fluidsteel

The big one is French. They are the ones you see with the hardie hole out the front side like that one. That is a beauty.

Ummmm. Just weigh em on a bathroom scale.
:)
I would love to have one of those. Not because I need one. But because who doesn't NEED one.

Oooh yeah... No pritchel hole or hardy hole, the rest of the shape likely makes it a colonial anvil. It's old. 150+ years old. Maybe 300? Take care of it, use it if you want but don't abuse it.

 

It's a good size for an old one too.

I made it easy. I have two main shop anvils. One is knuckle height the other is wrist height. It wouldn't hurt to raise them both 1-1/2" each.

I'm 6'2" tall, but with my long arms, my wrist/knuckle heights are the same as a 5'9" friend of mine.

After looking at your photos, I would not do any welding until you try to use the anvil.  It looks usable as is.  Weld as a last resort.

I concur, I have a Fisher with worse edges and a small 55# anvil with a worse top plate, both are usable as is.

My friend welded 3/4" plate steel to one against all advice. It was a waste of time and money. It didn't rebound any better.

NJanvilman has a Star collection and likely knows more than anyone.
He will pipe in shortly I'm sure.

Hello David and Josh,

Welcome. Some anvils have only one level front to back, more common on European type anvils.
How about some pictures? The motto for repairing anvils when you are first starting out is "grind less, forge more!" (I just made that up) Until you use an anvil a fair amount, you won't even know what the defects you want to eliminate will do to your work.
I have one anvil with rough edges that are slowly smoothing out as I forge over them.

Don't foget a metal lip around the top plate and a hammer rail along the edges while you have your friend helping with the welding. Looks good! I have an almost identical set up with a square base and I love mine.

Thanks for sharing! I have 15 pieces of forklift tine I'm having Waterjet into swage block/anvils.

They are 2"x6"x17". This gives me good info as I was contemplating heat treat options. Thank you.

That's funny. Cause I had a 119# Kohlswa Swedish babe that made all kinds of noise and bounced all over my shop. I traded her in for a quieter 300# Fisher American babe that hardly makes a noise and just stays in one spot when you hammer on her. ;)
I run into anvils in government/municipal shops often. I think since selling property is harder to do directly to an individual without being part of an inventory auction these anvils spend much longer in service than if they could be sold easier.
I asked about a 350# Columbian once and was told if it could/would be sold, it would go to auction.

I have two Fisher anvils.
My first one I acquired was 300# made in 1913. It's missing around 3-4" of the horn. I found it on CL for $400. The rebound is fantastic. It sits on a tripod stand with 1-1/2" plate top.

My second one I bought two days after hernia surgery. It is a 150# and made in 1907. I was driving my work truck in to get my paycheck and a friend called. Thank god I have a ramp for heavy loading as I wasn't supposed to be lifting heavy weight and the old guy was 85+ and not able to lift it for me. This was on CL under blacksmith tools. I called and the woman who answered said a man was coming to buy it in an hour and a half. She was almost an hour away. I drove straight there. I was pulling out of the driveway with it in my truck as another truck pulled in.
To raise funds I sold a #119 Kohlswa on CL. I received a call and the guy asked me to promise not to sell it out from under him since he drove an hour to get the last one only to arrive when some guy was leaving with it as he arrived. ;) Yup. It was me. He never realized it was me who bought the Fisher.
I am especially glad I got the Fisher as he was a farmer and was taking the Kohlswa to beat on tractor parts with it. The Kohlswa as a short fat little pig and being cast steel will be easier to weld up and repair years from now when he's done beating on it.

Kyotie,

The "rules" are not set in stone.

For example, Fisher anvils are cast iron with a tool steel face and in my opinion are among the best anvils made.
When saying no cast iron people mean ASO'a Anvil Shaped Oblects. This is referring to cheap Chinese import anvils where the face and body are cast iron.
I personally have two steel three legged stands not a stump. It allows my feet to be closer to the anvil if I want and is easy to shim on an uneven floor. I have a 36" diameter stump coming that I plan on using in the shop too so I have nothing against wood. Not everyone has a welder so people generally make what they want.
I do think an old anvil on a stump is a lovely sight.

It's hard to answer a general question like yours beyond the two examples. Any other specifics about anvils?

My review of Vulcans would say they are like people. Come in all sizes, shapes n colors. Evaluate each one on its own merits , and , if it looks like a bad one at the core it will show itself.

The short answer about heat treat is probably not.
If you want to weld the edges up and follow the proper method laid out above re-heat treating won't be needed.

If you search anvil heat treat here you will see that it's hard to get enough water to quench a large anvil properly.

I've seen several anvils edges that have been welded up with 7018 rod and used for years with no more chipping on the edges.

You could even dress those edges to a nice radius and use as is.

Either add an upsetting block to both sides or move it to the other side. I prefer it on the off side and I'm a horn on the left guy.
Basically as a modern anvil you've just drawn the Fontani and Blu anvils...

That Fisher for $175 would be in my hands same day if it was here in Oregon. All that "rust" is nothing. The tip broken like that will mostly just keep you from poking yourself...
My 300# Fisher has a broken tip also. Only sometimes do I care. That anvil is in excellent condition otherwise.
Furthermore, every blacksmith/knifemaker in New England that watches this forum has been alerted to its presence. So buy it now if you can.
Good luck.

Picked up this vise at an antique shop at the beach last weekend. It's a 4" Columbian that weighs 34# and opens 5-1/2". It's in pretty good shape. I have to drill and tap new threads if I can't extract the broken screw for one busted off holding the jaws on.

Google Sea Robon anvils. A simple post anvil that was very popular.

South German double horn with upsetting block, yes please!

I love my Fishers. But a work of art like an old German or Austrian double horn is my dream anvil.

For the hardie hole, instead of a repair you can make a tube insert to give you a better hole when using hardie tools.

I'm in Oregon. I dream of coming to the museum some day. I have 2 Fishers and they are simply amazing anvils each.
I have always longed for pictures of your museum.
Makes me all shaky right now.
I immediately went to CL and searched for more to buy.
What are the date ranges of those?
Do they vary much in the pattern or was it consistent through production?

Suddenly it does. wow. May have to sell a firearm. No way my other half is going to let me drop a grand on a "hunk of steel".

That's how I buy all my tools. I say to myself, I'll buy this. Then sell a gun. Haven't sold a gun yet.....
:)
That Blue for the price looks like a nice anvil.
I wonder how well dressed it is.

That is a lovely anvil. I envy you.

http://www.anvilmag.com/smith/anvilres.htm

Here is some help....