Hi guys,
After a long time lurking, this is my first post. It took me a long time to find a used anvil to buy, as buying new was not a option, due to me living on an island and all new 'anvils' are just overpriced cast iron ASOs. Anyway, I stumbled across some classifieds listing a bunch of anvils, so, armed myself with a ball bearing and my newfound lurking-acquired knowledge about ringing and rebound, went to have a look. The anvils ranged from 55kg to 90kg with a pretty old 160kg anvil thrown in. I just examined them for ring, surface flatness, major flaws like broken horns etc. Most appeared to have a proper ring amd rebound, but a bunch of four 85kg anvils had a significantly better rebound than the rest. Out of those, I picked the one with the flattest face, which you can see in the photos.
Apparently the seller imported them from Bulgaria, and I even find this style online called "Bulgarian Style" or sometimes "Italian Style", while I was secretly hoping it would be some misidentified Peddinghaus. After a little bit of wire brushing I tested the rebound again with a small bearing and I would put it around 85-90%. I'm not sure if this indicated whether it is forged or cast steel, if anyone has any knowledge of that kind of anvil I'd love to know.
So I wonder, are there any major flaws I should be aware of? Are the dents going to be a problem or is it fine for an absolute beginner? I paid 330 euros (~$390) for an 85kg...in my eyes it seems like a good deal as most ASOs here are 250 euros for 35kg...but I'd love your opinion.