Hello all, I am a new member looking to get into Blacksmithing as a hobby. I find anvils to be beautiful, functional pieces of history, and I have been searching for an American made anvil for my small shop. I do not intend to create large pieces, and will require some mobility out of an anvil. As such, a fairly light weight anvil is what I have been looking for at this time. This will also help it conform to a relatively low budget.
I found an ad for an 88lb Arm & Hammer and am looking for some information. It looks to be in good condition, though one section of the face near the horn is rounded over. This may have been for a specific usage, or is it more likely repaired damage?
The serial number is 47789, which I understand to be quite near the end of the production run. Is it possible to tell the date of manufacture from this? The logo is stamped fairly crudely, and does not have the lower section that says "wrought iron" as other Arm & Hammer anvils have.
The final concern I have is that the entire waist is welded. I understand that later Arm & Hammer / Vulcan anvils have welded waists, but I cannot find many photos of original A&H anvils welded like this. Could this be a repaired crack, or would this anvil have began life this way?
Asking price on this anvil is nearly $5/lb, which I understand is high, but anvils in my area (Southeastern Wisconsin) seem to be few and far between.
Thank you all for any insight you may have, and I look forward to joining in the blacksmithing hobby!