The first is a Hay Budden in great shape. It weighs 1?0 pounds -middle number missing and I do not have a scale, for $175. The second one is a beautiful 160# JHM Journeyman farrier anvil. It came with a folding stand, single burner gas forge, hardies, tongs, etc all in great shape for $250.


Question #1 Hay Budden SN-A20753 year made?


Question #2 I heard that JHM changed materials in the anvils, but when? The farrier told me his was a good one, and it was made in 1997. It does ring nice, so I will need to find a big speaker magnet for this one for sure, and put it on a stump to deaden the sound. I have enough Tinnitus as it is

Thanks in advance.

Do you have pictures?

Have you tried taking a rubbing of the HB? You can also rub chalk into it and then wipe it off to enhance old lettering.

All in all I'd say you did quite well, either anvil is high quality.

Frosty

Bed that anvil in sand. You may be surprised in the difference in the ring.

Peter Parkinson suggests bedding the anvil on a layer of plasticine to deaden the ring in his book 'The Artist Blacksmith'. It's another option.

Peter Parkinson suggests bedding the anvil on a layer of plasticine to deaden the ring in his book 'The Artist Blacksmith'. It's another option.

I've tried that with limited success.

I have to get some computer issues dealt with first.

I always had good luck deadening ring by sticking a good sized speaker magnet under the heel of the anvil.

The middle number is totally gone, and the others are fairly light. I never could understand how the sides of an anvil get beat up that far down. Seen it more than once.

Any idea on when the Hay Budden was made?

Your HB was born in 1920. Be nice to her and she will be around for many more years to come.

Thanks for the info Thomas. That puts it right with a couple of others I have; 1907 Fisher Eagle and a 1922 Swedish. Don't worry, I love old equipment and tools. My main lathe is a 1946 18.5 x 54 Monarch, and it is still tight. It came out of a shop where it was used sparingly, and all of the equipment was taken VERY well care of.

1920 is a "spring chicken" as far as anvils go! Now I have a wrought iron bodied, steeled face hammer I dug out of the mud at a scrapyard in England that's probably double the age of your anvil and is still going strong!