Bret888

That is a beautiful anvil, AND girlfriend!

Benton, I would be interested in anything you find out. If you do talk to someone knowledgeable on the Harmonists, ask if they know anything about the cutlery business? The volunteers we talked to down there had never heard of it. This link has an interesting story about them bringing in Chinese labor to break a strike. http://www.bchistory.org/beavercounty/BeaverCountyTopical/Industry/ChineseinBeaverFalls/ChineseinBeaverFalls.html

They were celebate, so they had to take their frustrations out on something. ....

I took these pictures a year ago, and thought I would post them here. This anvil is at Old Economy Villiage, http://oldeconomyvillage.org/ a communal society that called themselves the Harmonists. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Economy_Village Things are "restored" there, and things got moved around in western PA, and out to Indiana once, so I don't know if this anvil was always at this site. One thing I don't see mentioned in the history, is that they owned the Beaver Falls Cutlery, a few miles north of Economy. I didn't have anything to measure with, but I am guessing the top would be about 10x24, and maybe 26 high. I had Ryan get in a pic, and he was about 5' then. It looks like the horns were pre forged, then cast into the anvil. Using those dimensions without adding for the taper, or the horns, comes to over 1700 lbs.

I got a bathroom scale this morning, and the big double horned one weighs #255, the Fisher #118, and the stake #56.

That is a shame, probably scapped for drug money....

Those are amazing!

Thanks Fluid, I never would have guessed French! I figured German or eastern europe. Thanks NJ, I didn't realize that it was so early! I have a much worse Fisher, that was sunken waist deep in the ground behind my aunts shed. She has no idea where it came from. Her husband used to deliver parts to the oil field guys, and I bet one of them gave it to him. It is missing chunks of top plate, and horn. It is marked 1891 #147.

There was an auction Saturday, not far from home, that had a cone mandrel. I have never seen one for sale, and I decided to go and try to buy it. An Amishman ended up with it, but I made him pay for it. There were 7 anvils there too, and I ended up with these 3. The big one is chipped some on both ends, but I have never seen one like this around here either. It is flat with no shelf, and has one hardie hole, that curls out through the side. It has a 6" wide face, and looks like it would be really nice to use. No markings that I can find. Do you call these German pattern? Or just double horned? Do you think it was cast here in the USA, or brought over on a boat? Next is the stake anvil. Again, I never saw one like this at a sale, and thought it looked pretty handy. Last is a Fisher of maybe #100-120? It is chipped up both sides, and I didn't really need it, but it went with the shears, and I did want them. It has the Eagle that stands proud of the casting, with an anchor.

Thanks everybody! I can't find any other marking above, or on any foot. Is A&H Arm and Hammer? I have been going to ask about this one, for a long time. It really doesn't matter to me who made it,l it is priceless to me. I went to an auction Saturday, and came home with 2 anvils, a stake anvil, and a pair of shears, that I wanted to ask about too, I will start a new thread for them.

I will look for more markings later on, I have to go to a parade and a cookout.... I cannot see anything above "solid wrought" (in a straight line) I see PW used it in a circle, at least some of them, maybe some in a straight line too?

I have my Grandpa's anvil, and I am curious who made it? I would call it a Farrior's pattern? All I can find on it, is "SOLID WROUGHT" AND "163". Does anyone recognize markings like that? I think #163 is about right, but I am not taking it off the stump to weigh it. I mounted it on there when I was about 14, and made some tomahawks and fire irons. I am not sure if it was bought by my Grandfather (died 1968 when I was 4) or Great Grandfather, since they farmed together for a lot of years. I threw in a picture of Grandpa on the wagon, and G. Grandpa in the field. It looks like he broke something and has a hammer in his hand. I hope nobody minds old pictures with no anvil in them, I just think it is cool, to have the owners pictures with any old hardware.

Does anyone have a Fulton vise? I tried a search of the forums and came up empty. I got this one yesterday at a flea market for $40. It is a 5" that weighs #70 marked Fulton Machine & Vise Lowville NY. I also took a picture of my old abused Reeds. The 5" has the back end of the box broken off, I am guessing from using it as an anvil. It works fine out to about 8", and cost $20. I also picked up a 3" Reed yesterday. It has the tongue(is there a proper name for this?) under the moving jaw broken off, and a piece chipped out of the back. It works as is, but jaw alighnment is off a little, so i will weld in new pieces someday. I am guessing it had some sledging done toward the moving jaw one time too many.

Thanks for the help. The stake anvil looks like it was used quite a bit, then left outside for years. The big anvil has been used a lot too, and is a bit low in the sweet spot, but it is not damaged. It is in much better shape than the old 1891 Fisher I have, that has the tip of the beak missing, and a piece of the plate behind the Hardy hole missing

Hi, I am new here, and I am hoping to get an anvil identified. I have spent a good many hours reading and looking at pictures on here, but I am only scratching the surface of the wealth of information on this site. I think this is a Peter Wright, but I am not sure. I can see part of the word *wrought" in a circular stamp above the weight marking 2 2 20. On the back side, is a number 62699 in larger letters. Also, is there a proper name for the hardy anvil you see in the pictures? Would it be used in a hardy hole, or set in a stump or stake plate?