I was told this anvil is an old sawyers anvil by a local blacksmith but I am now having doubts because the shape of it is a tad off. Any Ideas? please feel free to email me your answers, it would be easier way. Thanks

Paul

Looks like a weight they use to test the accuracy of truck scales.

looks like a sawyers anvil to me, but a recently made one, yes youll see many of the older ones that well taller with much more mass, this is because they were used to not only tune the saw blades, but to forge them as well, so you needed lots of mass for forging.

recent sawyers anvils are normally only used to tune or straighten saw blades, no forging because the saw is already cut out of thin sheet metal. so no need for all that mass, just a nice big flat and hard surface

but this is just my guess as i can not check how hard the thing is or look at it up close to see the sines of use

Edited October 28, 200916 yr by Mlmartin15

There was barely any surface damage to it a few little dings here and there but alot less than I see on your average used anvil. The man I got it from bought it from a lumber mill auction 10+ years ago I think he said. I have been trying to get a hand to pick it back up off the ground, I was trying to move it earlier this week and it slipped off the table, and I can't move it on my own. Actually had someone offer me a 125# Hay Budden for it but, I decided I'd keep it and try to find another anvil to use as well. I had thought of trying to put a hardie hole into it, but decided why mess it up.

If it's real steel then it would make a great upsetting plate for the floor near another anvil

I finally managed to track down a company that in the 1930's owned the one that made my anvil, I wrote to the company president about my dilemma in Identifying my anvil and here is what he wrote back.


Re: Company History‏
From: Don Selfridge ([email protected])
Sent: Wed 10/28/09 8:53 AM
To: Wm Horus ([email protected])
Paul,

I've only worked for Hanchett for approximately 34 years and during that time I've been told that Hanchett purchased
the Covel Company sometime in approximately the 1930's. Wha you have is a sawfiler's anvil. It is used for leveling and
tensioning circular saws. Based upon the photo it appears to be rather large in size. We still provide anvils on a very occasional
basis as there are a number available from auction sales. As an example for value, a 14" X 16" X 5" Crowned face anvil currently sells new for $4,575.00. Please feel free to visit our website at Hanchett Manufacturing -- Knife Grinding Systems - Band Saw Sharpening Systems and review our current products.
Thanks for your interest.
Don Selfridge

So there we have it, A sawfilers anvil, a rarity apparently if I am reading this correctly. I got lucky.

$4,575 would buy you a lot of tools, coal and stock...

While I like my saw filers anvil, I know I need a traditional one to work with, where on earth would I be able to sell this?

Just find the guy again who wanted to trade for the Hay Budden.

I know I need a traditional [anvil] to work with

A smithing anvil is 'simply' a tough, heavy thing upon which we beat iron. What is 'traditional' -- a European Migration Period (the age of the Vikings) block anvil? An 18th century English block-with-horn anvil? A 1900 Fisher? They all performed the same main functions but technological and economical factors at each point caused typological changes to the anvils.

Unless you're trying to re-enact a certain time-period I would humbly suggest you look at 'improvised' smithing tools -- there are many resources available (especially on this site) showing 'improvised' anvils which are often easier and/or cheaper to get hold of than a 150lb Hay Budden or whathaveyou.