Cedar Crest Forge

Interesting. The L in yours doesnt match the style of Hulot Harmel L's either. I searched the internet for similar feet, but I couldn't find anything with clipped feet like that. Not a single example. They are all squared up on the corners. Good luck!

Nice anvil! The edges look nice, and I dont see any saddle. The sideshelf , with the rounded corners , matches a french anvil in the Koch collection*. Maybe you can find a "sweden" stamped somewhere. Hmm..the roundness of the outside of the feet doesn't match a typical soderfors. Agreed that the hardness should determine what to do with it, not just the maker. What does the ball bearing test show? It may be a French cast steel anvil.

Good point. I've heard great things about the european anvils like Peddinghaus and Ernst Refflinhaus.

Good point, price is important. As a collector anvil, it definitely has value. For continuous shop use, I see an issue with delamination of the top plate, near the step. It may have even progressed enough to deaden the ring, What looks like cracks follow the edge about an inch in. For knifemaking, precision is important, so check for flatness and smoothness, or your ability to make it so.

Looks like this thread was the result of an anvil manufacturing defect that is being corrected. One thing that I didn't see on this thread was that new anvils will , by definition , be softer than the old world anvils. Modern Osha standards ... anvils dent now, rather than chip. I guess you could reharden and temper it to your own specs, if they don't accept a return. Just wear safety glasses

Interesting scenario. I will share a few random thoughts, for what they are worth: If you have a modern cellphone, you can use whatsapp or facetime to share live video with an anvil expert. I am sure that there are a few experts on here that would receive a call. If the anvil was listed on craigslist, in a major city, and is still around, it may be overpriced, or junk, or maybe both. If it is an expensive anvil , and your husband didn't specifically request a Hay Budden, then also consider getting a quality new anvil (with a warranty ... and maybe a return policy?). An over 20$ vetting rule..cool idea!

As cheap as possible? Is 66 lbs enough? Search ebay link removed. Horn problem solved. Then sell it on craigslist and buy a real anvil when you get past the "denting" phase.