German made and the rest Hay Budden.

I wonder if the EDK&C is somehow related, are there numbers on the front foot under the horn? 

 

Edited by Black Frog
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Welcome aboard John, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang are within visiting distance.

I'm not much help with your anvil's pedigree I'm afraid my interest is in the tool. How does a rebound test rate it? Bearing or hammer, either works just fine to rate it's working condition.

Frosty The Lucky.

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I would think that would be made for E.D. Kimball & Co. hardware company, out of Chicago

Now here's some interesting stuff I did NOT know.  I mentioned before that S.D. Kimbark started the farriers pattern anvil in the 1880's, their anvils were first made in Germany, and after that they contracted with Hay Budden to make their anvils for them.  

After looking through some turn of the century trade journals, turns out Mr. Edward D. Kimball actually worked for S.D. Kimbark for a while before starting his own company!  So Kimball would have been well aware of the Kimbark's farrier's pattern anvil by the time he started on his own business.  The stamps on your anvil look sort of German-like styled characters to me, it may be German made (possibly the same make that manufactured Kimbarks), but if there's a serial number on the front foot I would say HB.  The weight stamp is down quite low, lots of German-made Trentons put their weight stamps down low between the feet like that as well, so I'm leaning towards it being German made as my guess.  Plus I'm not sure I have ever seen a HB with huge flats on the feet like that before.....

I found this blurb posted about Kimball's passing:

He was born in Hennepin, Illinois, June 2, 1849, and passed away in this city,
January 11, 1912. His parents were Luke S. and Nancy S. (Roberts) Kimball,
who were anxious that their son should have good educational advantages and en-
couraged him in his work in the public schools and the academies of Naperville
and of Warrenville, Illinois. The city attracted him, and when sixteen years of
age he came to Chicago, obtaining a position in the store of his uncle, J. K. Bots-
ford, then senior partner of the firm of Botsford & Kimball. He was thus em-
ployed until 1872, after which he became a salesman for Seneca D. Kimbark, with
whom he remained until 1885.
Ambitious to engage in business on his own
account, he carefully saved his earnings during that period until his capital had
reached sufficient proportions to enable him to purchase a stock and open a small
hardware store of his own at No. 233 Lake street. There he prospered, and in
1889 the business was incorporated under the name of E. D. Kimball & Company,

the late B. B. Botsford, a son of J. K. Botsford, being a member of the firm. In
1893 Mr. Kimball was chosen to the presidency of the company, which he had
founded, and so continued to the time of his demise. At that time the business
was incorporated under the style of The E. D. Kimball Company and conducted
an extensive business as jobbers of iron and heavy hardware materials. 

 

Can you post a pic of the weight stamp?  I'd be interested in seeing the character style of stamp that was used.

Edited by Black Frog
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Does the # 88 mean anything maybe the year it was made. Was it the 88th one made in the factory?

Thank you Black Frog for the information you sent me it gets me started to know something about this anvil. I like knowing the history as much as i can. Finding out if it was made in the 1800s is what i'm looking to find out.

Found how to put where i live on my profile Thanks

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Thanks for that comment. Not sure I want to sell it. I'm giving myself some time to mull it over. I like this anvil a lot there's something about it. If it could only talk.  I'm wanting a 200# or bigger anvil . and to get there I eiher keep this anvil and save my money or sell this one. 

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I wouldn't get in a hurry to swap that beauty in on something only around 50lbs. heavier. I have two anvils I use a 125lb. Soderfors and a 206lb. Trenton. With very few exceptions the extra 81lbs. doesn't mean much. Not even moving or loading, I have an engine hoist for the grunt work. Either one moves hot steel nicely and I've never needed a large face only a little more than the hammer's width is enough.

Seriously Jon, that is a fine old lady, well able to do most anything a blacksmith needs doing. I'd be proud to have her in my shop.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Thanks frosty. I have owned several anvils over the years and this anvil is by far the best find.

 For now it will be knives. Maybe a little big. But I like these big anvils. I'm just starting out on forging. I will be trying  my hand at making little item's  and then working up to bigger things. Still doing some thinking on it. Plus I need to get tools

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