Looking at buying an anvil

[Drewed]

This is obivously stamped TRENTON, but the shape on the bottom doesn't look right. Can you please take a look at these pictures and let me know what you think? Also a price guess would be nice, but I know that is asking a lot. Thanks much!







Also 118 = 148 lbs?

[macbruce]

Don't pay allot. With those chunks out of the edge, I'd say two bucks a pound tops........

[ThomasPowers]

On American Anvils the weight stamped is in pounds not CWT so 118 = 118.

Have to check out AinA to see if any other companies ever did anvils for Trenton. I STR that cast bases were sometimes shared around in Columbus OH between the two manufacturers and that looks like a cast steel base to my eye---however if it passes the ball bearing test then it doesn't matter what is stamped on it---if you just plan to use it!

As for price; well it would go for about twice as much here as where I used to live. Where you live I haven't a clue. So I'd be happy to pay US$1.50 a pound for that one (if it passes the test) and would expect it to sell for at least $200 with some folks going $250. On the coasts or anvil poor regions I would expect perhaps $3 a pound and then there is always the folks who want $6 and don't understand why folks won't buy it for that.

I'm not so worried about the deckled edges; the face looks decent to my eye in that picture; but he's right you don't pay mint prices for an anvil with that much edge wear

[Sask Mark]

That looks like one of the earlier Trentons that were made by Boker of Germany.

[CurlyGeorge]

Does it have a serial # on the foot under the horn? That might help, too. :)

[Drewed]

I asked about a serial number, so we'll see what the seller says.

I found this on the web:
"Typically these German Trentons can be recognized in having a flat base, the weight is usually stamped below the logo, there is no serial number on the front foot, most have flats on the front and back feet like a Peter Wright anvil, but more pronounced, and those made between circa 1896-1898 will have the word GERMANY stamped either on the side or on the front foot. In general, overall shape is just a bit different than the American Trenton, particularly the front and back feet."

Could this be an old GERMAN Trenton? And does that have any bearing on the price?

Guy is asking $300 for it....

[jimw]

that is a fair price

[Thomas Dean]

Just because he is asking $300 doesn't mean you can't offer less! I bought a 107# William Foster with the small horn on the side of the anvil last month for $100.00. The guy had it on craigslist for $400.00! He was glad to get it out of the back of his truck. He got it from the widow of a farrier...what he told me...They lived down the street from him and he helped her do some cleaning and moving a bunch of heavy stuff for her. I'm guessing that she just gave him the anvil. About 5yrs ago I got a 105# Hay Budden for $60.00, the guy had priced it at $75.00! It never hurts to offer less!

[clinton]

I was just reading up on this in Anvils in America of course and what I came up with is more questions than answers, Mr Postman talks about the Trentons being made abroad for some time, some were possibly made by Peter Wright or Henry Wright and the German made ones, the German made ones he says would not have a handling hole in the front foot pg 357
I have to disagree wit Thomas Powers on this one being cast steel as it looks to me like it says solid wrought under the Trenton logo
I would say at around $2.50 / lb you could not go wrong on this, but like Thomas Dean says offer less, but I would not go too low on my offer as this may not go well with the seller and he may decide to go full price or not sell to you at all, I would try for $250 or $200 maybe, but go look at it first

[Drewed]

The seller will not move on the price. IT does say soild wrought under the Trenton name. According to the seller it is also 118 lbs according to his scale. Almost 3 bucks a pound sounds like a lot to me. The seller says thats because it it a collector item being so old and German. I'm thinking of thanking him for his time and hope he enjoys his collection.

[MattBower]

$300 is actually $2.54/lb. It's 118 pounds, not 100. It's a WI bodied, steel faced anvil with a pretty smooth face, from what I can see. No obvious sway, no really nasty dings, the hardy and pritchel holes look to be in pretty good shape, even the edges don't look like there's anything wrong with them that a little time with a flap disk couldn't fix. The horn looks pretty good, too. It's not a steal, but for $2.54 a pound it doesn't look like a ripoff, either.

[ThomasPowers]

WHAT'S A GOOD PRICE DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE!

I used to average a great name brand anvil a year for under US$1 when I lived in Ohio, which is pretty much the happy hunting grounds for blacksmithing stuff.
Out here in NM I'm very happy if I can get something under $2 a pound and not in as good a shape. "Fair Price DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE!"

There isn't that much of a "collectors market" in anvils especially for *used* ones; more of a hoarder's market. Personally I wouldn't pay a penny a pound more for it just because it was made in Germany---the American made ones are excellent tools.

(as to the cast base I was just guessing as that picture looked like there were some voids as often found in cast items.)