chickenfried Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Hi, I was wondering if this anvil is rare or not. I've done some searching on the web but haven't found one with a horseshoe on the side like this one. Is this worth having repaired or would I be better off sellling it to a collector (assuming its rare)? Oh, does anyone else believe that if they had put the horseshoe right side up that maybe the face wouldn't have come off? LOL Don't know what they were thinking there. Everyone knows that all the luck runs out when the horseshoe is upside down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Don't know about the anvil but the old blacksmiths would mount a horseshoe upside down over their forge so luck would run into it. If you use a shoe for luck you are to get it from a blacksmith that has recently taken it off a horse. And it does hang rightside up, to hold the luck in. Found horseshoes have had the luck run out of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Einhorn Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 My humble understanding of collectors is that they want items in good original physical condition. Damage and repairs to collectibles tend to reduce their value, most of the time. That anvil is severely damaged. The amount of time and money to fix it would likely cost more than the value of the anvil. However, if you have the time and skill, and have nothing better to do then it can possibly be an interesting learning experience for you. On the other hand, you could make it into an interesting lamp for your living room. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Your anvil is a Fisher Farrier's anvil, made around 1905. There should be an exact date under the heal. For a few years, Fisher made the farriers anvil with a horseshoe cast into the anvil. They are rare. I have one in the museum, and have seen about 4 others over the years. Your anvil is severely damaged. I would not attempt any type of fix. Most of the hard face top plate is gone. You would have to figure out how to weld to cast iron a layer that would then allow for hard face steel to be applied. Cost of electric, hard face welding rods, nickel rods for the base layer would far exceed what you would get out of it. Need more info, just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 While it looks bad there is still a lot of use in that anvil. The horn looks pretty good and what is left of the hard face is better than most fellows start out with in the way of something to forge on. My first anvil looked much like that and I still have it even though I have two others that are all there. I have a 125# that is wrought iron with a steel hard face and a big old Fisher cast iron with steel hard face but it is the broken anvil that I have fixed up for jewelry. I have put a shine on the horn and the broken hard face and it is such a joy to work on. I'm sure glad I never followed the advice to sell it for scrap or make a lamp out of it. It is still working even though broken, like me. I like to think just well broken in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenfried Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Yes it does have the date. Sorry I forgot to include that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenfried Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 njanvilman, any idea on what the value would have been if it had been in very good condition? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Depends on the location quite a lot; anvils where I live now are about US$1 a pound higher than where I used to live. I would guess that back east, USA if that anvil was in decent using shape it would go from $2 to $3 a pound (so $300-$450) As it is I would give $50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 Looking at the photo again, I see that besides 2/3 of the top plate missing, sime of the iron below is also broken off. My anvil was obtained in a swap with Bill Gitchner about 8 years ago. Traded surplus vises and other stuff for several anvils. Hard to place a value, also depends on condition, and location(shipping or not). I never give values, but a range would be from 300 to 600. As it is, Thomas is about correct. If I can figure out how to post photos, I will post a picture of my anvil 'complete'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I am wondering what happened to that anvil that broke so much of the top and underlying iron off? Mishap or factory defect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 NJAnvilman; I have the base of an anvil where the entire top was broken off at the waist---it's weightstamped so I know it was a complete and much bigger anvil once upon a time---not a Fisher though. It's on my "wall of shame" with other damaged and abused anvils I have run across over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 ThomasPowers, Can you post pictures of that "wall of shame" for us please? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) I'll see if I can dig up a friend with a camera and take time to clean out the junk piled with the sad abused anvils and get a picture up---*please* don't hold your breath as I am in the middle of building a shop expansion and would rather spend time on that if possible! I hope to raise one of the trusses Monday! (taking a day off work as my Holiday will be spent visiting relatives.) I did bring the vulcan with 80% of the face gone, (ridged back!) and the horn broken off to quad state one year to show terribly bad casting flaws in it (multiple voids the size of pencils along the horn body interface). Did that to show folks why I rate Vulcans much lower than Fishers, I believe that evidence of the voids would have been present before it was finished and sold. Edited November 25, 2009 by ThomasPowers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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