Hello everyone, I'm a new member, I am anxious to get started working with the forge & anvil. I finally bought an anvil after looking for years. I got a Hay-Budden that has the serial number 154732. Can anybody tell me when it was made and any other info. about it?

Thanks

AIA book list that serial # from 1908. Size? Condition? HB anvils are great anvils. Have fun.

Hey thanks for the help, I believe its 143#, it's in good condition.

Bigcountry, Should have the weight stamped right under the name.
Ken.

Hello Ken,

I went out and buffed it off, couldn't make out any numbers under the name, did see however, a 19 on the side under the hardie hold. I guess I'll have to weigh it.

Rob

Rob, My 142 lb H-B has 3 numbers on the side at the hardy hole. Am told that numbers there indicate a Solid tool steel top.
Ken

Hay-Budden, made in Brooklyn, NY, 1890 to around 1925. Cast body, steel face. Use a zirc disc or other sandpaper type material to buff the side right below the face and you'll see the weld line about 3/4 inch down running from heel to step. Have read that you can tap around the face with a ball-peen hammer and listen for any dead or non-ringing spots. if you have any there is a gap between the face and the body where the weld didn't take. Just useful for trivia or gauging overall condition.

On this particular anvil I suspect you will find the weld line about mid-waist. It should be all cast steel the entire top half of the anvil. HB started doing this in about fall 1908. They were experimenting with different methods at that point in time so I would expect to find different examples.
Gobbler

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that except for the really early HB's they were a forged steel top half, and a forged wrought iron bottom half, joined at the waist. The early ones had just a steel face plate and a wrought body.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that except for the really early HB's they were a forged steel top half, and a forged wrought iron bottom half, joined at the waist. The early ones had just a steel face plate and a wrought body.

You are correct. I meant forged steel, not cast steel. I don't know what I was thinking there.

do they still make hay_budden anvils?

No longer made. Stopped around 1925.
Ken