mlinn77

That's a nice looking vise, those old English vises are nice you can tell they took pride in there work just by the sutble lines and detail. I really like the mortise and tenon mounting bracket too. 

Bring a can of goof off see if they'll let you take the paint off the top to if that's a weld or a chip. Plus paint that thick hides a lot of dings and chips. 

8 hours ago, CoyoteGear said:

I got an e-mail reply from her today saying it is stamped either 1-2-015 or 15. I was also scared by the paint, and because it's my first anvil so I'm trigger shy of getting screwed and then eating a big chunk of change. I met with a guy the day before this posted with a little anvil and I did the bearing drop test (read about on this site) and it was bouncing around 10% on rebound. I had to pass on it, then he said he had a 110# and a 190# around back and both those were 80ish% rebound but he wanted $5 a lbs and said "my buddy gets 6-7 a pound all day at the flea market over in seattle." I thanked him for his time and left my number in case he came across anymore that he would be willing to part with for $4 a lb and I would be back.

Thank you guys for your help thus far. I think I'll be driving down to look at this one tomorrow. I'll throw the scale in the trunk

Being in Seattle at those prices I'd get a a nimba anvil. 

Thank you, it was all rusty and seized up when I bought it, now it works like new. It looks all hand forged. 

On 1/23/2016 at 8:58 PM, littleblacksmith said:

That's massive mlinn77! Wow! Beautiful condition.

                                                                                        Littleblacksith 

Thank you. It took some love to get it back in shape. 

Nice they are getting hard to find in nice shape they got pretty abused in there life. This is my best one it's has 7 inch jaws I'm pretty sure it's a Peter wright. 

it's a arm and hammer the serial number is on front right of the foot if your looking at the horn. With that you can date it. Please post any pictures you might have. 

Disclaimer: this is just a fun question not looking for advice on what to buy. I just like to window shop curious if others do as well. 

The old German anvils are growing on me for sure. 

I have a hypothetical question, if you were given a gift of up to $3000 to buy one anvil you don't get to keep the change or use it for any thing else just one anvil new or old what would you buy and brief reason why. I keep coming back to a nimba, but the centurion so I would be leaving money on the table,  but a rathole, kolhswa and refflinghaus are very close, unless I could find a really clean monster hay budden, arm & hammer or Fisher.  I like the idea of having a brand new anvil so I can create the history, plus it's a solid hunk of tool steel, and I like the design of the nimba and the striking area is huge. Plus it's made in America. 

11 hours ago, Bud in PA said:

I am just looking on Eb and the local list. That was the first one I saw with a brass screw box. Being new to this I like to ask questions to those with more experience. The chat room on the list saved me from making a mistake purchasing an anvil. I am not ready to buy a post vise especially at the prices I see on the web. Either I'm poorer then I think I am, or there are a lot of crazy people selling on the web.

It's not you, prices are crazy on eBay and auctions but you should be able to find some deals near you or do some driving, I'm from bottom southeastern corner of PA I haven't paid more then $30 for a leg vise, and found some anvils from $.75-$2/lbs, so deals are still around. 

Sweet, that's a deal.

The one to the left is a fancy one,  it's funny I've never noticed any until I got one now I've seen a few,  it's pretty cool how they are made just like a leg vise

Took my sister on her first Anvil hunt she found me a little Columbian,  she always had I eye for silver.

And I would be hesitant to buy one on eBay the prices are outrageous, and craigslist isn't far behind with post vises, be patient hit flea markets and I found a nice one at a antique shop for $28, so deals are out there, once in awhile you can get lucky at a auction

I agree with the diesel, I tried it on another vise I got after the one in this post it wasn't as bad but it worked right away, I'm not careful enough to mess with lye, I got a little splash of easy off oven cleaner on my arm 18 years ago still have a scar, it worked well though.

I didn't have a $1 but here is a paper test.

I've used that stuff working on cars never thought about using it on big scale, it does get everywhere no matter how careful you are, It does work well though

Thanks I'll have to look into that paste I'm all for trying new stuff, I used grease on the moving and friction parts, I used wd on the show parts because its going to be in a inside shop. Yes there isn't any daylight when the jaws are shut they close tight and true and glide you could use 1 finger if the bar wasn't so xxxx heavy.

On a side note I would of used diesel or kerosene on the funked up screw box and threads, I tried that on another one I picked up after the big one it worked well. 

Used wd40 to unfreeze the jaws, the pivot bolt was locked up real bad that took some effort and brute force, when it was apart i used a cup wire wheel on a grinder to get it to get all the heavy rust off, I used a engine degreaser and smooth file with a light touch to get all the funk off the screw threads it was caked on bad, greased all the moving parts, used wd40 on the rest to protect it, not sure if that's what your supposed to use but I like it and gives it a nice gun metal finish that's what I put on the Anvil too. It's amazing to me that such a old tool that was abused and left outside for years and years works like it did new with a little care. 

19 hours ago, stuarthesmith said:

The Philadelphia Blacksmiths Guild, with 17 attendees, went to the flea market on a field trip today.  Ham Peek scored a 250 lb.  Peter Wright gem!  Maxim scored a 50 lb Fisher, and Dan scored a beautiful track anvil, as well as a ton of other stuff.  A good time was had by all

!

and we left five anvils there for our next field trip!

When is the next meeting and where in philly

It will be, it's all cleaned and greased just have to put a little leg on it. 

Ah nice, I didn't even think about that so it's pretty old then, I'm glad I saved it from the dank flea market it was sitting in. 

It's made just like a big one, little spring, same screw box, mounting plate, I believe the leg is meant to screw up to hold it on the bench, I don't see any markings, for the price I couldn't pass up. 

Cleaned it up,  it has 2¼" jaws

My leg vises had a little baby, hasn't even sprouted a leg yet

Thank you, its a bear to move around. I was very lucky and had to wait out a very long auction for it. 

Hi I just picked this up at auction and at a good price, it was all seized up and rusty, but all there, works like new now, just curious about maybe a age and confirmation on maker. It has 7inch jaws and about 150lbs, only mark is a J on the inside leg, its looks all hand forged, tool steel forged welded on the jaws. From reading different post I'm leaning towards a Peter wright. Attached is before and after and next to a 4 inch vise. That's not my set up just got the pictures.