March 28, 201115 yr I don't have any decent pictures of my main anvil. It's a Peter Wright, though. at 95 lbs it works pretty well here's my only picture:
April 3, 201115 yr Wrong again. The link does work. Somebody on chat was talking about travelling anvils. One link is to a photo of my travelling anvil. It also has my railroad hardie in the hardie hole. I was going to cut the hardie down so the work being cut wasn't so high- but it works as it is and it will be a very long time before that is worn and sharpened away to nothing! It cuts very well. BTW the travelling anvil is the baby sized Rhino Anvil and works well. Obviously a 120 pound anvil is missing mass but what it does it does well and it is as hard as a mother in law's heart It gets wickedly abused by students here but shows scarcely a mark!
April 4, 201115 yr I just picked this up yesterday for $150.00 from a local blacksmith. Despite the small piece cracked off the tip of the horn, I'm pretty happy with it. I don't know much about the stampings and I haven't weighed it, or tried to clean it up yet. Does anyone have any knowledge of this anvil? Any recommendations for removing the surface rust and getting this thing work-ready? Thanks, Peter
April 4, 201115 yr you landed a beautiful peter wright 127 pounder! Congratulations...............by hammering hot steel on it, the rust will disappear, right before your eyes! Let me tell you, the price was right! The greatest cure for a rusty anvil is working hot steel on it, which polishes it everywhere you work on it!
April 4, 201115 yr Jim - Thanks for the info and advice. I picked this one from a selection of three, all P.W. This was the smallest of the group with the largest being about twice the size of mine. All were in similar condition, all for $1.50/lb. The seller was unaware of the weighting formula and had just guessed at "100 lbs" for my anvil..... thus the selling price. I just found this formula: "Typically the hundreds weight markings are separated by dots but not always. These figures were stamped into the finished anvil and are often not very deep. The first figure to the left is hundred weights which equal 112 pounds. The next figure is quarter hundred weights which equal 28 pounds and the last number is whole pounds. The three are added together for the total weight. Examples: 1 · 0 · 16 = 112 + 0 + 16 = 128 pounds 2 · 1 · 3 = (112 x 2) + 28 + 3 = 255 pounds 2 · 2 · 25 = (112 x 2) + (28 x 2) + 25 = 305# [/i"
April 4, 201115 yr The CWT weight formula was often used on english anvils where american anvil were often weight stamped in pounds. Knowing which anvils are which can make a big difference in the "deal". 131 could be either 131 pounds or 197 pounds and at perhaps $2 a pound.... You can really luck out if they try to sell you an english anvil at a "pounds" weight stamp OTOH if they assume that your Trenton or Arm and Hammer is stamped in CWT they may want a lot more for it than the true weight would indicate!
April 12, 201115 yr Here is the 200 lbs + Trenton I picked up for my self and my students where I teach Shop in Salem. I had a crowd of middle school boys just amazed that an anvil was real and still used today. Many thought they were only in cartoons to drop on people or coyotes' heads. I need to raise up the height so my wrist is in better position when swinging the hammer. Bryan "Shop Teacher" Bridges
April 12, 201115 yr Looks almost like if you would stand the block up on end and place the anvil on it it would be the correct height. Any indication that it once was used that way and then turned sideways and put on a "cart" for storage?
April 12, 201115 yr Here is the 200 lbs + Trenton I picked up for my self and my students where I teach Shop in Salem. I had a crowd of middle school boys just amazed that an anvil was real and still used today. Many thought they were only in cartoons to drop on people or coyotes' heads. I need to raise up the height so my wrist is in better position when swinging the hammer. Bryan "Shop Teacher" BridgesHat's off to you for taking the time and effort to secure an anvil and put in in a teaching situation! You cannot take a shop class in middle school here anymore- in a city of 50,000. High school shop offerings are not even a shadow of what they once were. Junior high shop used to be both a 'growing up' place, and a learning place. Even for kids on an academic track like I was, it provided a great and enjoyable balance to the 'other stuff'. Your efforts are appreciated.
April 21, 201115 yr Ancient Mousehole, battered & tattered. I hope to reface this someday. I think it would be a good early period reenactment anvil. 125 lbs. Short and blocky, face is five inches wide. There may or may not be some markings hidden among the scars on the side. No shelf, no pritchel hole.
April 26, 201115 yr Wow, I too can get a bit wiff forging on a hot day but I don't think I've ever knocked out a dog that came over to sniff me! Looks like a nice quiet anvil in great shape!
April 27, 201115 yr Picked up these 2 this weekend. $125 for the pair. 100 pound Vulcan 93 pound Peter Wright The owner has another anvil at his farm. When it dries up enough around here that he can get to his farm, he will be picking it up for me. He also has some tools at his farm that he wants to give to me. He's a nice guy...
April 27, 201115 yr Picked up these 2 this weekend. $125 for the pair. 100 pound Vulcan 93 pound Peter Wright The owner has another anvil at his farm. When it dries up enough around here that he can get to his farm, he will be picking it up for me. He also has some tools at his farm that he wants to give to me. He's a nice guy...That's a misdemeanor in some towns! I have the twin of your PW, mine is 0-3-8. I'll get a pic on here tommorrow.
April 28, 201115 yr Here are some pics of my anvil I got it yesterday for $400 I am not sure on the maker but on the back it has 1 2 12
April 28, 201115 yr Wilkinson, Queens Cross, Dudley (the crossed ovals are a give away) Traditionally forged english anvil would be marked in CWT for weight. Good brand not as common an import in America as the Peter Wright or Mousehole; but not uncommon either.
April 29, 201115 yr Wilkinson, Queens Cross, Dudley (the crossed ovals are a give away) Traditionally forged english anvil would be marked in CWT for weight. Good brand not as common an import in America as the Peter Wright or Mousehole; but not uncommon either. Thank you very much for the info is there any way of getting the year it was made
April 29, 201115 yr Got to showoff again I never have seen one like this carriage makers anvil 165 lb 1600 to 1750 makes me feel young.
April 30, 201115 yr PIcked up a Wilkinson anvil from a buddy for $30 and a knife. This wee lass belonged to his grandfather who was a smith in the historic town of 96, SC. Goes back a ways, she does, and has seen quite a few things, I'm sure. The faceplate is almost entirely gone and that big chunk missing from the side is going to need something done about it. But, I can't complain. Just bought the hardfacing rod to repair the top and will still have gotten a 120lb anvil for considerably less than $2/lb!
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