November 16, 201015 yr Check this one out. I've never seen one with the pritchel in the table before. Anyone have any thoughts on what it might be? http://annapolis.craigslist.org/wan/2062766319.html
November 16, 201015 yr My guess is the pritchel was added at a much later time and they did not want to try drilling through the face. Phil
November 16, 201015 yr it has a squat Colonial look to it. Didn't anvils of that period lack pritchel holes?
November 16, 201015 yr Author Good guess, Phil. That makes a lot of sense. Personally I'm kind of leaning toward this being locally manufactured, maybe even a one-off, but I'm no anvil guru.
November 17, 201015 yr It looks British and it looks old. I agree that the table hole came later, but for what reason? http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools
November 17, 201015 yr Author I was assuming that somebody decided it just wasn't a real anvil unless it had a pritchel!
November 17, 201015 yr It looks British and it looks old. I agree that the table hole came later, but for what reason? http://www.turleyforge.com Granddaddy of Blacksmith Schools Frank I have to agree with the best answer. As for why. Its personal preferance. Some drive Chev some Ford or whatever. Some vote one party or the other. The most honest answer I get from those is "Cause my daddy and grandpdad did" We have members who won't have any thing but a Euro or Fisher or Hay Budden. "For what reason"? Coal gas or induction? Mechanical or air hammer? German,Swedish,Hofi or ballpein hammer? Ours is not to reason why it's just to hammer till we die. Ken.
November 17, 201015 yr Judging by the style of the feet, looks Mousehole to me, early mousehole without the pritchel hole. Of course most look mousehole to me. The feet on a mousehole had that angle that ran all the way down, like in the picture of mine.
November 17, 201015 yr I agree with Phil and ken. It sure has a "colonial" shape and the pritchel hole was probably added later(possibly placed where it is because they couldn't/wouldn't drill thru the face).
November 17, 201015 yr Of course there were over 200 anvil manufacturers in England and pretty much all of them in the early days used that style of feet, Just cause Mouseholes made it over to the USA in quantity we are trained to think "Mousehole" when we see that shape/feet. Look carefully at the underside of the pritchel hole---does it look punched or drilled---drilled is usually an indication of retrofit and perhaps an early one at that as they may have considered the face too hard to drill through with simple tools...
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