XombieChow Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 hey guys...i'm looking at picking this Hay Budden 129 lb. up this weekend...It looks to be in pretty good shape but I know some of you guys would know much better than I would. I'm looking at spending around 300. I have been patiently waiting a while for one to pop up but here in Norther Mexico aka the Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville, TX) the art of BS'ing is limited to those who can tell tall tales. I know there's gotta be a few blacksmiths around here somewhere but alas I haven't been fortunate enough to find them. Anywho...I've gotta drive a little ways (4 hours) to pick this one up so I'd like you guys to look at it and tell me what you think. Thanks!!! I do see what appears to be a knick on one side...here's a few details. 1.Length - 26 1/2 inches 2. Height - 11 inches 3. Face - 16 inches X 4 inches 4. Footprint - 9 inches X 9 7/8 inches 5. Hardie hole - 1 inch 6 Pritchell hole 1/2 inch "On one side reads : "HAY BUDDEN BROOKLYN 129 . On the other side is the number 106. Near the front handling hole is the number 5. On the front near the bottom is the numbers 191195. It has a good rebound and a nice ring to it." from the seller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGUNDOCTOR Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I just bought one of a pair of 170# HBs a guy had here for $175. It is in really nice shape , and made in 1920. We had guessed the weight at 175 because the weight wasn't readable, and settled on a price of $1 a pound. I later looked at the other anvil on another trip during the day, and it was marked 170. Seems every region has different pricing, look at the long thread concerning prices of anvils here on the forums. I would hash a price out before driving 4 hours, as time and fuel are not cheap now. Either that or plan on doing something else while you are that way in case you don't gt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XombieChow Posted September 2, 2009 Author Share Posted September 2, 2009 ah 1 a lb...that sounds nice lol...it's darn near impossible to find a deal like that here. I think for the region it's a decent price....of course i'd like to pay less but from what i've been told it's a "fair" price...i'm curious what you guys think of the condition. Oh and my wife and I are going to make a weekend of it...get away together...so it'll be worth it regardless ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Emig Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 For my .02 cents, it looks like a pretty good anvil-1 nick in the side is easily worked around. Looks like a nice varying radii all way around. 300 or less is a good deal. Get at least a rough price BEFORE you drive all that way. No sense wasting time. Find out if the face is flat also. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Great anvil, I have 2. One is a 185 and one is 105, wouldn't take for either one. $2.33p/lb sounds a little high to me...but I'm cheap! Might think of offering a little less, but not some much that you insult the guy, the worst he can say is 'No', right?. Good luck and keep us informed. Put an ad in your local paper that you are looking for fellow smiths, ya never know.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Doesn't look to bad from the picture. I guess any more you got to pay what you got to pay to get a decent old anvil so go ahead and get it if you want it. I used to think $.50/# was high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Parker Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 I have one like it and picked it up with a NC stand for $225. The price was higher until I explained that it was going to be used. He was happy to drop the price and not sale to a collector. He was a retired blacksmith and picked encouraging a newbie over profit. When I can no longer work on melted metal, I will do the same. If you are not a natural barterer, a flea market or swap meet pro then consider how long you searched, how far away you had to go to found one. I think you will decide that you are getting a deal. Time, effort and availability are almost as important as price. New anvils are considerably more and you cannot go wrong with a hay budden unless it was severely abused. IMHO jump on it and get to work. Someone will always find a better deal but while they are out pitching pennies; you will be smashing hot steel. Enjoy, it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XombieChow Posted September 4, 2009 Author Share Posted September 4, 2009 Dave thanks for the encouragement. I've searched for a good while...it's just the area i'm in is not much of a farming community etc. It's not the BEST deal but it's certainly not over priced from what i've seen and been told. I'm excited about the anvil but i'd be even more excited to find someone around here to teach me . Thanks guys for all your advice Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Emig Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Paying 300 for an anvil like that is just fine. Enjoy it. If you're looking to learn, check out the controlled hand forging lessons on ABANA.ORG . If you have some dough to spend, the best book for my money is Mark Aspery's first book. I own almost every learning book there is, and his is the most thorough and complete. Also download the COSIRA series of books-free and LOTS of good info. When I started I had no money for anything and primarily learned and worked on my own. Plus, if you have a problem-ask questions on this site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 What does farming have to do with it? My best anvil deals were made in the city---Columbus Ohio. Old factories, (glass making and sugar refining for example), even old car repair places used to have smithies---even old hospitals; I once talked with a fellow who had been an orthopedic smith in WWII. You can be really surprised where anvils can crop up---there was one out in the desert by an old cable tool drilling rig hear at NM Tech University, (now on loan to the Fine Arts Metals department) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XombieChow Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 smithing - thanks I'll take all that in. Thomas - You're right it's by far not just a farming tool. I'm sure there are some around...i've put ads out and haven't pulled anything in...i'll still keep my eye out...i'd love to have a heavier one if the price was right...you never know what you'll find in salvage yards or estate sales etc... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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