Fatfudd

The 330lb is a perfect size for a shop anvil and with the side table you have a wide face to work on. I sort of wanted the 460 but I'm glad that I went with the 330 instead. You won't ever be sorry.

All of the anvils mentioned are great and one should also consider the rhino anvils. That being said I have looked at and tried them all. The rathole and nimbas are somewhat softer and the conventional wisdom is that they won't chip as easily but they do get marked with a hard missed blow. As mentioned above the Refflinghaus are harder and I have yet to mark or chip mine and I use it everyday. Actually the faces are guaranteed to be at least 59hrc. See- http://www.blksmth.com/Refflinghaus_Anvils.htm On the nimba website it says- Heat treatment results in Rockwell 50-52 hardness on all surfaces of the anvil. One of our members has 2 nimbas and his only regret with them has been the softness. Rathole anvils are a little harder per their website- The anvils are made from high quality H-13 steel, Rockwell C Hardness between 52 and 55.

I have the 58 - 330lbs and believe it is the finest anvil made anywhere in the world. Either of the 2 you are looking at are great but you you would be better served in the long run by getting the largest you can afford.

I agree with Frog- That is a Trenton not and A&H. I have had a number of Trenton's with heavy forging marks under the tail.

That's too bad but as I said in the beginning of this thread $350 would be a heck of a deal. Unfortunately excellent anvils come along very rarely and tho folks on here will tell you to hold out for a better deal, they may come along, but almost never with an anvil in that condition. If you see one that calls to you just go for it. if you make money using it then it will be cheap in the long run. Best of luck in the future.

If you get that anvil for $350 its a heck of a deal! I would assume that it would go for AT LEAST $450 given the prices we're seeing out west. Best of luck I hope you score.

Marc1- $175 for a l00 lb vulcan isn't even a comparison to a Brooks anvil. As the prices of anvils has skyrocketed I would be willing to bet that the Brooks at that price won't last long. If that Brooks anvil were here in NM it would have been sold within a matter of minutes. It may be a little over $3/lb but shipping isn't cheap. As njanvilman said if you can afford it jump on it, you'll be kicking yourself later when you figure out the value of a really nice anvil.

Black Frog is correct its either an Arm and Hammer or Trenton. In most places a listing at that price would have been sold within minutes. If its still there and you can get it for that price even if its only 100lbs you would be wise to jump on it(assuming the rebound is good and the face isn't to beat up)!

Probably the best way to get info regarding your anvil is to compare it to some of the anvils in the anvilfire gallery- There are several that appear similar to yours however there will be differences because of the variability of those early European manufacturers. None the less yours is clearly an anvil from across the pond, as to where it was made and by who will be anybody's guess unless you can find more markings. http://www.anvilfire.com/anvils/

He has some anvils that are oil field anvils but none are as large as the one above. They are similar but I don't think they are the same.

This is sort of a silly discussion since sellers will ask what they want and buyers will dictate what gets purchased whether whether its in carats, lbs, tonnes, etc.

It Looks to be in excellent condition, That is a fair price and if I were closer it would be mine!

If Its in nice condition that is a fair price. You don't run across anvils that big everyday and big A&H anvils are super rare. They are are beyond good.

My 433lb Arm and Hammer is 37in long 16in tall and 5 3/4 in wide. The one you are looking at may be a little heavier but A&H sort of weighed them after the fact and they weren't always to made a strict size. Matchless antiques is sort of setting the market price in your area and they are getting a premium for A&H anvils in good condition so $4/lb would be reasonable for a really big one.

As you have found out, getting a real anvil is hard. We can't tell you a particular direction until you have had a chance to test the anvil and see its condition. If its in good shape, with a good rebound, and actually weighs 150lbs then depending on where you live $450 probably isn't outrageous. If you put your location in your header you might be surprised how many smiths live near you and can help you.

If you come to the next NM Artist Blacksmith Association meeting Rob may be there. He sometimes shows up for the Christmas meeting. In any case you could get his number from one of the guys. Look up NMABA.

Where are you located?

If you look up Rob Gunter in Edgewood NM he has done repairs on anvils with similar problems. In fact the last time I talked to him he has done more that 100. He developed the most accepted method for repairing anvils and the repaired ones that I have see were perfect. You can also look up the Gunter method here on IFI if you want to tackle it yourself.

Check out the Craigslist for Austin TX. There is a 189lb Arm and Hammer anvil for $300.

It looks like a Vulcan to me also and the tag is just some company's inventory tag. If its cheap, its a good starter anvil, if its expensive i'd suggest passing.

I saw that one on ebay- very nice and a really good price. Nice score.

Looks like a mousehole anvil from the ridge running under the horn.

Nice looking farrier anvil. If you could post some pics of the underside of the base and under the horn we might be able to help.

Very Nice! Fisher and Norris anvl. NJanvilman will respond shortly and give you a lot more info but it is in beautiful condition. Nice score!

If its rare, like a cast steel HB anvil and its in Fred's collection the chances are that it will stay there until he sells the whole collection. My guess would be several million dollars. Look on youtube for "largest anvil collection"