Two4mirth

I found this in a flea market this week, but not sure if it's worth $275. Honestly, that's a big chunk of change in my household. Any thoughts on this guy? Personally, I love the look of this guy. I've been trying to find out info on this model and how it compares to the No. 2 and No. 3, but can't seem to find anything.

Well, there she is. All cleaned up. Finished her off with some boiled linseed oil. Next is going to my step-fathers to get a stump.

Yes it tightens and loosens. No spring on this one. I’m thinking of bolting it onto my stump

Any thoughts on this post vise with a broken post? Worth $30? Can it be fixed or used this way?

Yes we are! Thanks for the information! I'm gonna look more into that tonight. The history of these anvils is fascinating to explore.

we don't own a bathroom scale No, like if i really get into it I'll have to buy my own and give his back... (so it can sit on the garage floor again). People are odd sometimes. good to know about the welds. I wasn't too worried, as it's lasted over a hundred years and still solid!

I'm back with a new anvil to talk about... This is my step-fathers anvil. He's kept it in his barn and then garage for the past 15 years or so. It was covered in rust and forgotten. He said I could use it (but he wants it back if i decide i'm really into blacksmithing!) I found little about the American Wrought Anvil Co. online besides that is started in 1899 in Brooklyn N.Y. and closed shop in 1910-11. I'm going to assume that the 118 is standard true weight and not the British measuring system. On the front foot are the numbers 1812 and the rear foot is the number 2. You can also see some curved stress fractures by the rear hole in the fourth pic. Overall i'm excited about using this anvil and would love to hear opinions or any information on the history of this anvil. Thanks so much~

Thanks a lot... I'll check them out, whether i get or not!

Thanks... It is a lot. And i kind of got excited when I found it, but honestly, I originally was looking at getting a stake anvil from Old World Anvils. A quarter of the price. It should be good to learn on and have plenty of mass to work with. I tend to run with blinders on until I catch my breath, then rethink things! I'm gonna step back and start at the beginning. Again, thank you all for your advice. I appreciate it.

Well, that's good to know. Thank you both for your opinions. This is why I came here. It has been a long time coming, but I'm finally moving forward with this. That single blacksmith I meet back in the 70's made a lifelong impression on me and it's taken a long time to get here.

I have concern about the horizontal seam across the face. I found an image of a cracked mouse hole and it is in the same spot. Could this be the beginning of a major failure in the anvil? I know i'm asking a lot, and seem to be over thinking things, but a purchase of this size is a big deal in my household. Maybe the anvil has decades of life left in it. I don't know.

I'm dealing with a third party. The seller had a paper rolled up in the anvil that talked about Peter Wright anvils. That's all the info I got on it. I just don't know if it's a Wright or something else, and if the price is fair either way? Honestly, I'm looking for a serviceable first anvil to learn on.

It does have holes, front and back. But the seller says it is a Peter Wright. I don't see any markings to indicate that.

So I am looking at purchasing my first anvil. I've wanted to blacksmith since I was 8 years old, walking home from school and hanging out at this tiny blacksmith shack next to my mothers hair salon. It's always stayed with me. Only now do I have an opportunity to explore this. I've researched and read and now I'm looking to start getting the essentials together and begin a new chapter. I found this anvil at a flea market in western mass. I posted a few pics on another thread, but I went back and took some more so I could get the opinions of the experienced folks here. The seller claims it to be a Peter Wright. I understand that this brand anvil was prolific in the second half of the 19th century. I found no markings, but the shape is correct. The only marking that are legible are the weight, and two letters on the front foot. There is a good horizontal line across the front third of the face also. It ringed nice, but who am I to judge? This is the first anvil I've found since deciding to buy one. ($400 or about $2.60/lb) so..... any thoughts? Thanks for your time~

I did have concern with that horizontal line. I have been researching, and understand not to grind or weld the face. I would prefer something with character anyway. I just needed the opinions of folks with experience in these matters. I can only research so much, but without experience, i have little to base my decision on. Thank you again everyone. I hope it is still there tomorrow.