Just found this anvil on Craigslist in my area, about an hour away, do you all think it is worth it? How much do you think it weighs?

http://roanoke.craigslist.org/tls/2060631635.html

The 600-800 he is claiming it is worth is, IMO, a dream! 250.00 is a good price. If I needed one I'd buy it. It does have a lot of the edges ground down.

Looks like a good anvil, Buy it. Could those numbers be in pounds, I thought it said peter wright on it?
Rob

Peter Wright used CWT weights not just pounds.

I'd say it weighed withing 10 pounds of 141 pounds and $250 would be a decent price for it where you live.

$4 a pound with that much edge damage would be very surprising to me on the using market.

It would probably be the weight in pounds as you can't have a '4' in the middle position for the stone weight system.

It looks fairly beat up. I'd like to get a closer look and check ring and rebound before I had to make a decision. It's a good brand, and assuming the face isn't delaminating and hasn't been through a fire, etc., I'm sure you could get lots of use out of it. I don't follow anvil prices enough to have a strong opinion about that one, but it basically depends how badly you need an anvil, versus how badly you need the $250.

I am guessing it weighs about 141 pounds. Probably marked by a former owner. Looks to still have a lot of life. Do the dry sand on the face test to be sure.

I am guessing it weighs about 141 pounds. Probably marked by a former owner. Looks to still have a lot of life. Do the dry sand on the face test to be sure.

aftist, what's the dry sand test? I don't know that one.

Just my 2 cents worth. Man said Henry Wright (old english). pic showes 141= 225lbs but not possiable under british system. I would have to pass on it.
Ken.

It's a HENRY Wright, Peter's brother. The fact it's stamped "ENGLAND" shows it was made on or after 1910. The "141" is in Lbs, as the highest the middle number in Cwt can go is 3. Not a bad anvil at that price. It's possible that it was intended for the American market and was marked in pounds for that reason.
Anyone out there with AinA that could check this one out?

I would buy it. Price is fair and you can always repair it.

Matt, I also have never heard of the "dry sand test". I'd be interested in finding out what that is. Anybody know the answer to that one? B)

I'm going to go look at it after work today (yesterday wasn't an option as it was my wife's birthday, "Happy Birthday my dearest, I love you very much. By the way we are going to drive an hour one way and buy me an anvil for your birthday. That sounds like a good plan, right?"). If I decide to buy it I will post better pictures of it.

aftist, what's the dry sand test? I don't know that one.

Sprinkle dry sand on top of the plate. When you hammer on the anvil, if the weld holding the top plate to the rest of the anvil is broken anywhere, the sand will reveal it.

Sprinkle dry sand on top of the plate. When you hammer on the anvil, if the weld holding the top plate to the rest of the anvil is broken anywhere, the sand will reveal it.

So the sand won't bounce around as much where the weld is broken? (Or maybe will bounce around more?)

So will the sound!

Put some sand on your anvil and hit it. Should be pretty self explanetary.

Here are some better images of the anvil, and a picture with my daughter in it for... scale, yeah that's it. Any recommendations for smoothing the edges/building them up/leaving the darn thing alone and just using it, are always welcome. Rebound on multiple points from 10 inches with a marble was 8.5-9 inches. it weighs 145 lbs. by our bathroom scale.

It looks as good as the one I'm using. I might try to work the edges a little with a file or grinder if the chips bothered me.
When I got mine, the edges were badly chipped and had to be welded up some with hardfacing rod. I have radii on the edges, but they don't change from rounder to sharper in the traditional way. It took a while, but I finally have learned where to go to find the radius I want. It's just a quirk, but it's my quirk.

I'd say "Good score" and "Cute kid"!

Wire brush the rust off the face and use it for a year and *then* decide if you want to modify it any!