Show me your anvil

[ThomasPowers]

3x28 = 84

84 + 19 = 103 pounds thould old anvils tend to be off a bit

[Jakesshop]

Here's a anvil that I'm trying to come up with a approximate date of manufacture. It has stamping that show " CA 368" and a "S" at the bottom. The scaled weight is 391. I guessing early 1800's by the style of the short horns on it and the fat waist. Only has a few chips on the face and still has great rebound! 

 

[J5447]

Here is my new anvil, I picked this up locally from a guy on Craigslist a few weeks ago for $325.  It came with a coffee can of misc. homemade hardy tools, and a few Heller Bros bottom swages.  The guy I bought it from never used it, and I didn't even bother to ask him where he got it from.  I figured I would come home and search for anvils that start with the first few letters I could make out and find anything I wanted to know about it, but I was dead wrong.  After about an hour of searching to find everything but what I was looking for I gave up and thought someone here probably has one mounted on a stand already and could tell me who manufactured it.    

He "lovingly" tried to remove the paint over the maker's mark with a grinder or wire wheel, but it's still hard to make out.  From what I can tell it looks like it reads "Hasngown" or "Hasndown" but it's very faint and even Google doesn't come up with anything remotely close to that or any variation of that name that I try to search for.

It has a 1" hardy, 1/2" pritchel and weighs 135#.  It is 3-7/8" wide.  It seems to be wrought iron with a tool steel face, but I wouldn't bet much on either because quite frankly this is my first rodeo trying to research an anvil.  It seems to have a pretty good rebound, although it has seen its fair share of hard use.  When I drop a bearing from about a foot high, it usually returns to my hand or close to it if hits a nice flat spot.  

I can make out a "P" directly underneath the H but that's about it.  No idea what the circle emblem says nearby.  I thought I could make out a "WRO" but I'm just not sure.

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks, J5

 

   

 

 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2015 by J5447

[ThomasPowers]

serial number to the right of the horn on the face of the foot and weight to the left: Trenton

However most anvil makers did make anvils under contract to other businesses and would then stamp their name on the anvils.  The heavy hourglass indentation on the bottom is also used by HB

[Anthony San Miguel]

Looks like a Trenton to me.

[FRODO,]

Hello,,funny story behind this anvil,  I saw 4 pick up trucks parked on the RR tracks,  you could tell it was a "big wig" meeting.

I stopped my truck,,,yelled at them.."Where can a fella get a chunk of RR track, to use as an anvil?"

 

they went into huddle mode,,then one said, " drop your tail gate, you have never seen me, I have never seen you"

he reached in his truck and set this 24'' chunk in my bed

 

WHOOP WHOOP!!..now that I have my anvil,,,,I am piecing together a forge.

found an old Hvac exhaust flue fan..slapped a cord on it..on my way

[J5447]

That's funny how the RR workers are so careful about that stuff.  I have been told that ALL traintrack and related parts/fasteners in the states is owned by the federal govt, have looked at the multiple warning signs at the scrapyards that show pictures of what is forbidden to turn in, and have wondered how everyone and their brother are able to sell chunks of track on Ebay or craigslist.  If what I've heard is true, and a RR or government official ever set foot onto my property for an investigation, I'd be in big trouble!  

Over the years I have accumulated a lot of different things (spikes, track, misc. parts, tie plates, springs etc.) from many different people, and it seems like every single one of them said something like "You didn't get this from me!" or, "Don't get caught taking any of this stuff to the scrapyard!" while handing it to me.  So I guess I'm a little curious if anyone is sitting in a jail cell somewhere for trying to unload a 16" section of track as an anvil on ebay!

Also, I need to thank ThomasPowers and Anthony San Miguel for helping to identify my anvil above.  I'm going to try and read the serial number to do some further investigating. I know it doesn't really matter, but one of the curses of having German blood in my veins is the thirst for information.  For some reason I can never have enough (regardless if it is deemed useful or not!).

 Apologies for the mixed reply here,but I have been trying since late Monday night, and I was not able to reply, post, or message anyone to let them know I was having trouble. 

Not sure if anyone else had issues since Monday, but everything seems to be straightened out now.

Thanks again for the replies Thomas and Anthony!

-J5

[ausfire]

You're not the only one who has had problems replying. I could not reply or post from Monday until yesterday either. Seems all OK now though.

Interesting to hear how coveted railway track is over in the U.S. It is very easy to get here. (unlike sensibly priced anvils). A lot of the graziers on the western properties use railway track for their stockyards and offcuts are all over the place. As part of my job I used to travel round the station properties (teaching kids) and the dumps always had heaps of the stuff. Brought home a nice forge blower or two as well. Station dumps are a treasure trove for the likes of us.

[Frosty]

Yeah, another surprise update, Admin is chasing down the glitches. Almost nobody was posting for a while there.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Dave Parker]

Here is my baby Trenton, 128#

[Glenn]

A couple more anvils to add to the list.

Sledge hammer head

 

 

Edited July 13, 2015 by Glenn

[CIRON]

H Boker 82, picked up today. Sandblasted it to clean it up a little but that's it. Anyone know what the 82 is? I have to weigh this to see the weight as the guy i purchased it from didn't even know what an anvil was for guessing 150ish. I am new to here, from Ontario, Canada, TO / Durham Region.

Here it is:

 

Thanks
Chris

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2015 by CIRON

[arkie]

Welcome to IFI.  Lots of good stuff here.

Nice looking anvil.  It will serve you well...put it to work!  All the dings in the face will hammer out in time from working.

Edited July 14, 2015 by arkie

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard Chris, glad to have you.

That's a pretty darned nice looking anvil, she's taken some knocks but nothing needing "repair or restoration!" Please don't take a grinder to her anywhere, what little her face is dinged up will work out under hot steel and hammer. Once you've used her a year or two you'll have a better idea what you might need and might MIGHT want to do a little work on her. I'd just put her to work.

It looks like lots of chisels were tested on her body and some cutting done on her step. Common "thought" is it's a backer for cutting with a chisel or hot cut. A chisel plate is as easy as laying a piece of mild steel on the anvil to protect it and your hot cuts.

I'm not familiar with H (or any) Boker as a maker but there's no telling, most of the large manufacturers sold anvils and other equipment for other brands, say Sears. Someone here has Anvils In America or recognizes her general lines.

Good score Chris, you'll be able to pass her on to your Grandchildren.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

While waiting for the Dr today  was re reading Elementary Forge Practice as 1917 book written for the Stanford Jr College blacksmithing class. It mentioned the cutting step as being used so you don't dull your hot chisels on the hard face of the anvil.

[Frosty]

While waiting for the Dr today  was re reading Elementary Forge Practice as 1917 book written for the Stanford Jr College blacksmithing class. It mentioned the cutting step as being used so you don't dull your hot chisels on the hard face of the anvil.

I've seen that before too now you mention it. I YELL HARSH INVECTIVES at anyone who even LOOKS like they're pointing a chisel at the step on one of mine. Of course I'm a cranky old fart and use my steps for other things.

Frosty The Lucky.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

While waiting for the Dr today  was re reading Elementary Forge Practice as 1917 book written for the Stanford Jr College blacksmithing class. It mentioned the cutting step as being used so you don't dull your hot chisels on the hard face of the anvil.

I have a minty copy of that book ,interesting read.

[Byggun]

Hi All. New member here. Aspiring smith in the process of setting up my shop. Found a really nice old guy near the grand canyon selling this beauty. Wanted to share, Nice old Fisher sawyers anvil he had out as yard art.

[Frosty]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you.

Nice save on the yard art, have you put that fine old lady on a scale?  I'd have her on a stand and shining up her face with hot steel and hammers in a heart beat.

Do you have a particular type of smithing in mind? I usually suggest learning to blacksmith before you branch out into a specialty it really makes it easier.

Frosty The Lucky.

[Byggun]

I have not Weighed her yet. The gentleman that sold her to me said it was north of 200#. I believe that, I will try and get it on a scale tonight. 

I do plan on learning general smithing at first. I plan on working through the beginner projects in books like the backyard blacksmith to get my feet wet. I have seen suggested taking rail road spikes and making knifes and stuff out of them are good beginner projects. That is my plan anyway. Just excited to get started, been something I have wanted to do for a long time.

[ThomasPowers]

I would counter suggest that that would be a terrible beginner's project and set your bladesmithing habits for a non-blade grade steel.  When you go to make blades practice on something that's a grade of steel a blade might be made on.  if you need/want a cheap source a car coil spring for instance.  (that would be sort of like practicing to take your drivers test in a automatic transmission car when you know you will be taking it in one with a manual transmission)

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I saw the Craigslist ad for that sawyer's anvil. It looked pretty nice. At least you can see your Eagle, the one on my Fisher is pretty wiped out.

[bajajoaquin]

While waiting for the Dr today  was re reading Elementary Forge Practice as 1917 book written for the Stanford Jr College blacksmithing class. It mentioned the cutting step as being used so you don't dull your hot chisels on the hard face of the anvil.

Where did you get that copy?

It's also more likely to be for the university proper than a "Jr College." Leland Stanford, Jr. was the guy who started the university, so what is commonly called "Stanford University" is called "Leland Stanford Jr. University." Very interesting that there used to be a blacksmithing class there. Much more recently (early 70s), mechanical engineers were required to take machine ship classes as early prerequisites to their engineering classes. The idea was that they had to actually make stuff so that they later didn't design stuff that couldn't be made

Perhaps a blacksmithing class is an earlier version of that same philosophy.

[Frosty]

RR spikes make fine things for sale, just NOT knives, it's actually a fairly advanced process to turn a spike into something useable as a knife, namely slitting and forge welding in a high carbon steel bit. Good RR spike beginner's projects are things like steak flippers, coat or tool wall hooks, garden tools: weed hooks, trowels, hoes, etc.

RR spikes are marketable for the reason people recognize a spike that has been transformed by fire and hammer. Other wise they're low carbon steel intended to be tough and NOT harden.

If you want to make blades use a suitable blade steel.

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

I got the copy from Lindsay Technical Books back a decade or two ago; my wife asked what I wanted for Christmas and I took one of their catalogs and marked a bunch of cheap books and said "get me one of these".  She bought me all of them!

The book says "Stanford Jr College"  so it's NOT more likely for the University proper.  Many universities had a "Jr college" associated with them; shoot I had a friend that got a 2 year Ag degree from Yale!  Being in 1917 they cover using wrought iron for their projects as well as mild steel and so of interest to me.